ark," bumps
her head against the bed post, and finally settles herself down for a
good sleep.

Esther, who has just stopped crying, remarks to Jane that "this is a
wretched night," and says, "somehow I can't get to sleep."

"No wonder," says Jane, "you went to bed too early."

"Jane, this is September the fourth, aint it?" asks Esther.

"Yes," replies Jane. "Go to sleep and let me alone, I don't want to talk
to you, I want to go to sleep. What if it is September the fourth."

"Oh nothing," replies Esther, "only it is just a week to-night, since I
went riding with Bob! Oh, what will become of me?" and she instantly
burst into another crying spell.

"Esther" said Jane, "Do you know I think you are losing your mind, and
that if you keep on this way you will get so crazy that we will have to
put you in the Insane Asylum." This had the desired effect, for she
stopped instantly. For a few minutes everything was perfectly still. No
sound was to be heard except the breathing of the two young girls, as
they lay side by side in bed.

They had remained perfectly quiet, for about ten or fifteen minutes,
when Esther jumped out of bed with a scream, exclaiming that there was a
mouse under the bed clothes.

Her scream startled her sister, who was almost asleep, and she also got
out of bed and lit the lamp, for she is as much afraid of mice as Esther
is. They both searched the bed, but could not find the supposed mouse,
supposing it to be inside the mattrass. Jane exclaimed "Oh pshaw, what
fools we are to be sure to be scared at a little harmless mouse; if
there really is one here it can do us no harm, for see, it is inside the
mattrass, look how the straw is being moved about. The mouse has gotten
inside and can't get out, because there is no hole in the ticking. Let
us go back to bed Esther. It can do us no harm now." So they put out the
light, and got into bed again. After listening for a few minutes without
hearing the straw move in the mattrass, they both fell asleep.

On the following night the girls heard something moving under their bed.
Esther exclaimed: "There is that mouse again, Jane. Let us get up and
kill it. I'm not going to be worried by mice every night."

So they both arose, and on hearing a rustling in a green paste-board
box, filled with patch-work, which was under the bed, they placed it out
in the middle of the room and were much amazed to see the box jump up in
the air about a foot and then fall over o