olence, and as she heard it she felt sure that outdoor exercise was
entirely out of the question.

"And I'll not see Chester to-day," she sighed half-aloud. "It was
evident when he was here last night that he had taken a cold, and I
hope he won't think of venturing out in such weather as this."

Just then the door into Grace's room opened and her sweet voice said,
"Good-morning, Lu. As usual, you are up and dressed before your lazy
younger sister has begun the duties of the toilet."

"Take care what you say, young woman," laughed Lucilla, facing round
upon her. "I am not going to have my delicate younger sister slandered
in that fashion. She is much too feeble to leave her bed at the early
hour which suits her older and stronger sister."

"Very kind in you to see it in that light," laughed Grace. "But I must
make haste now with my dressing. Papa may be coming in directly, for
it is certainly much too stormy for him and you to take your usual
stroll in the grounds."

"It certainly is," assented Lu. "Just listen to the hail and rain
dashing against the windows. And there comes papa now," she added, as
a tap was heard at their sitting-room door.

She ran to open it and receive the fatherly caress that always
accompanied his morning greeting to each one of his children.

"Grace is not up yet?" he said inquiringly, as he took possession of
an easy-chair.

"Yes, papa, but not dressed yet; so that I shall have you to myself
for a while," returned Lu in a cheery tone and seating herself on an
ottoman at his knee.

"A great privilege that," he said with a smile, passing a hand
caressingly over her hair as he spoke. "It is storming hard, so that
you and I must do without our usual early exercise about the grounds."

"Yes, sir; and I am sorry to miss it, though a chat with my father
here and now is not so bad an exchange."

"I think we usually have that along with the walk," he said, smiling
down into the eyes that were gazing so lovingly up into his.

"Yes, sir, so we do; and you always manage to make the shut-in days
very enjoyable."

"It is what I wish to do. Lessons can go on as usual with you and
Grace as well as with the younger ones, and after that we can have
reading, music, and quiet games."

"And Grace and I have some pretty fancy work to do for Christmas
time."

"Ah, yes! and I presume you will both be glad to have a little--or a
good deal--of extra money with which to purchase gifts or materials
for