The yacht was ready in due season, and the weather being favorable
Captain Raymond invited as many of the connection as could be
comfortably accommodated on board, to go with him to witness the
graduation of Max and his classmates. Certainly his own immediate
family, Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore and Grandma Elsie would be of that
number; Evelyn Leland also and Cousins Ronald and Annis Lilburn.
Max's joy in meeting them all--especially his father and the others of
his own immediate family--was evidently very great, for it was the
first sight he had had of any of them for two years or more. He passed
his examination successfully, received his diploma, and was appointed
to the engineer corps of the navy. He received many warm
congratulations and valuable gifts from friends and relatives; but the
pleasure in his father's eyes, accompanied by the warm, affectionate
clasp of his hand, and his look of parental pride in his firstborn,
was a sweeter reward to the young man than all else put together.
"You are satisfied with me, father?" he asked in a low aside.
"Entirely so, my dear boy," was the prompt and smiling rejoinder; "you
have done well and made me a proud and happy father. And now, if you
are quite ready for the homeward-bound trip, we will go aboard the
yacht at once."
"I am entirely ready, sir," responded Max in joyful tones; "trunk
packed and good-byes said."
But they were detained for a little, some of Captain Raymond's old
friends coming up to congratulate him and his son on the latter's
successful entrance into the most desirable corps of the navy. Then,
on walking down to the wharf, they found the _Dolphin's_ dory waiting
for them and saw that the rest of their party was already on board, on
deck and evidently looking with eager interest for their coming.
Max remarked it with a smile, adding, "How the girls have grown,
father! and how lovely they all are! girls that any fellow might be
proud to claim as his sisters--and friend. Evelyn, I suppose, would
hardly let me claim her as a sister."
"I don't know," laughed his father; "she once very willingly agreed to
a proposition from me to adopt her as my daughter."
"Yes? I think she might well be glad enough to do that; but to take me
for a brother would not perhaps be quite so agreeable."
"Well, your Mamma Vi objecting to having so old a daughter, we agreed
to consider ourselves brother and sister; so I suppose you can
consider her your aunt, if you wish."
"There now, father, what a ridiculous idea!" laughed Max.
"Not so very," returned his father, "since aunts are sometimes younger
than their nephews."
But they had reached the yacht and the conversation went no farther.
In another moment they were on deck, and the dear relatives and
friends there crowding about Max to tell of their joy in having him in
their midst again and in knowing that he had so successfully finished
his course of tuition and fully entered upon the profession chosen as
his life work.
Max, blushing with pleasure, returned hearty thanks and expressed his
joy in being with them again. "The two years of absence have seemed a
long time to be without a sight of your dear faces," he said, "and I
feel it a very great pleasure to be with you all again."
"And it will be a delight to get home once more, won't it?" asked
Grace, hanging lovingly on his arm.
"Indeed it will," he responded; "and getting aboard the dear old yacht
seems like a long step in that direction; particularly as all the
family and so many other of my dear friends are here to welcome me."
"Well, we're starting," said Ned. "The sailors have lifted anchor and
we begin to move down stream."
At that a silence fell upon the company, all gazing out upon the
wintry landscape and the vessels lying at anchor in the river as they
passed them one after another. But a breeze had sprung up, the air was
too cool for comfort, and presently all went below.
Then came the call to the table, where they found an abundance of good
cheer awaiting them. The meal was enlivened by much cheerful chat, Max
doing his full share of it in reply to many questions in regard to his
experiences during the two years of his absence; especially of the
last few weeks in which he had not been heard from, except in a rather
hurried announcement of his arrival at Annapolis. They were all making
much of the fine young fellow, but, as his father noticed with
pleasure, it did not seem to spoil him. His manner and speech were
modest and unassuming, and he listened with quiet respect to the
remarks and queries of the older people. The younger ones were quiet
listeners to all.
At the conclusion of the meal all withdrew to the saloon and the
younger ones collected in a group by themselves. Max, seated near to
Evelyn Leland, turned to her and in a grave and quiet tone remarked,
"It seems a long time since we have had a bit of chat together, Aunt
Evelyn."
At that her eyes opened wide in astonishment.
"Aunt?" she repeated. "Why--why, Max, what do you mean by calling me
that?"
"I supposed it was the proper title for my father's sister," he
returned with a twinkle of fun in his eye.
"Oh!" she laughed. "I had nearly forgotten that bargain made with the
captain so long ago. And he has told you of it?"
"Yes; it was in answer to a remark of mine showing that I should like
to include you among my sisters. But can you hold that relationship to
my father and to me at the same time?"
"That is a question to be carefully considered," she laughed; "and in
the meantime suppose you just go back to the old way of calling me
simply Evelyn or Eva. And shall I call you Max, as of old?"
"Yes, yes, indeed! it's a bargain! And now, girls," glancing from her
to his sisters, "as I haven't heard from home in some weeks, perhaps
you may have some news to tell me. Has anything happened? or is
anything out of the usual course of events likely to happen?"
At that Grace laughed, Lucilla blushed and smiled, and little Ned
burst out in eager, joyful tones, "Oh, yes, brother Max! papa is going
to take us all to Florida in a day or two, you as well as the rest."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Max, "that will be very pleasant, I think."
"Yes," continued Neddie, "it's because Cousin Dr. Arthur says Chester
must go to get cured of his bad cough that he's had so long; and of
course Lu must go if he does--Cousin Chester, I mean--and if Lu goes
the rest of us ought to go too. Don't you think so, brother Max?"
Max's only reply for the moment was a puzzled look from one to
another.
"You may as well know it at once, Max," Lucilla said with a smile.
"Chester and I are engaged, and naturally he wants us all with him."
"Is it possible!" exclaimed Max, giving her a look of surprise and
interest. "Why, Lu, I thought father was quite determined to keep his
daughters single till they were far beyond your present age."
"Yes," she returned with a smile; "but circumstances alter cases.
Chester saved my life--at nearly the expense of his own," she added
with a tremble in her voice. "So father let him tell me--what he
wanted to, and allowed us to become engaged. But that is to be all,
for a year or more."
"Saved your life, Lu? Tell me all about it, do, for I haven't heard
the story."
"You remember the anger of the burglar whom you and I testified
against some years ago, and his threat to be revenged on me?"
"Yes; and that in one of father's letters I was told that he had
escaped from prison. And he attacked you?"
"Yes; he fired at me from some bushes by the roadside, but missed,
Chester, who was with me, backing our horses just in time; then they
fired simultaneously at each other and the convict fell dead, and
Chester terribly wounded, while I escaped unhurt. But I thought father
had written you all about it."
"If so that letter must have missed me," said Max. "And Chester hasn't
recovered entirely?"
"Not quite; his lungs seem weak, but we are hoping that a visit to
Florida will perfect his cure."
"I hope so indeed! I have always liked Chester and shall welcome him
as a brother-in-law, since he has saved my sister's life and won her
heart."
"And that of her father," added the captain, coming up at that moment
and laying a hand on Lucilla's shoulder while he looked down at her
with eyes of love and pride. "He has proved himself worthy of the gift
of her hand."
"I think I must have missed one of your letters, father," said Max;
"for surely you did not intend to keep me in ignorance of all this?"
"No, my son; I wrote you a full account of all but the engagement,
leaving that to be told on your arrival here. One or more of my recent
letters must have missed you."
"Too bad!" exclaimed Max, "for a letter from my father, or from any
one of the home folks, is a great treat when I am far away on
shipboard or on some distant shore."
"And, oh, Max, but we feel it a great treat when one comes from you,"
said Grace.
"Ah! that's very good of you all," he returned with a pleased smile.
"But I think we may look forward to a fine time for the next few weeks
or months, as we expect to spend them together."
"Yes," said his father, then asked, "Are you well up in the history of
Florida, my son?"
"Not so well as I should like to be, sir," returned Max. "But perhaps
I can refresh my memory, and also learn something new on that subject,
while we are on the way there."
"Yes; we have a good supply of books in that line, which we will carry
along for your benefit--and to perhaps refresh our own memories
occasionally. And possibly the girls may like to recount to you some
of the tales of early times in that part of our country, which have
interested them of late," the captain continued with a smiling glance
at Evelyn and his daughters. All three at once and heartily expressed
their entire willingness to do so, and Max returned his thanks with
the gallant remark that that would be even more delightful than
reading the accounts for himself.
"Papa, can't we keep right on now to Florida?" asked Ned.
"No, my son; there are several reasons why that is not
practicable--matters to be attended to at home, luggage to be brought
aboard the yacht, and so forth. Besides, your brother no doubt wants a
sight of Woodburn before setting out upon a journey that is likely to
keep us away from there for some weeks."
"Yes, indeed, father, you are right about that," said Max. "I have
always esteemed my Woodburn home a lovely and delightful place, and
dare say I shall find it even more beautiful now than when I saw it
last."
"Then we'll expect to hear you say so when you get there," said
Lucilla, with a smile of pleasure and assurance.
And she was not disappointed; when at length Woodburn was reached
Max's admiration and delight were evident and fully equal to her
expectations. But of necessity his stay at this time must be brief,
scarce allowing opportunity to see all the relatives and connections
residing in that neighborhood, if he would not miss having a share in
the contemplated trip to Florida.