"Yes," said Mrs. Harmon, "I'll look after the office till you get
back. Mr. Barker 'll show you where you can sleep."
"Thank you, ma'am," said the mate, with gratitude that won upon her.
"And I'm glad," she added, "that it's a friend of Mr. Barker's
that's going to have the place. We think everything of Mr. Barker
here."
"Well, you can't think more of him than what we do up home,"
rejoined the other with generous enthusiasm.
In Lemuel's room he was not less appreciative. "Why, mate, it does
me good to see how you've got along. I got to write a letter home at
once, and tell the folks what friends you've got in Boston. I don't
believe they half understand it." He smiled joyously upon Lemuel,
who stood stock still, with such despair in his face that probably
the wretch pitied him.
"Look here, mate, don't you be afraid now! I'm on the reform lay
with all my might, and I mean business. I ain't a-goin' to do you
any harm, you bet your life. These your things?" he asked, taking
Lemuel's winter suit from the hooks where they hung, and beginning
to pull off his coat. He talked on while he changed his dress. "I
was led away, and I got my come-uppings, or the other fellow's come-
uppings, for _I_ wa'n't to blame any, and I always said so, and
I guess the judge would say so too, if it was to do over again."
A frightful thought stung Lemuel to life.
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