beneficial to
the health. But how shall we manage it? have you a good joke for us?"

"No, sir," said Ned, "but you know we have two ventriloquists here
and--and I like the kind of fun they make. Don't you?"

"It is certainly very amusing sometimes, and I see no objection if our
friends are willing to favor us with some specimens of their skill,"
was the reply, accompanied by a glance first at Mr. Milburn, then at
Max.

"Oh!" exclaimed Maud, "that might be a good entertainment for our
wedding guests!"

"Probably," returned her husband, "but if it is to be used then it
would be well not to let our servants into the secret beforehand."

"Decidedly so, I should say," said Max. "It would be better to reserve
that entertainment for that time."

"But surely it would do no harm to give us a few examples of your
skill to-day, when the servants are out of the room," said Maud.

"No, certainly not, if anything worth while could be thought of," said
Max; "but it seems to me that it must be quite an old story with all
of us here."

"Not to me, brother Max," exclaimed Ned. "And the funny things you and
Cousin Ronald seem to make invisible folks say make other people laugh
as well as me."

"And laughter is helpful to digestion," said a strange voice,
apparently speaking from the doorway. "But should folks digest too
well these doctors might find very little to do. So it is not to be
wondered at if they object to letting much fun be made."

"But the doctors haven't objected," laughed Dr. Percival, "and I have
no fear that work for them will fail even if some of their patients
should laugh and grow fat."

"I presume that's what the little fellow that wants the fun has been
doing," said the voice; "for as regards fat he is in prime condition."

At that Ned colored and looked slightly vexed. "Papa, am I so very
fat?" he asked.

"None too fat to suit my taste, my son," replied the captain, smiling
kindly on the little fellow.

"And you wouldn't want to be a bag of bones, would you?" queried the
voice.

"No," returned Ned sturdily, "I'd a great deal rather be fat; bones
are ugly things any way."

"Good to cover up with fat, but very necessary underneath it," said
the voice. "You couldn't stand or walk if you had no bones."

"No; to be sure not; though I never thought about it before," returned
Ned. "Some ugly things are worth more, after all, than some pretty
ones."

"Very true," said the voice; "so we must not desp