“Yes, yes, indeed!” returned Lulu, with warmth; “all his children, but especially me, I think, because I’m the naughtiest and have the hardest work trying to be good.  I’m often surprised at papa’s patience with me and the trouble he takes to help me in my hard fight with my passionate, wilful temper.”

Just then Grace’s voice was heard at the door, “Happy New Year, Eva and Lu!  May I come in?”

“Yes, come.  Happy New Year to you,” cried both girls, Lulu running and taking her sister in her arms to hug and kiss her.

“You darling child!  You look bright and well.  Are you?”

“Yes, you old woman,” laughed Gracie, returning the hug and kisses; “and I’m all ready for breakfast.  Are you?”

“No, not quite.”

“I am,” said Eva.  “Shall we go into the sitting-room, Gracie, and wait there for Lu?”

“Yes,” answered Grace, leading the way; “and I’ll be learning my Bible verse while we wait for her and papa and the breakfast bell.”

Lulu and her father joined them at the same moment.

The captain kissed the little girls all around and presented each with a pretty little portemonnaie.

Eva thanked him with smiles, blushes and appreciative words; his own two with hugs and kisses in addition to the thanks given in words.

“Mine’s ever so pretty, papa,” Lulu said, turning it about in her hands.

“I am glad you are pleased with it,” he said, smiling, “but are you going to be satisfied with looking at the outside? don’t you want to examine the lining also?”

“Why, yes, sir?” opening it.  “Oh, oh, it isn’t empty!” she laughed, beginning to take out the contents—­two clean, crisp one dollar notes, and a handful of bright new quarters, dimes and five cent pieces.  “Papa, how kind and generous you are to me!”

Grace had her purse open by this time and found it lined in like manner with Lulu’s.  “Dear papa, thank you ever so much,” she said, looking up into his face with eyes full of love and gratitude.  “It’s a great deal for me to have beside all the rest you gave me.”

“You are both as welcome as possible, my darlings; only make good use of it, remembering that money is one of the talents for which we must give account to God at last,” he answered to both.

“Eva, my dear,” turning to her, “you will find the same in yours, and I hope will accept it from me as though you were one of my daughters.  Do me the kindness to let me be in some respects, a father to you; since your own is absent in the happy home to which I trust we are all traveling.”

She was standing near, the present he had given her in her hand.  She had been looking from it to Lulu and Grace, thinking the while how good it was in the captain to treat her so much like one of his own, and now at these kind words spoken in tender fatherly tones, both heart and eyes grew full to overflowing.

He saw that she could not speak for emotion, and taking her hand, drew her to his knee and kissed her, saying, “Don’t try to thank me in words, my dear; your speaking countenance tells me all you would say.”