I fully intend keeping my little girl to myself--as I have already told you--for at least six or eight years to come." "And you have no objection to me personally, sir ?" "None whatever; in fact, from all I have seen and heard I am inclined to think you a fine fellow; almost equal to my own boy, Max," Captain Raymond said with a smile: "and if my daughter were of the right age, and quite ready and willing to leave her father, I should have but one objection to your suit--that you would take her so far away from me." "Possibly I might not, sir, should there be an opening for me near where you reside.

I think the Bible says it is the man who is to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife." "True, my young friend," returned the captain; "but the time I have set is too far away to make it worth our while to consider that question at present." With that the interview closed, and the two parted, the captain to be confronted a few minutes later by Chester Dinsmore, with a like request to that just denied to Percy.
"No, no, Chester," he said, "it is not to be thought of; Lucilla is entirely too young to leave her father's fostering care and take up the duties and trials of married life.

I cannot consent to your saying a word to her on the subject for years to come." "You have no objection to me personally, I trust, sir ?" returned the young man, looking chagrined and mortified.
"None whatever," Captain Raymond hastened to say.

"I have just given the same answer to another suitor, and there is one consideration which inclines me to prefer you to him; namely, that you are a near neighbor to us at Woodburn; so that in giving up my daughter to you I should feel the parting much less than if she were about to make her home so far North as this." "Well, sir, that's a crumb of comfort, though to be often in her company--seeing her lovely face and watching her pretty ways--will make it all the more difficult to refrain from showing my esteem, admiration, love.

In fact, I don't know how to stand it.