utstretched
hand and cordial greeting.

"I am so glad you have come, Cousin Donald! We have all wanted you to see
Ion."

"Thank you, Cousin Violet; you can't have wished it more than I, I am
sure," he said, with a look of delight. "Allow me to introduce my friend,
Captain Raymond, of the navy. You see I took your grandfather at his word
and brought a friend with me."

Violet had already given her hand to her cousin's friend--as such he must
have no doubtful welcome--but at Donald's concluding sentence she turned
to him again with a look of surprised inquiry, which he was about to
answer, when the door opened and Mr. Dinsmore, his wife and daughter came
in.

There were fresh greetings and introductions, Mr. Dinsmore saying, as he
shook hands with the guests, "So you received my hasty note, Donald, and
accepted for yourself and friend? That was right. You are both most
welcome, and we hope will find Ion pleasant enough to be willing to
prolong your stay and to desire to visit us again."

"Thank you, I was certain of that before I came," said Donald.

"And I surely am now that I am here," remarked the captain gallantly, and
with an admiring glance from Mrs. Dinsmore's still fresh, bright, and
comely face to the more beautiful ones of Elsie and her daughter.

Elsie's beauty had not faded, she was still young and fair in appearance,
with the same sweetly pure and innocent expression which old Mrs. Dinsmore
had been wont to stigmatize as "that babyish look." And Violet's face was
peerless in its fresh young beauty.

As for the captain himself, he was a man of commanding presence, noble
countenance, and magnificent physique, with fine dark eyes and an
abundance of dark brown curling hair and beard; evidently Donald's senior
by some years, yet not looking much, if at all, over thirty.

The two older ladies presently left the room to reappear shortly in dinner
dress.

While they were gone Mr. Dinsmore engaged the captain in conversation,
and Donald and Violet talked together in a low aside.

"Your sister is well, I hope?" he remarked interrogatively.

"Elsie? We had letters from her and Edward this morning. They were well at
the time of writing."

"They are not at home then?" he said in a tone of surprise and
disappointment.

"Oh, no! had you not heard?" and Violet's eyes filled. "It is very
foolish, I'm afraid," she went on in half tremulous tones, in answer to
his inquiring look, "but I can't help feeling tha