“I shall most certainly not allow you to go without me,” he answered with a tender, loving look into the bright eyes she had lifted to his.
“You couldn’t trust her alone, could you, papa?” Max said teasingly.
“No, nor with you, nor you alone,” answered his father with sportive look and tone.
“There now, Maxie, don’t you wish you’d kept quiet?” laughed Lulu. “You see papa doesn’t consider you so very much older or wiser than I am.”
“I don’t hope I’ll ever be too old or wise to be the better and happier of papa’s company,” Max answered, bestowing upon his father a look of deepest respect and affection.
“I’m glad to hear that, my boy,” the captain responded, his eyes shining with pleasure.
“Well, then, I think we are all satisfied that the arrangement is for the three of us to ride out together.”
“And Mr. Short to go along to show us the way?” queried Lulu.
“Yes; he has kindly offered to do so.”
“I do think he has the wrong name altogether,” she said laughingly, “he ought to be Mr. Long.”