drawing her into his arms and giving her tenderest
caresses, "yet not quite so dear as their mother; for you, my love, have
the very first place in my heart."

"And you in mine," she returned, her eyes dewy with happy tears; "and I
love your daughters dearly, dearly; I could hardly bear to part with them,
and I am glad to perceive that they, as yet, care nothing for beaux, but
are devoted to their father and happy in his love."

"Yes, I think they are, and fondly hope they will continue to be, for a
number of years to come," was his pleased response. "I have no doubt they
will," said Violet, and there the conversation ended.

* * * * *

"More than content, papa; for as I have often said, I just delight in
belonging to you," was Lucilla's glad response to his last remark in that
morning talk.

"Yes, I know you do, and so we are a very happy father and daughter," he
said. "I often think no man was ever more blest in his children than I am
in mine."

The talk about the breakfast table that morning was of the places it might
be most desirable to visit that day, and the final conclusion that they
would go first to the battleship _Illinois_, then to the lighthouse and
life-saving station, both near at hand.

"I am glad we are going aboard a battleship--or rather the model of one, I
presume I should say, and especially in company with a naval officer who
can explain everything to us," remarked Rosie in a lively tone.

"Yes, we are very fortunate in that," said Mrs. Dinsmore, giving Captain
Raymond an appreciative look and smile.

"Papa, didn't you say she wasn't a real ship?" asked little Elsie, looking
up enquiringly into her father's face.

"Yes, my child, but in all you could perceive in going aboard of her she
is exactly like one--a fac-simile of the coast-line battleship _Illinois_,
which is a very powerful vessel."

"And are her guns real, papa? Mightn't they go off and shoot us?"

"No, daughter, there is no danger of that. The largest ones are wooden
models, and though quite a number are real and capable of doing terrible
execution, there is not the slightest danger of their being used on us."

"I'm not one bit afraid of them!" cried little Ned, straightening himself
up with a very brave, defiant air. "Not with papa along, anyhow."

"No, you needn't be, Ned," laughed Walter, "for most assuredly nobody
would dare to shoot Captain Raymond or anybody under his care."

"No, in