"Have you a little girl of your own, sir?" Rosie asked with a look of interest.
"Yes, my dear, two of them. Lulu is a year or two younger than I take you to be, and Gracie is only seven."
"Have you any boys?" inquired Walter.
"Yes, my little man; I have one. We call him Max. He is two years older than Lulu."
"About as old as I am?" said Rosie half inquiringly.
"Yes; if you are eleven, as I suppose."
"Yes, sir, I'm eleven and Walter's five."
"If they're good children we'd like 'em to come here and play with us," remarked Walter.
"I am afraid they are not always good," the captain said with a smile and a half sigh. "I am not with them enough to give them the teaching and training that doubtless you enjoy."
"But why doesn't their mamma do it? Our mamma teaches us;" and the child's eyes turned lovingly upon her as at that moment she entered the room.