family council, mother? Oh, yes!"

"That is well," she said with a smile, "but I meant can you go North
with us?"

"For a part of the time, I think; we three doctors can doubtless take
turns in having a vacation."

"You ought to, I think," said Violet. "Doctors certainly need rest as
much, or more, than most other people."

"Yes, they do, indeed!" said the captain; "they are, as a rule, very
much overworked, I think."

"Some of them hardly so much as they might like to be," laughed Herbert.
"You will be coming home soon, mother?" turning to her.

"Yes; probably to-morrow," she answered.

He chatted a little longer, then drove away. The young people presently
went off into the grounds, leaving Grandma Elsie, Violet, and the
captain still sitting in the veranda, they busied with their fancy work,
he looking over the morning paper.

"If you find anything very interesting, my dear, mamma and I will be
glad to hear it," said Violet.

"Yes," he said, "and here is something interesting, though far from
being pleasant news. Davis, one of the burglars whom Lucilla caught, has
escaped from prison; gone no one knows where, and may be even now
lurking in this neighbourhood. I must watch over my daughter or he may
attempt to do her some harm. At the time of the trial he seemed to feel
very revengeful toward her."

"Oh, that is dreadful!" cried Violet. "Indeed we must be watchful over
poor dear Lu. You will not tell her, Levis?"

"I think I shall," he said reflectively; "she will need to be careful
about venturing to a distance from the house, even within the grounds,
without a protector; therefore I must warn her and forbid her to run
any unnecessary risk. I hope it may not be long before the fellow will
be caught and returned to his prison."

"And I think it might be well for us to hasten our departure for the
North for her safety," said Violet. "She would be safer there, would she
not?"

"Probably," he replied, "and we will make haste to be off on that
account."

"Yes; I think you should, by all means," said her mother. "Anything that
I can do to assist your preparations, Vi, will be gladly done."

"I will set to work at once," exclaimed Violet.

"And I shall call my daughters in at once and set them about their
preparations," said the captain, throwing aside his paper and starting
even as he spoke.

The young people were much surprised by his summons and directions to
his daughters, but he did not go into