Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-07-21

when you were little boy coming on.
night to the old log house on Bow
mans hill with Uncle Eb?"
Il remember 1t very WELL" answer
cd.
That was the first time l ever saw
you,' he said.
"Why, you are not the night MANI"
II was the night man." he answered
I stared at him with something Of
the old familiar thrill that had always
come ut the mention Of him years
agone.
Hes grown leetle since them" said
Uncle Eb.
Il thought SO the night carried him
or the field at Bull Run" said Nebe.
miah.
"Was that your" 1 asked eagerly.
ut was" he answered. II 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 u.s." said she, how you came to
be the night man."
He folded his arms and looked down
and began his story.
"Years ago had great misfortune.
I was mere boy at the time. BY ac-
ctdent killed another boy in play. 1t
was an old gun we were playing with,
and nobody knew 1t was loaded. had
often quarreled with the other boy.
That is why they thought I had done
1t on purpose. There was dance that
night. had got up in the evening,
crawled out Of the window and stolen
away. We were in Richards stable. /
remember how the people ran out with
lanterns. They would have hung me-
some Of them-or given me the blue
beech il boy friend had not hurried
me away. 1t was terrible hour. I
was stunned. could say nothing.
They drove me to the burg, the boys
father chasing US. got over into
Canada, walked to Montreal and there
went to sea. It was foolish, know,
but ! was only boy Of fifteen. took
another name. I began q new life.
Nehemiah Brewer was like one dead.
In Frisco saw Ben Gilman. He had
been schoolmate In PARKWAY. he
put his hand on my shoulder and called
me the old name. It was hard to deny
1.-THE hardest thing eve41id. was
homesick. / wanted to ASK him about
my mother and father and my sister,
who was baby when left. would
have given my life to talk with him.
But shook my head.
"'No,' said. my name is not Brow
q. You are mistaken
ssThen walked away, and Nemy
Brewer stayed In his grave.
well, two years later we were cruis-
Ing from Sidney to Van Dieman's
Land. One night there came big
storm. A shipmate was washed away
In the dark, We never saw him again.
They found letter In his box that
said his real name was Nehemiah
Brewer, son Of David Brewer Of Far
away. N. T., U. s. A. I put 1t there. Of
course, and the captain wrote a letter
to my father about the death Of his
son. Ny old self was near done for,
and the man Trumbull had new lease
ct life. You see, in my madness had
convicted and executed myself"
He paused q moment. His mother
put her hand upon his shoulder, with a
word Of gentle sympathy Then he
ventoni
WELL M years after l had gone
away, ono evening In midsummer we
came into the harbor Of Quebec. /
had been long In the southern seas.
When went ashore on days leave
and wandered off In the fields and got
the smell Of the north went out Of
my head-Went crazy for a look at the
bills Of PARKWAY and my own people.
Nothing could stop me then. ! drew
my pay. packed my things in a bag.
and of I went. Left the burg afoot
the day after; got to PARKWAY In the
evening. It was heautiful-the scent of
the new hay that stood in cocks and
winrows on the hill. the noise of the
crickesS. the smell of the grain, the old
house, just as remembered them, just
% had dreamed Of them thousand
times. And when went by the gate
Bony. my old dog, came out and
barked at me. and spoke to him, and
he knew me and came and licked my
hands. rubbing upon my leg. sat
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