a gemman in de parlour a-waitin' for to see you, cap'in," said a
servant, coming leisurely in from the back veranda.

"Ah! has he been here long?"

"'Bout ten minutes, I reckon, sah."

The captain hastened into the parlour and found Chester Dinsmore there.
Cordial greetings were exchanged, and Chester received a warm invitation
to stay to tea, which, however, he declined, saying that he had a
little professional work on hand which must be done that evening if he
was to take to-morrow for a holiday. "I came over, captain," he added,
"to thank you for allowing me the privilege of taking your daughter,
Miss Lucilla, to the picnic to-morrow, and to ask if--if you would not
be so very kind as to remove your prohibition of--of love-making on my
part, and----"

"No, Chester," the captain said in kindly but grave accents, as the
young man halted in his speech, "you surely forget that my objection was
on account of my daughter's youth, and that she is only a few months
older now than she was then. I do not want her to begin to think of
lovers for several years yet, and am objecting to your suit for that
reason only. I show no greater favour in this matter to anyone else. And
you may feel that I am showing confidence in you in permitting her to go
to to-morrow's picnic in your care."

"Yes, sir; thank you, sir. I shall not abuse your confidence, and,
though I find it hard not to be permitted to speak and use my best
efforts to win the prize I so covet, it is some consolation that you
treat other suitors in the same way."

"Perhaps, too, that my daughter is equally indifferent to them all," the
captain remarked with a smile. "And by the way, my young friend, don't
you suppose it may be a trifle hard for Lucilla's father to resign the
first place in her heart to someone else?"

"It is according to nature, sir," Chester said, returning the smile.
"You served Cousin Elsie so when you stole Cousin Violet's heart; and
Cousin Elsie's husband had taken her from her father. It has been the
way almost ever since the world began; so I suppose it is all right."

"Yes; but a father has a right to say it shall not begin too soon with
his own daughter. Wedlock brings cares and responsibilities that should
not be allowed to fall too soon upon young shoulders, and it is my
desire and purpose to keep my dear young daughters free from them until
they reach years of maturity."

"Putting it so, captain, it does seem that you are acting kind