“Now, papa, let’s run a race, and see who’ll be down first,”—proposed Lulu laughingly, as she went skipping and dancing along the hall just ahead of him.
“Very well, and I’ll give you a dollar if you are first,—and there are no signs of haste or negligence in your appearance.”
“And is the offer open to me too, papa?” asked Max, coming up behind.
“Yes; I shall not be partial,” answered the captain, suddenly lifting Lulu off her feet and starting up the stairs with her in his arms.
“O papa, you’ll tire yourself all out!” she exclaimed with a merry laugh; “I’m so big and heavy.”
“Not a bit,” he said. “I’m so big and strong. There, now for our race,” as he set her down in the upper hall.
“It’s nice, nice, to have such a big, strong papa!” she said, lifting a flushed, happy face to his and reaching up to give him a hug and kiss.
“I’m glad my little daughter thinks so,” he returned, smiling down on her and laying his hand tenderly on her head for an instant.
The captain and Lulu met in the upper hall just as the tea-bell rang, and at the same instant Max came down the stairs from the third story almost at a bound.
A merry peal of laughter from all three, and the captain said, “So nobody is first; we shall all reach the tea-room together.”