ask for two or
three dips. I wonder what dips is."

She had not the slightest idea, but it never occurred to her to do
otherwise than exactly what her brother had said. It was a funny little
figure that presented itself to the children's mother, in the twilight,
just as she was putting away her work and thinking it was really time
for Ted and Cissy to come in, a shawl wrapped round and tied behind over
her white pinafore, of which the part that could be seen was by no means
as clean as it might have been, any more than the eager flushed little
face, with its bright dark eyes and wavy hair tumbling over the
forehead.

"My dear Cissy, what a _very_ dirty little girl you are," said her
mother, laughing. "You really look more like a gipsy than anything
else."

"Does dipsies live up trees?" inquired Cissy gravely. "Trees _is_ rather
dirty. But oh, mother, Ted wants me to ask you for two or three dips.
_P'ease_ give me zem."

"_Dips_," repeated her mother, "what in the world does he want dips
for?"

"Cissy doesn't know," replied the little girl. "Cissy doesn't know what
dips is. Cissy finks Ted said he would 'tick zem up on ze wall, to make
it look pitty."

Her mother was very much amused.

"Dips are candles," she said. "I suppose Ted wants to light up the
tree."

Her words made a light break over Cissy's face in the first place.

"Oh ses," said the little maiden, "it is getting so dark. Oh _do_ give
Ted some dips, _dear_ mother--do, _do_."

But not any number of "do's" would have made mother agree to so
dangerous a proceeding.

"My dear little girl, you would certainly set yourselves on fire, and
the tree too," she replied. "But never mind," she went on, seeing
the corners of Cissy's mouth going down with the thought of Ted's
disappointment, "I will go out with you and explain to Ted."

Mother put a shawl over her shoulders and went out with her little girl.
Some way off, Ted heard them coming.

"O Cis, have you got the dips?" he cried. "I forgot to tell you to bring
some matches too. I've had such hard work to see, and a lot of people
passed. I _think_ there was a woman and two boys. I'll have to mark them
down, when----"

"I've come with Cissy, Ted," replied his mother's voice, to his
surprise, "to tell you that it would really be too much of a good thing
to go on with your observations all night. And, in the first place, you
would certainly set yourself and Cissy and the tree on fire, if I let
you ha