to be hoped so," said Uncle Ted.

A bright idea struck the little fellow. He must talk it over with Cissy.
If only that delightful seat between the tree and the wall was arranged
_they_ might make "stick-sticks"! What fun, and how pleased Uncle Ted
would be! Already Ted's active brain began to plan it all. They should
have a nice big ruled sheet of paper and divide it into rows, as for
columns of sums: one row should be for horses alone, and one for horses
with carts, and one for people, and one for children, and another for
dogs, and another for wheelbarrows perhaps. And then sometimes donkeys
passed, and now and then pigs even, on their way to market--yes, a lot
of rows would be needed. And at the top of the paper he would write in
nice big letters "stick"--no, mother would tell him how to write it
nicely, he knew that wasn't quite the real word, mother would spell it
for him: "St--something--of what passed the tree." It would be almost
like writing a book.

He was so eager about it that he could hardly finish his dinner. For a
great deal was involved in his plan, as you shall hear.

In the first place, it became evident to him after an examination of the
bits of wood in the unused coach-house, that there was nothing there
that would do. He could get a nice little plank, a plank that would not
scratch poor Cissy's legs or tear her frocks, from the carpenter, but
then it would cost money, for Ted had gained some worldly wisdom since
the days when he thought the kind shopkeepers spread out their wares for
everybody to help themselves as they liked. And Ted was rather short of
money, and Ted was of rather an independent spirit. He would much prefer
not asking mother for any. The seat in the tree would be twice as nice
if he could manage it all his own self, as Cissy would say.

Ted thought it all over a great deal, and talked about it to Cissy. It
was a good thing, they agreed, that it was holiday-time just now, even
though Ted had every day _some_ lessons to do. And though Cissy was very
little, it was, after all, she who thought of a plan for gaining some
money, as you shall hear.

Some few times in their lives Ted and Cissy had seen Punch and Judy, and
most delightful they thought it. Perhaps I am wrong in saying Cissy had
seen it more than once, but _Ted_ had, and he used to amuse Cissy by
acting it over to please her. And I think it was from this that her idea
came.

"Appose, Ted," she said the next day when