nd left her, weary and
exhausted with the mental suffering of the last two days, but with a
heart singing for joy over his restored affection and the assurance of
the baby's final recovery.

She expected to stay awake till he came again, but in less than five
minutes was fast asleep.

The captain found Max and Gracie hovering near as he passed out into the
hall.

"Papa," they said, coming hastily forward, "may we go in to see Lulu
now?" Max adding, "I was too angry with her at first to want to see her,
but I've got over that now." Grace: "And mayn't she know now that we're
going to keep you always at home?" taking his hand in both of hers, and
looking up coaxingly into his face.

"No, my dears, not to-night," he said: "she has cried herself sick--has
a bad headache, and I want her to try to sleep it off."

"Poor Lu! she must have been feeling awfully all this time," Max said.
"I wish I hadn't been so very angry with her."

"You look very happy--you two," their father said, smiling down at them.

"So do you, sir," returned Max; "and I'm so glad, for you've been
looking heart-broken ever since you came home."

"Pretty much as I have felt," he sighed, patting Gracie's cheek as he
spoke.

"We are just as happy as we can be, papa," she said; "only I"--

"Well?" he said inquiringly as she paused, leaving her sentence
unfinished.

"I'm just hungry to sit on your knee a little while; but," ruefully, "I
s'pose you haven't time."

"Come into the nursery with me, and you shall sit there as long as you
like, and are willing to keep perfectly quiet, so as not to disturb
baby."

"Oh! thank you, papa," she returned joyously, slipping her hand into
his. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse."

"I hope my turn will come to-morrow," remarked Max. "I've a hundred
questions I want to ask."

"As many as you like, my boy, when I have time to listen; though I don't
promise to answer them all to your entire satisfaction," his father
replied, as he passed on into the nursery, taking Grace with him.

Max went down-stairs, where he found Evelyn Leland sitting alone in one
of the parlors, waiting till her aunt Elsie should be ready to go back
to Fairview.

"Max," she said, as he came in, and took a seat at her side, "you have
just the nicest kind of a father!"

"Yes, that's so!" he returned heartily: "there couldn't be a better
one."

"I wish he would let me see Lu," Evelyn went on: "I was in hopes he
would after the doctor had t