The good old man kissed his niece with even unusual tenderness, and led
her into the parlor.

"Hoity toity!" cried he, as he looked on the fragments of the broken
mirror. "Somebody's been playing the mischief here. What's been the
matter?"

"Jessie did it!" said Charlie, with a dogged air.

"Yes, sir! Jessie threw an ottoman at me, and it struck the mirror. Didn't
she, Charlie?" said Emily, coming up to Uncle Morris, with Mrs. Carlton
behind her.

"Yes, Jessie did it, and no mistake!" said Charlie, boldly.

"O Jessie! how could you be so careless! That mirror cost a hundred
dollars, a few months ago. Your father will feel very angry," said Mrs.
Carlton with a grieved look.

"I did not break it, Ma!" said Jessie calmly.

"She did!" "She did!" said Charlie and his sister in the same moment.

"Ma, I did not break the mirror," rejoined Jessie, calmly. "If I had done
it, I would confess it. You know I wouldn't lie, Mother, don't you?"

"I certainly have great faith in your truthfulness, my child," replied
Mrs. Carlton; "but why are your cousins so positive in charging you with
it?"

Jessie stated the facts just as they had taken place. Her cousins repeated
their story. Mrs. Carlton was perplexed. Turning to Uncle Morris, she
said:

"Brother, what do you think? On which side is the truth?"

"On Jessie's, of course, sister. Could you question the truth of that pure
face! It would break my heart if Jessie could tell such a lie as these
wicked ones here have told! But she couldn't do it. It's not in her nature
to do it. Heaven bless her!"

He then stated what he had overheard from the sofa in the back parlor, and
closed by saying, "These children had better go home to-morrow. They are
wicked enough to corrupt an angel, almost. The proverb says, _eggs ought
not to dance with stones_, and I cannot endure to see Jessie in their
society any longer."

"I agree with you, brother, and will send them home to-morrow," replied
Mrs. Carlton.

Charlie and Emily were dumb with confusion and shame. I think a little
sorrow gushed up in Emily's heart, when through her fingers she saw Jessie
look with appealing and tearful eyes into Uncle Morris's face, and heard
her say in pleading tones:

"O Uncle! O Mamma! please let them stay another week; please do, for my
sake! Please let them stay! They will be good after this, I know they
will."

This plea won both Mrs. Carlton's and the old man's consent, and Jessie
kissing her c