“Kippy,” he said, going to the window where she was gleefully tracing the course of the raindrops as they chased down the pane. “Stop a minute, Kippy. Listen; I want to talk to you.”
Miss Kippy turned obediently, but her lips continued the dumb conversation she was having with the rain.
“How would you like,” said Mr. Opp, approaching the subject cautiously, “to play like you was a grown-up lady—just for to-night, you know?”
Miss Kippy looked at him suspiciously, and her lips stopped moving. Heretofore she had resisted all efforts to change her manner of dress.
“There’s a gentleman a-coming,” continued Mr. Opp, persuasively; “he’s going to remain over till to-morrow, and [p151] Aunt Tish is cooking that large goose for him, and I’ve been fixing up the spare room. We are all endeavoring to give him a nice time. Don’t you want to dress up for him?”
“Will it make him glad?” asked Miss Kippy.
Mr. Opp expiated on the enjoyment it would give the unknown guest to see Kippy in the blue merino dress which Aunt Tish had gotten out of Mrs. Opp’s old trunk up-stairs.
“And you’ll let Aunt Tish arrange your hair up like a lady?” went on Mr. Opp, pushing the point.
“Yes,” said Miss Kippy, after a moment, “Oxety will. She will make him glad.”
“Good!” said Mr. Opp. “And if you will sit nice and quiet and never say a word all through supper, I’ll get you a book with pictures in it, representing flowers and things.”