“How far is your home from this place?” inquired Harcourt.
“About half a block.”
“All right,” said the young man. “We will have something cooked just here and take it with us as soon as it is ready.”
And he ordered half a gallon of stewed oysters, a quart of strong coffee, and bread and butter for six, to be put in a hamper to be taken away.
“I don’t know how many you have at home,” he said, “but the order for six I judged a safe guess.”
“There are three at home—my wife, son and daughter, the two last quite small children, the boy seven, the girl five,” said the stranger.
“All right. You feel better now?” inquired the young man.
“Yes, much better, thanks to you; but how or when can I ever repay you?”
“You are repaying me now. I was feeling as unhappy as you yourself were when I was so blessed as to save you from suicide. I, too, feel better, much better now. I am fully repaid.”
“It is good of you to look at it in that light. But have you had trouble, too?” inquired the stranger with much feeling.