The other girls had finished dressing and the whole six at once adjourned to the parlor, where their elders were enjoying themselves together.
The lads were there also, Max standing beside his father, who held his hand in a warmly affectionate clasp, while he said in a tone that reached no other ears, “Max, my dear boy, I heard a report of you that has made me a proud and happy father.”
The captain’s eyes were beaming, and at his words Max’s face flushed so joyously that Lulu, watching them from the farther side of the room, wondered what it was all about. She hastened to them.
“Oh, Maxie,” she exclaimed, taking his other hand. “I’m so glad to see you! it seems as if we’d been a whole month apart.”
Her father smiled at that—a fond, approving smile.
“Are you going home with us now, Maxie?” she went on.
“I don’t know,” Max answered, with an inquiring glance at their father.
“Do just as you please about it, my son,” replied the captain; “your leave of absence extends to tomorrow afternoon, and if you are enjoying your visit, perhaps it would be as well to finish it out; your going might interfere with some amusement that has been planned for the others as well as yourself.”
Max said he was having a fine time and decided to stay.
“Can’t Lulu stay too, captain?” asked Sydney, who happened to be near enough to catch the latter part of his sentence, and Max’s reply.