“Oh, its nice as nice can be to have such a big strong papa!” cried Grace, giving him a hug.
It was quite a party, and a merry one that gathered about the tea-table, enlarged, since breakfast by the addition of Violet’s mother and her two college boys.
The talk ran principally upon the holiday amusements going on at the Oaks and those in course of preparation at Woodburn.
“They boast of being able to get up some very fine tableaux at the Oaks,” remarked Harold, “and expect to quite astonish us to-morrow.”
“I hope you are going, captain, and will take Lulu and Gracie with you,” Grandma Elsie said, half inquiringly, smiling kindly upon the two little girls as she spoke.
“Yes,” he said, smiling also into the eager young faces, “I shall certainly take them both, unless something unforeseen happens to prevent; my wife having promised to go with us,” he added, with an affectionate glance at Violet.
“Yes, indeed! I shouldn’t like to miss it,” she said gayly; “I believe Zoe and I are about as eager over these holiday doings as either of the children.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he responded; “a man enjoys having a young wife even when not young himself.”
“And the older he is, the younger he wants his wife to be,” remarked Zoe in a lively tone: “at least so I have heard people say.”
“But papa isn’t old, aunt Zoe!” exclaimed Lulu, indignantly.