son of Neptune. Having
chosen the sea early in life, he had followed it for many years, rising
step by step until he reached his present honorable position. He had
become rich, too, as well as his brother, each being benefited by a kind
of partnership existing between them; for, while the captain sailed to
foreign ports, the merchant supplied the money to freight the vessel,
which they owned in equal shares, and to buy goods at a foreign market.

When he had answered some of the numerous questions which were crowded
upon him, such as, "How did you come?" "When did you arrive in port?"
"Is Louise well?" &c., &c., the captain begged them to reseat themselves
at table, adding, "I am as hungry as a bear, and long for some of the
home luxuries with which I see your table is spread."

"Well, Minnie," he exclaimed, pinching her check, when he had thrice
emptied his plate, "I'll not forget that you were the first one to
welcome me; and, by the way, how is Jacko? and how are all the rest of
your pets?"

"You had better not name the subject of pets," cried uncle Harry,
laughing, "unless you are willing to be pinned to a chair and tell
stories--'yarns,' I think you call them--for the next five hours. Now,
it's cats or dogs; then, it's monkeys or parrots; yesterday, it was
horses; and you must rake up your memory for all the stories, true,
veritable facts, that you ever heard in your life."

"I know, I know," answered the captain, drawing the child toward him,
and kissing her as well as his long, thick beard would allow. "Minnie
and I are old cronies, and understand each other's crotchets pretty
well. She's the little puss who threw down a beautiful bracelet I had
purchased for her in Paris, and said, 'Uncle Frank, I don't care for
presents unless they're alive.' So, the next voyage, I brought her a
live present, in the shape of a grinning monkey, with which she was
greatly delighted."

A roar of laughter from the company followed; but while they were eating
the fruit, Minnie found an opportunity to whisper,--

"You can't think, uncle, what funny things my pony does. He knows how to
dance beautifully."

"I should admire to see him," returned the captain, glancing roguishly
toward his sister-in-law; "and you can't guess what I've brought for you
this time."

"Alive, is it?"

"Yes; alive and squealing when I left the vessel. You'll see it, or
them, to-morrow, and I hope you'll be as pleased as you were with
Jacko."

Af