But she found it lonely staying by herself, and at length sought the room where the others were.
Grace, seated on her father’s knee, hailed her appearance with a glad, “O Lu, so you’ve come at last! I was thinking I’d have to go and find you. You’ve missed the fun with the babies; they’ve just been carried away. Here’s a chair Max has set for you close beside papa; or perhaps you can sit on his other knee.”
“I’ll sit here,” Lulu said, taking possession of an easy chair on the opposite side of the fire.
“Why, Lu!” exclaimed Grace in astonishment, “what can be the matter with you? Always before you’ve wanted to get just as close to papa as ever you could.”
There was a moment of silence; then Lulu answered in a low, half-tremulous tone, “I have not been a good girl to-day, Gracie, and don’t deserve to sit close to papa.”
Then Max made a diversion by asking his father a question in regard to his lessons for the next day.
“Gracie, will you get papa his slippers?” the captain asked presently.
“Oh, yes! if I may, papa,” she answered brightly, but with an enquiring look at Lulu, who had always hitherto claimed that little service as belonging to her.
“Papa doesn’t want me to do it, Gracie,” she said in a low, hurt tone.
He took no notice. Grace brought the slippers and was rewarded with a smile and a kiss.