in her heart for a few moments; but her purpose
triumphed at last, and in a calm, firm voice, she replied:

"No, dear Carrie, not until nearly dark. I must finish my quilt to-morrow
morning. You go and get my cousins and take them with you. I will come
over just as soon as it is too dark to see to sew without a light; and
that won't be a great while, you know, this short afternoon."

Carrie saw that her friend's mind was made up. So turning to leave the
room she said:

"Well, I suppose you are right; but mind you come as early as you can."

"That I will," rejoined Jessie.

Carrie left the room. The next moment she pushed the door open again, and
peeping in, said,

"Jessie?"

"Well, dear, what is it?"

"Ask your ma to let you stay till half-past nine, will you?"

"Yes."

"Good-by."

"Good-by till dark," replied Jessie, laughing at the idea of her friend
bidding her good-by just for an hour.

Jessie now felt very strong in her purpose. She had resisted no less than
four temptations to yield to her impulses in about an hour and a half.
This was doing nobly, and Jessie felt more self-respect than she had ever
felt before. She was certainly doing battle in real earnest with her old
enemy, the little wizard, as Uncle Morris facetiously called him. And she
had her reward for all her self-denial in the glad feelings which bubbled
up in her heart like springs of water in some cosy mountain nook.

Nothing else came to tempt Jessie the remainder of that afternoon. She
sewed until it was too dark to see in front of the fire; then she took her
seat close to the window, and it was not until she could no longer see to
take a stitch neatly that she began to put up her work.

"One more morning will finish it," said she, after taking a glance at her
work. "Oh! how glad I shall be when I have taken the last stitch. And
won't I be glad when it comes out of the quilting-frame, and is spread
upon Uncle Morris's bed. It's been a long time doing--Oh! ever so
long--thanks to the little wizard. But little wizard, little wizard, go
away! go away! We don't want you any longer in Glen Morris Cottage."

In this cheerful mood Jessie tied on her hood and cloak, and tripped over
to Carrie Sherwood's, where she spent one of the pleasantest evenings she
had enjoyed since the coming of her cousins to Duncanville. For some
reasons unknown to me, it pleased that selfish brother and sister to put
on their best and most approved behavior. P