scissors, or a
spool of cotton. It was so to-day. She plunged her hand deep into the
basket, in search of the colored worsteds required for her uncle's
slippers. After feeling round awhile, she drew forth a tangled mess, which
she placed on her lap.

"Oh dear!" she said, in a complaining tone; "how these worsteds are
tangled!"

Nimbly her fingers wrought, however, and very soon the skeins were all
laid out on her knee.

"Let me see," said she, looking at her pattern; "there are one, two,
three, four--five--six colors, and I have only one, two, three, four,
five. Which is missing? Ah, I see: there is no _brown_. Must I hunt that
basket again? It's a regular jungle--no, not a _jungle_--a jungle is a
forest, mostly covered with reeds and bushes. This is a, a--a _jumble_.
Uncle, would call it a basket of confusion. Ha! ha!"

Vainly did Jessie explore her "basket of confusion." In vain did she upset
its contents upon the floor, and replace them by handfuls. The missing
skein of brown worsted could not be found. At last, with wearied neck, and
aching head, she threw herself back in her chair, and said--

"It's no use, there is no brown worsted there. But what's that?"

In leaning back, Jessie's eyes were arrested by a new book which was on
the mantle. Starting from her chair, she took down the book. It was a
story-book that Guy had borrowed of his friend Richard Duncan. The
pictures were beautiful, and Jessie, charmed by the promise of its opening
pages, gave herself up to the leadings of her excited curiosity, and soon
forgot all about worsted, slippers, cousins, and uncle. Little Impulse the
wizard had baited his trap with a choice book, and Jessie was in his power
again.

"Why, Guy! what brought you home so early?" asked Jessie, more than two
hours later, when her brother's entrance broke her attention from the
book.

"Early!" exclaimed Guy, looking at his watch; "do you call fifteen minutes
past twelve early?"

"Fifteen minutes past twelve!" cried Jessie, in great surprise; "it can't
be so late: your watch must be wrong, Guy."

"Then the village clock is wrong, for I timed my watch by it as I came
past," said Guy. "I guess you have been asleep, Sis, and didn't notice how
time passed."

"Asleep, indeed! do you think I go to sleep in the morning? not I. But
I've been reading your book, and was just finishing it when you came in.
It's real interesting," said Jessie.

"Yes, it's a nice book," replied Guy, as