ll certainly raise no
objection; nor will your mamma, I am quite sure."

"Oh, thank you, ma'am!" and Lulu ran off gleefully in search of her
father.

She found him on the veranda, busied with the morning paper, and to her
satisfaction, he too was alone.

"What is it, daughter?" he asked, glancing from his paper to her
animated, eager face.

"About what I am to wear this afternoon, papa. I would like to wear the
white dress I had on yesterday evening, and Grandma Elsie does not
object, and says she knows Mamma Vi will not, if you say I may."

"Did she say she thought it a suitable dress?" he asked gravely.

Lulu hung her head. "No, sir; she didn't say that she did or she
didn't."

"Go and ask her the question."

Lulu went back and asked it.

"No, my child, I do not," Elsie answered. "It is very unlikely that any
one else will be in white or anything at all dressy, and you will look
overdressed, which is in very bad taste; besides, though the weather
seems warm enough for such thin material here on shore, it will be a
great deal cooler on the water; and should the waves or spray come
dashing over us, you would find your dress clinging to you like a wet
rag--neither beauty nor comfort in it."

"I could wear a waterproof over it while we are sailing," said Lulu.

"Even that might not prove a perfect protection," Elsie replied. "I
think, my dear, you will do well to content yourself to wear your
travelling dress, which is of a light woollen material, neat without
being too dressy, and of a color that will not show every little soil.
And it is as good and handsome as the dress I shall wear or as Rosie,
and probably any one else, will have on."

"But you can choose for yourself, Grandma Elsie, and I wish I could."

"That is one of the privileges of older years," Elsie answered
pleasantly. "I was considerably older than you are before I was allowed
to select my own attire. But I repeat that I shall not raise the
slightest objection to your wearing anything your father is willing to
see on you."

Lulu's hopes were almost gone, but she would make one more effort.

She went to her father, and putting her arms round his neck, begged in
her most coaxing tones for the gratification of her wish.

"What did your Grandma Elsie say?" he asked.

Lulu faithfully, though with no little reluctance, repeated every word
Elsie had said to her on the subject.

"I entirely agree with her," said the captain; "so entirely tha