Evening journal., 1905-04-25


he took the bit OF paper A big tear
rolled down his cheek.
"Why. Holdenl What does this
meanY he asked.
"'At the Lord pays his debts" said
Uncle Eb. "Read IT,"
Hope had lighted the lamp.
David rose and put on his spectacles.
One eyebrow had lifted above the level
OF the other He held the check to the
lamp light. Elizabeth stood at his ell
bow.
"Why, motherr said he. as this
from our boy2 From Nehemiah Why,
Nehemiah is dead9 he added, looking
over his spectacles at Uncle Eb.
Nehemiah is not dead" said the lat
ter.
Nehemiah not deadw he repeated,
looking down at the draft.
They turned Il in the light, reading
over ana over again the happy tidings
pinned TO one corner Of 1t. Then they
looked into each others eyes.
Elizabeth put her arms about Da-
vid's neck and laid her head upon his
shoulder, and not one Of us dare trust
himself TO speak for a little. Uncle Eb
broke the silence.
"Got another present" he said. as
n good deal better n gold er silver
A knock at the door interrupted him.
He swung 1t open quick. A tall, beard
ed man came In.
"Mr. Trumbullw Hope exclaimed, ris-
ing.
David an Elizabeth Brewer" said
Uncle Eb, 'the dead hes come & life.
! give ye back yer son Nehemiah"
Then he swung his cap high above
his head. shouting in loud voice,
merry Crissmus, merry Crissmusw
The scene that followed ] shall not
try TO picture. II was so full of happi-
ness that every day Of our lives since
then has been blessed with 1t and with
a peace that has llghtened every sor-
row. or it / can truly say that il pas
seth all understanding
"Look here, folks" said Uncle Eb
after awhile, as he got his flute, "my
feelins hev been teched hard. II
don't hev some jolli1cation III bust.
Bill Brewer timber up yer leather a
leetle Bit
Nehemiah, whom / had known as
John Trumbull sat a long time be-
tween his father and mother. holding a
hand Of each and talking IN low tone.
while Hope and ] were in the kitchen
with Uncle Eb. Now that father and
, son We're side by side we saw how like
they We're and wondered we had never
guessed the truth.
do you remember" said Nehemiah
when we returned. "do you remember
when you were a little boy coming one
night to the old log house on Bow
mans bin with Uncle EbY
Il remember It very we'll" / answer
ed.
"That was the first time ever saw
you" he said.
why, you are not the night mang
II was the night man." he answered.
/ stared at him with something Of
the old familiar thrill that had always
come at the mention OF him years
agone.
Hes grown a leetle since then," said
Uncle Eb.
Il thought so the night carried him
Off the field at Bull Run" said Nebe-
miah.
''Was that youg" I asked eagerly.
ut was" he answered. Il came
over from Washington that afternoon
Your colonel told me you had been
wounded"
WONDERED who you were, but ]
could not get you to answer. have
to thank you for my life"
Hope put her arms about his neck
and kissed him.
Tell us" said she, "how you came tc
be the night man.
He folded his arms and looked down
and began his story.
years ago I had a great misfortune
1 was mere boy at the time. BY ac
cident / killed another boy IN play. II
was an old gun we were playing with
and nobody knew it was loaded. hat
often quarreled with the other boy
That is why they thought 1 had don,
1t on purpose. There was a dance thai
night / had got up in the evening
crawled out Of the window and stoler
away. We were in Richards stable.
remember how the people ran out will
lanterns. They would have hung me
some Of them-or given me the blu,
beech II boy friend had not hurried
me away. IL was a terrible hour.
was stunned. I could say nothing
They drove me TO the burg. the boy.
father chasing us. got over int,
Canada, walked to Montreal and ther,
went TO sea. II was foolish I know
but I was only a boy Of fifteen. 7 tool
another name. ! began n new life
Nehemiah Brewer was like one dead
IN Frisco I saw Ben Gilman. He ha,
been schoolmate in Faraway III
7 put his hand on my shoulder and calle,
! me the old name II was hard TO den,
1.-THE hardest thing ever did wa
homesick wanted to ask him abou
: my mother and father and my sister
. who was baby when ] left woul,
have given my life TO talk with him
But I shook my head
"'No,' said. my name is not Brow
er. You are mistaken
!, ''Then I walked away. and Mem,
Brewer stayed in his grave.
We'll two years later we were cruis
i Ing from Sidney to Van Dieman'
Land. One fight there came a bi
storm. A shipmate was washed ava
- y in the dark. We never saw him agar
"a V'hau foupd /, l,t4n- 4. "A. - "a.