strain them. Smarting under the cruel words of
her cousin, she felt an impulse to follow her, but again her eyes fell on
the paper, and she resumed her work, saying to herself--

"Jessie Carlton, you must not mind the hard speeches of your cousins. Your
resolution is right and good. Uncle Morris said so. Stick to it then, and
by the time the quilt and a few other things are done, as Uncle Morris
said, the little wizard will find Glen Morris Cottage too hot to hold him.
I'll keep my resolution."

Just then, smash went some glass somewhere in the rear of the house. The
crash was followed by a voice, which Jessie knew to be her cousin's,
saying--

"O Charlie, Charlie! what have you done!"

"I don't care! It's only the kitchen window," was the reply.

Again did Jessie's impulse move her to put down her work and run out to
see what was the matter. But her purpose came to her aid again, and she
kept plying her needle and saying:

"No, I won't go out. It's only that naughty Charlie throwing stones in at
the kitchen window. What a bad boy he is. I'm glad he is going home
soon."

Another quarter of an hour passed without interruption, when the door
opened and the bright face of Carrie Sherwood peeped in.

"Why, Carrie Sherwood!" exclaimed Jessie.

"Jessie Carlton!"

"Come in and sit down," said Jessie.

Carrie stepped in but did not sit down. "I've come," she said, "to invite
you and your cousins to spend the afternoon, and to take tea at our house.
Ma says that since no harm came to Charlie from his ducking, she would
like to have you come as you meant to do before he fell into the brook."

"I can't go with you till nearly tea-time," replied Jessie.

"Why not?"

"Because I _can't_."

"But _why_ can't you?"

"Because I've resolved to sew on this quilt until tea-time," said Jessie;
and pointing to the paper she added, "see! there is my resolution."

Carrie read the paper and laughed. "Well, you are a queer girl, Jessie
Carlton. You tie yourself up with a resolution nobody asks you to make,
and then say you can't move."

"But I made the resolution because I thought it was _right_," said Jessie,
solemnly.

"Oh! did you? Well, that alters the case, I suppose. But please break it
for _once_; _only_ this once, just to please me, you know. Come, there's a
dear, good Jessie; do come over to my house this afternoon."

Oh! how Jessie did long to drop her sewing, and go with her friend. There
was a mighty struggle