ear that will take up all the time of your morning
call here on Gracie and me."

"I think not, if you are prompt in your movements," he said. "I shall
sit here for some little time reading the morning paper."

"Oh, I am glad of that! and perhaps, papa, if you look over the
advertisements you may find something that will help us in the search
for the pretty things we want to buy."

"Very possibly," he replied. "I will look them over at once."

"Thank you, sir. I'll do as you bid me and be back again as soon as ever
I can; for I don't like to lose a minute of my father's morning call,"
she said, giving him a bright, loving look, then hurrying back to her
sister.

"We'll have to make haste, Gracie," she said, "if we don't want to miss
altogether our morning chat with papa. We are to wear our new gray
dresses, he says."

"That suits me nicely, for I think them becoming, pretty, and suitable.
Don't you?"

"Yes; I think nobody has better taste or judgment about dress than our
father."

"Just my opinion; and we may well think so, considering how many lovely
dresses and ornaments he has bought for us, selecting them without the
help or advice of anyone. There, sister dear, your dress is on all right
and I shall make haste to change mine while you put the finishing
touches to your attire."

They joined their father in a few moments, talked over the
advertisements he had been examining and the question of the
desirability of this and that article as a wedding gift to Rosie, but
had reached no decision when the breakfast bell rang.

"Well, daughters," the captain said, "we will go down now to our
breakfast and, while we are eating, talk the matter over with your
mamma. She probably knows better than we what would be likely to please
Rosie."

"But we do not need to decide until we see the things, do we, papa?"
asked Lucilla.

"No, certainly not, and we may find something very handsome and suitable
that we have not thought of. I hope it will be a pleasure to both of you
to look over the pretty things and make a selection."

"You dear father," Grace said, smiling up into his eyes, "you are always
thinking of something to give your children pleasure."

"Yes," he said, returning her smile, "perhaps because it reacts upon
myself, giving me a great deal of pleasure."

They found Violet and the little ones already in the breakfast room;
morning greetings were exchanged, then they seated themselves at the
table, the ca