“Hallo, Jack, my hearty!” said a familiar voice as he stepped from the car. “Captain Barney!” “Ay, ay, my lad! But where do you come from? We did not expect you back yet a while,” added the old gentleman, still wringing our hero’s hand. Jack briefly informed his good friend where he had come from. “Well, Jack----” “I beg your pardon, Captain Barney: call me Mr. Somers, if you please,” laughed Jack. “Eh?” “Mr. Midshipman Somers is my present designation.” “Whew!” whistled the old sailor. “I have won my warrant.” “Well, _Mr._ Somers----” “Avast, captain: that will do. You may call me Jack, now; for I don’t know the sound of my own name with such a long handle to it.” “Come down to the house with me, Jack.” “Oh, no, sir! not now. I must go up and see mother--and father: I haven’t seen him for nearly two years.” “Never mind: come down to the house. You will scare your mother out of her wits if you bolt in upon her like a harpoon into a whale. I’ll put the horse in, and take you up pretty soon.” “I want to see her at once.” “And frighten her into a fit!” “She don’t have fits: at any rate, she would only have a fit of gladness at seeing me.” Captain Barney persisted, apparently firm in the belief that Mrs. Somers would go into hysterics if her son presented himself too suddenly. It would be better to break the news gradually to her. Jack could not help himself, and walked home with Captain Barney. He was conducted to the library as the bell rang for tea. “Come, Jack, now come out and have some supper with me,” said the captain. “No, sir: decidedly, I cannot. What would my mother say if I took tea in Pinchbrook before I went home?” replied Jack emphatically. “Well, come out and look at the folks, at any rate; and then, if you insist on going, I will harness right up.” Jack began to protest that he would not go, even to look at the folks; when Captain Barney took him by the arm, and gently forced him through the door leading to the dining-room. “Why, John Somers!” exclaimed a voice which Jack could not possibly mistake. “Why, Jack, my boy! is that you?” added another voice equally familiar to his ear. In another moment our sailor-boy was in the arms of his mother, who hugged and kissed him as though he were still an infant. Mr. Midshipman Somers, regardless of the dignity of an officer in the United States Navy, wept like a baby. His “top-lights” were flooded, in spite of all his efforts to suppress the rising tide; but we are happy to say that Mrs. Somers did not go into hysterics, “conniptions,” or anything of the sort. Like a sensible woman, she did not even faint. Captain Somers took the hand of his brave boy, and gave him a sailor’s hearty welcome home. The whole family, it appeared, were taking tea at the hospitable mansion of the retired shipmaster, who had got up a surprise for Jack as well as for his mother.