“Papa,” she exclaimed in an undertone, mindful not to rouse Grace from her slumbers in the adjoining room, “oh, I’m so glad you came!” throwing her arms round his neck as he reached the bedside and bent down to give her a kiss. “You must have talked a long time to Maxie. I was really growing jealous,” she added, with a laugh.
“Were you?” he asked, seating himself on the edge of the bed and drawing her into his arms. “Isn’t Maxie entitled to a fair share of papa’s attentions, as well as of his love?”
“Oh, yes, indeed! and I wouldn’t want to rob him of a bit of either; but I do so love the little bedtime chat with you that I’d rather miss ’most anything else.”
“Well, dear child, perhaps we can have an unusually long talk in the morning to comfort you for the loss to-night. So go to sleep as fast as you can, that you may be ready for an early waking,” he said. Then with another kiss and fervent, “Good-night, my darling, and may He who neither slumbers nor sleeps have you in his kind care and keeping,” he left her.
CHAPTER VIII.
Lulu’s first waking thought was of her father’s promise.
“Perhaps he is going to tell me what he and Maxie were talking about last night,” she said to herself. “Likely it was something of importance to keep them so long. I wonder what? Maybe about going to the seashore, or somewhere, for the hot months, as we always do.”
She slipped out of bed and began a brisk toilet, determined to be ready to receive her father whenever he might come.
She and Gracie were together in their own little sitting-room looking over their tasks for the day, when hearing his approaching footsteps they hastily laid aside their books and ran to meet him.
“Good-morning, my darlings; you look well and bright,” he said, bending down and opening his arms to receive them.