“Papa!” cried Ned at this moment, running toward them, “didn’t you hear the telephone bell?  I thought I did.”

“No, my son,” returned the captain; “and if it is ringing, one of your sisters will answer it, no doubt.  They are both upstairs.”

“It did ring, papa, and I answered it,” said Lucilla, stepping from the open doorway and coming swiftly toward him.  “Rosie was calling to me that there is to be a rehearsal of to-morrow’s wedding ceremony, this evening, and asking if we can come over and take our parts.  May we?  Will you take us?”

“I say yes to both queries,” was the pleasant-toned reply.  “I will order out the carriage and we will all drive over directly after tea.  I have been told that our gentlemen guests are all to spend the evening there or at Beechwood or Roselands.”

“Oh, I like that!” exclaimed Lucilla.  “And now, our wedding dresses being entirely finished, Grace and I are going to try them on.  Will our father, Mamma Vi, Elsie, and Ned come up presently and see what they think of our appearance in them?”

“Of course we will,” answered Violet.  “I can speak for myself and the children, and have not a doubt of Captain Raymond’s desire to see how well the dainty gowns become his young-lady daughters.”

“He hardly considers them young ladies yet, Mamma Vi,” laughed Lulu.  “And I am sure I don’t want him to, for I dearly love to have him call me his own little girl,” she concluded, with a look of ardent filial love and respect into her father’s eyes.  “I hope he will let me always be that to him.”

“Always, while you wish it, daughter mine,” he responded in low, tender tones, affectionately pressing the hand she had laid in his.  “Now go, array yourself in your finery, and we will follow in a few moments,” he added in a little louder key, and she hastened to obey.

“Oh, mamma!” cried Elsie, who had drawn near enough to overhear nearly all that had been said, “mayn’t I try my wedding dress on, too?  You know it is almost finished—­all but sewing on a few buttons, Alma said a while ago.”

“I have no objection,” said Violet, rising.  “Come, and I will help you put it on.”

“Your wedding dress, Elsie? you are not old enough to get married,” laughed Ned.  “Is she, papa?”

“No, indeed! very far from it,” the captain said.  “Even her older sisters are much too young for that; but they seem to so have named their new gowns because of having had them made expressly to be worn at the wedding.”

“Yes, sir; I suppose that is what they mean.  Aunt Rosie’s will be the only real wedding dress, and I heard mamma say it was very handsome indeed.  And I like my new suit you bought me to wear to the wedding; and your new one, too.”

“I am glad you are satisfied,” his father said.  “The dress of the ladies will be noticed much more than yours or mine, but it is only right that men and boys should take pains to be neatly and suitably attired.  Now I think we may follow your mother and sisters and see what they have to show us.”