r," he returned, laughing; "you can have the
postman who delivered the letters here--nothing more; yours is 'Hobson's
choice.'"

Lulu, receiving her letter with a half-smothered exclamation of intense,
joyful surprise, ran swiftly away with it to the beach, never stopping
till she had gained a spot beyond and away from the crowd, where no
prying eye would watch her movements or note if the perusal of her
treasure caused any emotion.

There, seated upon the sand, she broke open the envelope with fingers
trembling with eagerness. It contained only a few lines in Captain
Raymond's bold chirography, but they breathed such fatherly love and
tenderness as brought the tears in showers from Lulu's eyes--tears of
intense joy and filial love. She hastily wiped them away and read the
sweet words again and again; then kissing the paper over and over,
placed it in her bosom, rose up, and slowly wended her way back toward
the house, with a lighter, happier heart than she had known for some
days.

She had not gone far when Grace came tripping over the sands to meet
her, her face sparkling with delight as she held up a note to view,
exclaiming, "See, Lu! papa did not forget me; it came inside of mamma's
letter."

"Oh, Gracie, I am glad," said Lulu; "but it would be very strange for
papa to remember the bad child and not the good one, wouldn't it?" she
concluded, between a sigh and a smile.

"I'm not always good," said Grace; "you know I did something very, very
bad last winter one time--something you would never do. I b'lieve you'd
speak the truth if you knew you'd be killed for it."

"You dear little thing!" exclaimed Lulu, throwing her arm round Grace
and giving her a hearty kiss; "it's very good in you to say it; but papa
says I'm an honest child and own the truth even when it's against me."

"Yes; you said you told him how you had disobeyed him; and If it had
been I, I wouldn't have ever said a word about it for fear he'd punish
me."

"Well, you can't help being timid; and if I were as timid as you are,
no doubt I'd be afraid to own up too; and I didn't confess till after
that Miss Eastman had told on me," said Lulu. "Now let's sit down on the
sand, and if you'll show me your letter, I'll show you mine."

Grace was more than willing, and they busied themselves with the
letters, reading and rereading, and with loving talk about their absent
father, till summoned to the supper-table.

Lulu was very fond of being on the b