"Now you two have taken in a good deal of information; don't you think it might be well for you to take some exercise in running about the deck?" concluded Uncle Harold, in a kindly tone, to which Elsie and Ned responded with a cheerful, "Yes, sir! Thank you for the stories," then ran away to carry out his suggestions, Grace calling after them to be very careful not to go into any dangerous place.
"We won't," Ned called back. "We want to live to go to that double wedding."
"Yes, Ned," said Elsie, in a much lower tone, "and we want to buy some handsome presents for the brides. I spoke to mamma about that, and she said she and papa and grandma would give us our turn at the business of shopping; maybe day after to-morrow, for they expect to come back to the Dolphin to-morrow evening, and if the weather is suitable we can go into the city directly after breakfast the next morning."
"Oh, good!" cried Ned. "Won't it be fun? I hope papa has plenty of money for us to spend, so that we can get something very handsome—jewelry, perhaps. That will be the most suitable and acceptable, I suppose."
"Probably," returned Elsie. "Grandma, papa, and mamma will be the ones to decide."
"Of course," said her brother; "but they'll let us have some say about it too."
Max and Chester were at the same moment standing together at some little distance in a friendly discussion of a similar topic—what gifts they should procure for their brides.
"Jewelry of some sort would, I suppose, be considered the most appropriate," remarked Chester half inquiringly.
"That is my idea," returned Max. "I believe the majority of ladies can hardly have too much of it—though I have never noticed Eva cared very much about it. I think, however, that Lu does; I know that some years ago she had a strong desire for more than father deemed best for her."
"Tastes differ," sagely remarked Chester, "and I wish to give her whatever she would prefer."