as well be
thousands. I cannot command it."

"You can, uncle!" replied Jessie, with a glow of exultation on her
cheek, and a spirit of joy in her voice. "_I_ have the money. Oh! it is
the happiest hour of my life!"

And sinking forward, she laid her now weeping face upon the breast of
her uncle. Her tears were the out-gushing waters of gladness.

"_You_ have the money, child?" said Mr. Hartman, after the lapse of a
few moments. "Where did you get it?"

"I have had no need to spend my salary."

"Your salary! Have you saved it all?"

"Every dollar. I had clothing sufficient, and there was no other want
to take it from me. Dear uncle, how happy it makes me to think that I
have it in my power to aid you! Would that the sum was tens of
thousands!"

Mr. Hartman, as soon as the first surprise was over, said, with evident
emotion--

"Jessie, I cannot express how much this incident has affected me. But,
deeply grateful to you as I feel for such an evidence of your love, I
must push back the hand that would force this aid upon me. I will not
be unjust to you. I will not take your hard earnings to run the risk of
losing them."

A shadow passed over the face of Jessie, and her voice was touched with
something like grief as she replied--

"How can you speak to me thus, uncle? How can you push back my hand
when, in love, it seeks to smooth the pillow upon which your troubled
head is resting? Would you deny me a higher gratification than I have
ever known? No--no--you cannot!"

Mr. Hartman was bewildered. He felt as if it would be a kind of
sacrilege to take the money of his niece, yet how could he positively
refuse to do so? Apart from the necessity of his circumstances, there
was the cruelty of doing violence to the generous love that had so
freely tendered relief. In the end, all objections had to yield, and
Mr. Hartman was saved from a second disaster, which would have entirely
prostrated him, by the money that Jessie had earned and saved.

A short time after the occurrence of this circumstance, the Freemans
gave a large party. Mrs. Carlton, who was present, said to Mrs.
Freeman, an hour after the company had assembled--

"Where is Miss Hampton? I've been looking for her all the evening.
Isn't she well?"

"What Miss Hampton do you mean?" asked Mrs. Freeman, drawing herself up
with an air cold and dignified.

"Miss Jessie Hampton," replied Mrs. Carlton.

"Sure enough!" said a young man, who was sitting by, an