n see
it shine from our windows. I wonder how long it will burn without bein'
filled if I only keep it lit one hour every night?"

"You needn't put it out for want o' karosene," said Seesaw, coming in
from the shed, "for there's a great kag of it settin' out there. Mr.
Tubbs brought it over from North Riverboro and said somebody sent an
order by mail for it."

Rebecca squeezed Emma Jane's arm, and Emma Jane gave a rapturous return
squeeze. "It was Mr. Aladdin," whispered Rebecca, as they ran down the
path to the gate. Seesaw followed them and handsomely offered to see
them "apiece" down the road, but Rebecca declined his escort with such
decision that he did not press the matter, but went to bed to dream of
her instead. In his dreams flashes of lightning proceeded from both her
eyes, and she held a flaming sword in either hand.

Rebecca entered the home dining-room joyously. The Burnham sisters had
gone and the two aunts were knitting.

"It was a heavenly party," she cried, taking off her hat and cape.

"Go back and see if you have shut the door tight, and then lock it,"
said Miss Miranda, in her usual austere manner.

"It was a heavenly party," reiterated Rebecca, coming in again, much
too excited to be easily crushed, "and oh! aunt Jane, aunt Miranda, if
you'll only come into the kitchen and look out of the sink window, you
can see the banquet lamp shining all red, just as if the Simpsons'
house was on fire."

"And probably it will be before long," observed Miranda. "I've got no
patience with such foolish goin's-on."

Jane accompanied Rebecca into the kitchen. Although the feeble glimmer
which she was able to see from that distance did not seem to her a
dazzling exhibition, she tried to be as enthusiastic as possible.

"Rebecca, who was it that sold the three hundred cakes of soap to Mr.
Ladd in North Riverboro?"

"Mr. WHO?" exclaimed Rebecca.

"Mr. Ladd, in North Riverboro."

"Is that his real name?" queried Rebecca in astonishment. "I didn't
make a bad guess;" and she laughed softly to herself.

"I asked you who sold the soap to Adam Ladd?" resumed Miss Jane.

"Adam Ladd! then he's A. Ladd, too; what fun!"

"Answer me, Rebecca."

"Oh! excuse me, aunt Jane, I was so busy thinking. Emma Jane and I sold
the soap to Mr. Ladd."

"Did you tease him, or make him buy it?"

"Now, aunt Jane, how could I make a big grown-up man buy anything if he
didn't want to? He needed the soap dreadfully as a present