ry and Reginald Leslie with me. The youngsters got a
hearty welcome; and when I told the captain how Harry had behaved, he
complimented him greatly. The youngsters were made much of by the
ladies, and they ran no small risk of being spoilt, so it seemed to me.
Miss Fanny especially, the captain's youngest daughter, seemed never
tired of talking to Harry, and asking him questions which he was well
pleased to answer. She was a pretty, fair-haired, blue-eyed little
girl, about three years younger than him. Neither the captain nor his
lady troubled themselves about the matter, looking upon them as
children; of course they were not much more. Harry, however, came home
in the evening to Susan and me, and I was pleased to see that he was not
a bit set up, but just as affectionate to my wife as he had ever been.

The day after I got home I received the long-looked-for letter from
Jerry; but there was not much in it which I could make out, except that
he had come to an anchor near his old home, and had half-resolved not to
go wandering any more. He had made himself known to his sister, who was
trying to persuade him to remain quiet. He was very mysterious about
the affair I had at heart. He still insisted that he was on the right
track; but as he might spoil all if it was discovered what he was about
until the right time came, it would be wiser not to mention names, in
case anybody should get hold of his letter.

"The youngster has friends," he added, "and is doing very well, and can
wait without damage for a few years. There is another person also for
whose sake, even more than for his, I should like to have the mystery
cleared up, but the risk is too great to make the attempt. We must,
therefore, as I have said, let both wait till the proper opportunity,
and that is in the hands of One who orders all things for the best."

I should say that Jerry wrote in a very different way to that in which
he spoke, and it seemed to me that when he got a pen in his hand he was
no longer the rough sailor, but the educated man he had once been before
he got into bad ways and ran off to sea. He signed his letter "JD," and
told me to send my answer to the post-office, but on no account to
direct my letter by the name I knew him by. I of course did as he
desired, thanking him heartily for what he had already done, and
expressing a hope that he would not neglect the interests of one whom my
wife and I loved so much.

I have not tim