ax following, the latter asking, "May I come in too, papa?"

"Yes," replied his father, placing a chair for Violet. "I presume it
will be a relief to you all to talk the matter over together with your
mamma and me, and you will perhaps be more inclined for sleep
afterward."

"Papa, won't you sit down and take me on your knee, and hug me up close,
while you tell it?" entreated Grace.

"I will," he said, doing as she requested. Then catching a longing look
in Lulu's eyes, "You may come too, daughter," he said. "Slip on your
dressing-gown and stand here by my side. I have an arm for you as well
as one for Gracie."

Lulu promptly and joyfully availed herself of the permission.

"Lu," said Max, "you're a real heroine! brave as a lion! I'm proud to
own you for my sister. I'm afraid I mightn't have been half so brave."

"Oh yes, Max, I'm sure you would have done just the same," she
returned, blushing with pleasure. "And you see I preferred to do it,
because I thought they might kill papa, and that would have been oh so
much worse than being killed myself!" clinging lovingly to her father,
and hiding her face on his shoulder as she spoke.

"Dear child!" he said in moved tones and clasping her close, "you have a
very strong and unselfish love for me."

"Papa, it would have broken my heart, and Mamma Vi's, and Max's and
Gracie's too, if anything dreadful had happened to you."

"And what about papa's heart if he should lose his dear little daughter
Lulu, or anything dreadful should happen to her?"

"I didn't have time to think about that, papa. I know you love me very
much, and would be sorry to lose me--naughty as I often am--but you have
other children, and I have only one father; so of course it would be a
great deal worse for me to lose you, and all the rest to lose you too."

"The worst thing that could befall us," said Violet; "but Lulu, dear, we
all love you and would feel it a terrible thing to have you killed or
badly injured in any way."

"Indeed we would!" exclaimed Max, with a slight tremble in his voice.

"Oh I couldn't ever, ever bear it!" sobbed Gracie, throwing an arm
round her sister's neck.

"Well," said the captain cheerfully, hugging both at once, "we have
escaped all the evils we have been talking of; our heavenly Father has
taken care of us and has not suffered us to even lose our worldly goods,
much less our lives; and we may well trust Him for the future and not
fear what man can do unto us.