“And we’ll be just as glad to see her, papa,” said Grace.  “I know it’s not very long since we came away from our own dear home and Lu, but it does seem a long time.”

“Isn’t Lu tired doing without us, papa?” asked Elsie.

“I think she is,” he replied; “at all events I know she will be very glad to see you.  It is nearly dinner-time now,” he added, looking at his watch, “so we will go directly home.  But this afternoon I will take you all for a nice, long drive, then leave you little ones at Ion and take Lulu home again.”

Lulu had been busy all the morning attending to her studies, her practice on the piano, the demands of the dressmaker, and taking her usual exercise about the grounds.  She was out in them now, watching for the coming of her father, eager to see him and to hear how it was with dear Grandma Elsie.

Presently she heard the sound of carriage-wheels on the road, then in another minute the vehicle turned in at the great gates and came rapidly up the drive, little Elsie calling out from it, “Lu, Lu, we’ve come!”

“Have you, Elsie?  Oh, I’m so glad!” she called in reply.

The carriage had stopped, Lulu bounded toward it, and her father, throwing open the door, helped her in.  Hugs and kisses and laughter followed; so glad were the happy children to meet again after even so short a separation.

In another minute the carriage drew up before the entrance to the mansion, and the captain and his joyous little troop alighted.  Dinner was ready to be served, and as soon as hats and other outer garments had been disposed of the merry little party gathered about the table.  Mamma was missed but it was very pleasant to all to find themselves there with their fond father and each other.  Lulu’s fears for dear Grandma Elsie had been much relieved by the report of the success of the surgeons, so that she was light-hearted and gay as well as the younger ones.

Immediately after dinner, while the little ones took their accustomed afternoon nap, she recited her lessons, doing so in a manner that drew hearty commendation from her father, who was always glad to be able to bestow it; then, knowing it would be a joy to her to do them, he called upon her for some of the little services she was accustomed to render him.

These attended to, “Now, daughter,” he said, “you may dress yourself nicely for a drive.  I am going to take you and your little brother and sisters for a pretty long one.  Then I will drop them at Ion, and you and I, after a call of a few minutes to hear how Grandma Elsie is, will drive home together.”

“Oh, how pleasant that will be, papa!  How good you always are to every one of us children!” she exclaimed, giving him an ardent kiss, then running away to do his bidding.

A merry, happy time the children had, and on reaching Ion the little ones were ready for their supper and bed.  The older ones were full of joy on learning that their loved Grandma Elsie was as comfortable and doing as well as possible under the circumstances.  The captain and Lulu spent a quiet half-hour with the Ion family and Violet, then departed for Woodburn.