Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-03
CHAPTER XIX tcontinued.)

p.nce childhood, and I have never
 het the gentleman until today. It
 seems lilxeA presumption to accept your invitation"
 Che of the gentleman said: Now, $Un't fool yourself, for amongst all
 rese men with all their wealth. not She of them can make a speech"
 Then" said I, T am the richest
 man of the party and you may call
 on me to respond to the toast"
 Before his health was proposed, the commodore came to me and said that fiis health was about to be proposed. end he would esteem it an especial favor if T would respond, and I said, why, certainly, Commodore" and tlen took another glass of punch. The health was proposed and respond ed to, and never in my life has any speech of mine been received with more hearty approval. As we were leaving the Atlantic Mrs. Goulds. on bicding me good-by, remarked %lat Fhe was very glad, indeed, that I was there to respond for her husband ''F or" said she, it is the trial of his life to make a speech"
 Then" said I. T am more than p;Cased to have saved him from The tTial today"
 If. my dear reader, what am writ lrg should savor slightly of egotism,
 
 tjnle 'tis the nature of my calling, so please let it got at that.
 As the final race was to be sailed or the following day, we all remained on board the Ramona at Bay Ridge, and in my humble opinion there never has been, either on shore or af1oat, a n ere right royal, genial gathering tran the one the Ramona's cabin held that night. There were songs, recita- ticns and stories told that took us far dato the night, but when morning came ali were ready to witness the final race, which proved to be no race at ell. as the Valkyrie, after passing the starting line, to the astonishment of the thousands of spectators, put her helm up, wore round, and headed for Bay Ridge, where we found her calm 1y riding at anchor upon our return, after seeing the Puritan safely round the stake boat to save the race. The next day we sailed for Larchmont, the home of Commodore Gilig and the Iarchmont Yacht club, where we were received with all the honors thereunto belonging. After coming to enchor, I told the commodore that v'culd have to leave him in the morn if 2, as I was to visit relative al Eastern Point.
 "An right" said he, We will sail ts New London and take you there"
 And after spending a delightful evening at Larchmont and receiving an addition to our company in MT. George A. Knight, a prominent law Ep Long Island Sound with one of the loveliest breezes that ever blew, and wien all were gathered aft on deck, spinning yarns" was reminded of Un early experience of my own which related and this is the story:
 Some sixty-four years ago l sailed out of New London as a cabin bay. on board a. seventy-dve ton schooner bound for the coast of Africa on a sealing voyage" After relating to deeply interested listeners many inci- dents of my tweTEy-two months' voy- age, Commodore (Gillig spoke up and 'Now, boys" saM he, i've will make an event of this. Sixty-four years ago Uncle George sailed out of New London as a cabin boy on a seventy sve ton schooner. Now, on sailing of the Ramona a hundred and ten ton schooner yacht, and no finer yacht ever sailed up Long Island Sound, and when ne takes the helm every man Dn board, from the commodore to the cook shall obey his orders"
 Between Bartlett's Reef lightship and New London lighthouse the sail 1ng master turned the helm over to me. Now" said Commodore Gillig, will be obeyed, even if the order is to jump overheard" my first order after taking the helm was to order up the drinks, and 1t was obeyed with such 1 alacrity that it was repeated until near the anchorage, when the company de- | cided that when clothed with little | brief authority l was pronounced | success. We came to anchor opposite | the lovely summer resort of Eastern | Point, but had no idea which was l the cottage occupied by my relative, | But the commodore brought out his | and brought 1t to bear on l the settlement with the startling de- | mand. Tell MT. Isaac Bromley that | his Uncle George is on board the Ra- mona and would like to speak with | him." Well, if a typhoon had struck | the quiet little settlement it could not | have created a greater sensation. All | the doors and windows were immedi- | ately occupied, but only one man ven- | tured to leave his home, and he proved | to be the gentleman sought after, the | son of my brother Isaac. He came | down to the wharf and invited us all | up to his lovely cottage home. That | we accepred the invitation goes with out saying, and the call upon Isaac and | his exceedingly interesting wife and lovely children was one of the most | events of my eyentful week. | Upon leaving the cheerful home of my nephew, he accompanied me across the harbor to New London, where we visited one of the most extensive fish markets in all New England, and while In conversation with one of the pro- prietors I remarked that an old echoolrnate of mine by the name of Russell Waterman, whom I had not Eeen for more than thirty years, had become a resident of the town, and I inquired of the gentleman if he knew him.
 Know him." said he, T guess I do and they don't make any better men than Captain Waterman. His office Is on the wharf below here" said he Then we all started for 'the wharf below" Upon arriving saw a man who apI cared to be well along in years, and the striking resemblance to ais father of some seventy five years sSo convinced me that he was the man ind said: That's him." As we came together he said: "How do you 10, gentlemen ?' and we all said how. 10 you do2 Then said I:
 Are you Captain Waterman"
 Yes" said he, with puzzled look. I'm Captain Waterman"
 Are you Rus Waterman ?" I ask d. Qn our school days he was al- ways called Rus')
 Now. you hold on," said he, and liter thinking for a few moments. Yes" said he. I'm Rus Waterman md, you are George Bromley"
 The recognition, after all those years. vas not only a great surprise. but an infeigned delight and we "came to- sether like a pair of shears" Then, aid I, "Rus.' how long have you been wing here?"
 About thirty-fve years," said he.
 'NThnn.n said 1 "Nrnll know where 1