," returned Max, his eyes shining.

By his own desire Max's vacation was spent at home and in its vicinity,
with the occasional variety of a short voyage in his father's yacht, the
_Dolphin_, which gave the lad opportunities for the display of the
seafaring knowledge gained in the past two years, and adding to it from
his father's store of the same, under that father's instruction.

They were generally accompanied by the whole Woodburn family, always by
Lulu and Grace, Grandma Elsie, Rose, Walter, and Evelyn Leland.

Thus the weeks flew by very enjoyably and on swift wings, and the time
came for Max's return to Annapolis. So the _Dolphin_ was headed for that
port and presently steamed away again, leaving the lad behind with a
rather sad heart at the thought that years must pass before he could again
spend even a brief season under his father's roof.

CHAPTER II.

It is summer again, the summer of 1893, for two years have passed away
since the occurrence of the events related in our former chapter. There
have been few changes among our friends at Ion, Woodburn, and the other
plantations belonging to the family connection, except such as time brings
to all. The elder ones seem scarcely any older, but the younger ones are
growing up. Elsie's sons, Harold and Herbert, are now practising
physicians, still making their home at Ion, but having an office in a
neighboring village; Rosie has attained her twentieth year and entered
society; but Walter is still one of Captain Raymond's pupils, as are Lulu
and Grace, now blooming girls of fifteen and seventeen, their father's joy
and pride and as devotedly attached to him as ever.

Max is still a cadet in the Naval Academy, pursuing his course there in a
manner altogether satisfactory to his father and friends. The captain
thinks no man ever had a brighter, better son than his first-born, or one
more likely to do good service to his country in his chosen profession. It
seems hard at times, a sad thing to have to do without his boy, yet he
never really regrets that Max has made choice of the naval service as his
life work. He did, however, regret that Max would not be able to go to
Chicago to visit the World's Fair, in which they were all much interested.

Some of the connection had attended the dedication ceremonies of the
previous autumn, and nearly all talked of going to the formal opening,
appointed for the first of May; among them Grandma Elsie, her father and
his