as
to disobey you again in this, I will come to you, confess it, and take
my punishment without a word of objection."

"I have no doubt of it, daughter," he returned, taking her hand again
and leading her back to the house.

The other girls were awaiting with intense interest the reappearance of
the captain and Lulu.

"Here they come!" exclaimed Rosie, "and I don't believe he has punished
her; there has hardly been time, and though she looks very sober--he,
too--she doesn't look at all frightened; nor does he look angry, and he
holds her hand in what strikes me as a very affectionate way."

"Yes," said Evelyn, "I think the captain is as good and kind a father as
anyone could desire; and I'm sure Lulu's opinion of him is the same."

"Yes, indeed," assented Grace heartily, as she wiped the tears from her
eyes, "there couldn't be a better, kinder father than ours, Lulu and I
both think; but though he doesn't like to punish us, sometimes he feels
that it's his duty to do it to make us good."

"I don't believe you get, or need, punishment very often, Gracie,"
remarked Rosie; "you are as good as gold; at least so it seems to me."

"I'm not perfect, Rosie; oh, no, indeed!" Gracie answered earnestly;
"but papa almost never does anything more than talk in a grave, kind way
to me about my faults."

By this time the captain and Lulu had drawn near the house, and, letting
go her hand, "You may go back to your mates now, daughter," he said in a
kindly tone. "I have some matters to attend to, and if you have anything
more to say to me I will hear it at another time."

"Yes, sir," replied Lulu, and went slowly toward the little group under
the tree, while her father passed round to the other side of the house.

"He was not very much vexed with you, Lu, was he?" queried Rosie, in a
kindly inquiring tone, as Lulu joined them, looking grave and a trifle
sad, while traces of tears could be discerned on her cheeks and about
her eyes.

"Papa only seemed sorry that--that I could be so disobedient," faltered
the little girl, tears starting to her eyes again; "but he always
punishes disobedience,--which is just what he ought to do, I am
sure,--and he has forbidden me to eat any more nuts for a week. I chose
that rather than doing without a caress from him for the same length of
time. So you see he was not very severe; not half so severe as I
deserved that he should be."

The others agreed with her that it was but a light punishm