arm, and putting it
round his plate.

"Charlie!" exclaimed Mrs. Carlton.

"I want my dinner!" was his surly reply.

Mary had now drawn near the ugly little fellow. Placing her heavy hand on
his shoulder, she seized him with a grip, which made him feel like a
pigmy, in the grasp of a giant. Having had a taste of Mary's anger, once
or twice before, and catching a glance from the kindling eye of Uncle
Morris, he yielded, and was led out of the room.

"The worst child of his age I ever knew," observed the old gentleman with
a sigh, as he proceeded to carve the chickens, which were smoking on the
hospitable table before him.

Jessie's face had clouded a little during this scene. The thaw of which
Emily had spoken, cut off her hope of trying her new skates. Leaning
towards Guy, who sat next to her at the table, she whispered:

"Is the ice _all_ gone, Guy?"

"I expect it is pretty much used up by the fog we've had all day."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" said Jessie with a sigh.

Judging of her thoughts by her looks, Uncle Morris said, "Never mind,
Jessie. There will be plenty of ice to skate on, in a week or two."

"Skate! How can she _skate_? She hasn't got any skates!" said Hugh.

"Yes, I have," replied Jessie, smiling. "Pa sent me a beautiful pair this
morning."

This statement led to various remarks about skating, and winter weather in
the country. Meanwhile, the cousins came back to the table. Jessie soon
grew cheerful again, and the dinner passed without any other occurrence
worthy of notice.

After dinner, the fog having grown into a fine, drizzling rain, the
children found it impossible to go out of doors in search of amusement. It
was therefore agreed to invite Miss Carrie Sherwood to tea. Guy promised
to go after her. To add to the pleasure of the occasion, Jessie had her
mother's permission to use a sweet little tea-set of her own, and to have
tea with her cousins and Carrie by themselves in the parlor.

Carrie arrived in due time, snugly wrapped in hood and shawl. Her feet
were protected by rubbers. She declared that Guy was a capital _beau_. Guy
laughed at her compliment, and repaid it by saying that she was a nice
little _belle_, and then he ran off to school.

The afternoon passed rapidly, because, on the whole, it was pleasantly
spent. Emily, knowing it was the last day of her visit, seemed anxious to
do away with the bad impression she had previously made upon the mind of
her cousin and her frie