He refused to let Gracie and me in for that reason." "Poor thing!" Evelyn exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes.

"I should think it must have been almost enough to set her crazy.

But how happy she will be when she hears that your father isn't going away again, and means to keep her at home with him." "Yes, indeed; she'll go wild with joy; it's what all three of us have wanted to have happen more than any thing else we could think of.
"I've often envied boys that could live at home with their fathers; though," he added with a happy laugh, "I've said to myself many a time, that mine was enough nicer than theirs to make up for having to do without him so much of the time; at least, I'd never have been willing to swap fathers with one of 'em.

No, indeed!" "Of course not," said Evelyn.

"And I'm so delighted that Lu and I are not to be separated! I can hardly wait to talk with her about it, and the good times we'll have together." A nap and a nice supper had refreshed Lulu a good deal; but she felt weak and languid, and was lying on the bed again when her father returned to her room.
She looked up at him wistfully as he came and stood beside her, then her eyes filled with tears.
"What is it ?" he asked, lifting her from the bed, seating himself, and drawing her into his arms: "what is your petition?
for I read in your eyes that you have one to make." "Papa, you won't send me away--very--soon, will you ?" she pleaded in tremulous tones, her arm round his neck, her face hidden on his shoulder.
"Not till I go myself; then I shall take you with me." "To a boarding-school ?" she faltered.
"No: I'm going to put you in a private family." Her face was still hidden, and she did not see the smile in his eyes.
"What kind of people are they, papa ?" she asked with a deep-drawn sigh.
"Very nice people, I think: the wife and mother is a very lovely woman, and the four children--a boy and three girls--are, I presume, neither better nor worse than my own four.