The story of the event was told in a full page report in the current issue of the Banner. To the delight of Mr. Brooks, Herbert had volunteered to write the report, and it proved to be one of the best pieces of reporting that had ever been done for the local paper. Captain Janson was the hero of the occasion. He remained in Cleverly for about a week, and he spent his money so lavishly and with such utter unconcern that he came to be looked upon as a modern Monte Cristo.
During his stay he formed quite an intimacy with Noah Brooks, and it was not very long before the whole-hearted sailor and the eccentric editor were almost indispensable to each other. Sitting in the Banner office one day Janson said:
“See here, Brooks, Cleverly looks to me like a good port in a storm. It strikes me that it would be a pretty good place for an old worn out hulk like Captain Janson. I’ve got a great notion to gather my stores and anchor here for the rest of my life.”
Brooks thought so, too, and said he felt satisfied that the Captain would never have cause to regret making the change in his dwelling place. The sight of the two old men sitting on the porch exchanging stories of the varied experiences they had undergone during their stormy lives was a picture not to be forgotten very quickly. At least Herbert Harkins thought so, and when he finally took the train for his return to New York the pretty little scene remained engraved upon his memory.
CHAPTER XXI IN WHICH A TELEPHONE CALL PRODUCES SOME UNEXPECTED RESULTS
Herbert returned to New York from Cleverly in the gayest of spirits. He was happier than he had been for years, and was filled with a desire to communicate this light-hearted feeling to everyone that he met. The fact that the long standing cloud had been removed from the memory of his father made him forget his own troubles for the time at least. A week before everything had appeared dark and gloomy; but now the dawn had arrived and the earth assumed a cheerful appearance. With the light-heartedness of youth, he looked forward to a future of prosperity and uninterrupted happiness.
The time was within a month of Christmas, and before leaving Cleverly he had exacted a promise from his mother that she would come to New York on the eve of the festival and stay with him over the holidays. He was already mentally planning out the treat that would be given her on her arrival in the metropolis. It was in this mood that he hurried to his apartments. He found Tomlin at home, and opening and closing the door boisterously, shouted: