"That's nothing but a Boston fashion. Slip on your hat and
sack in a jiff, and come along."

"I shall tan my hands," said Joy, reluctantly, as they went out.
"Besides, I don't know what a jiff is."

"A jiff is--why, it's short for jiffy, I suppose."

"But what's a jiffy?" persisted Joy.

"Couldn't tell you," said Gypsy, with a bubbling laugh; "I guess it's
something that's in a terrible hurry. Tom says it ever so much."

"I shouldn't think your mother would let you use boys' talk," said Joy.
Gypsy sometimes stood in need of some such hint as this, but she did not
relish it from Joy. By way of reply she climbed up the post of the
clothesline.

Joy thought the chickens were pretty, but they had such long legs, and
such a silly way of squealing when you took them up, as if you were
going to murder them. Besides she was afraid she should step on them. So
they went into the barn, and Gypsy exhibited Billy and Bess and Clover
with the talent of a Barnum and the pride of a queen. Billy was the old
horse who had pulled the family to church through the sand every Sunday
since the children were babies, and Bess and Clover were white-starred,
gentle-eyed cows, who let Gypsy pull their horns and tickle them with
hay, and make pencil-marks on their white foreheads to her heart's
content, and looked at Joy's strange face with great musing beautiful
brown eyes. But Joy was afraid they would hook her, and she didn't like
to be in a barn.

"What! not tumble on the hay!" cried Gypsy, half way up the ladder into
the loft. "Just see what a quantity there is of it. Did you ever know
such a quantity? Father lets me jump on it 'cause I don't hurt the
hay--very much."

No. Joy couldn't possibly climb up the ladder. Well, Gypsy would help
her then. By a little maneuvering she persuaded Joy to step up three
rounds, and she herself stood behind her and began to walk up. Joy
screamed and stood still.

"Go ahead--you can't stop now. I'll keep hold of you," said Gypsy,
choking with laughter, and walking on. There was nothing for Joy to do
but climb, unless she chose to be walked over, so up they went, she
screaming and Gypsy pushing all the way.

"Now all you have to do is just to get up on the beams and jump off,"
said Gypsy, up there, and peering down from among the cobwebs, and
flying through the air, almost before the words were off from her lips.
But Joy wouldn't hear of getting into such a dusty place. She took two
or three dainty