“No, I’m too young; don’t touch me, cousins,” the baby seemed to say.

“Oh, it can talk! It can talk!” cried Alie Leland.

“The same way that the tee-tees did,” laughed her brother Edward.

“But Cousin Ronald isn’t here,” exclaimed several child voices.

“No; but Cousin Max is, and he is a ventriloquist, too,” returned Edward, looking smilingly at the baby’s father.

“Well, now, Ned,” said Max, “do you really think my little girl is not capable of saying a few words for herself?”

“Oh, I daresay she will talk fast enough some of these days,” laughed the lad, “but I know babies don’t talk when they are hardly a week old.”

“Except when there’s a ventriloquist at hand,” said Eric.

“Brother Max,” exclaimed Ned, “I’m so glad you are a ventriloquist, because I hope you’ll make a good deal of fun for us, as Cousin Ronald does.”

“Isn’t it enough for me to help my little girl to talk?” asked Max.

“That’s good,” said Ned. “Please make her talk some more.”

“No, you talk, Uncle Ned,” the baby seemed to say, and Ned laughed and shouted, “There! she called me uncle, grandma! She’s a nice baby, isn’t she?”

“I think so,” replied Mrs. Travilla, “and we must all be careful to teach her only what is good and lovable.”

Violet and Lucilla came in together at that moment.

“I must have a look at my little niece,” said the latter.

“And I at my granddaughter,” added Violet.

“Oh, mamma, don’t say that,” exclaimed Elsie. “You are too young for it; isn’t she, grandma?”

“She does look rather young to lay claim to that appellation,” Grandma Elsie returned, with an admiring smile up into her daughter’s beautiful and youthful face.

“Ah, but her own grandsire being my husband gives me something of a right in that direction,” laughed Violet. “And anybody might be glad to claim kinship with such a darling,” she added, gazing down at the babe as it lay on her mother’s knee.

“Thank you, Grandma Vi,” came in a feeble little voice, apparently from the lips of the babe.

At that moment the captain entered the room.

“Ah, so my little granddaughter is on exhibition, I see,” he said, as he approached the little group gathered about Grandma Elsie and the babe.

“Yes, grandpa,” she seemed to say. “My papa helps me to talk.”

“Does he? I’m afraid you will lose your ability to talk when he goes away,” said the captain, bending down over the babe and gazing with loving admiration into the wee face. “She’s a fine child, I think, Max,” he said, “one that I am proud to claim as my grandchild.”

“She doesn’t seem to appreciate your praise, my dear,” said Violet, as the child began to squirm and cry.

At that the nurse came and took charge of it, and its visitors vanished to other parts of the house or the grounds.