Carlton, pointing to the overflow of coffee in front of his lady.

"Did you see them?" inquired Jessie, also pale with alarm.

These questions were put so rapidly one after the other, that Uncle Morris
had no chance to explain himself for a few moments. Silence, however,
followed Jessie's question. Then the old gentleman relaxed his muscles,
smiled, and said--

"I neither saw nor heard the intruders; yet, I found unquestionable marks
of their having been in my room. They even made a hole in one of the
walls! Yet, strange as it may appear, they not only took nothing away,
but, on the contrary, they left one of the sweetest little chamber
ornaments behind them I ever saw. Such burglars are welcome to enter my
room every night!"

"O Uncle Morris! I know what you mean," said Jessie, laughing, and shaking
her forefinger at him.

Mr. Morris's last words and his changed manner, had, of course, relieved
all parties of their alarm, though none but Guy and his sister knew
precisely what he meant.

"I shouldn't wonder if you did. Even the bird knows where it finds food,
much more should intruders know where they intruded," replied Uncle
Morris.

Jessie then looked at her mother, and said--

"Ma, Uncle means me and Guy, by his intruders. We went into his room last
night to hang his watch-pocket over his bedstead."

"But what about the hole in the wall, Jessie? Did you and Guy dig that?"
asked Hugh.

"Ha, ha, ha! That's only Uncle Morris's fun. Guy bored a little hole with
his gimblet, to screw in the hook which was meant to hang the pocket on;
that's all," replied Jessie.

"No, that wasn't all, either," said Mr. Morris, "for my little puss left
the cutest little velvet watch-pocket I ever saw, hanging on the hook.
There was some witchery in it, too, for it kept me awake over an hour. It
seemed to hop down on to my pillow, and buzz in my ear, saying, 'I am a
love-gift. The little girl who made me, made your quilt, made your
slippers, and is going to make you a cushion. A pesky little creature
tried hard to hinder her from doing it, but her love for you was so
strong, she drove him away. I don't think there is any other old gentleman
in Duncanville, loved by either niece or daughter, half so well as you are
loved by the little miss whose nimble fingers made me!' Talking thus, the
pocket kept me from going to sleep, until I began to fancy that my Jessie
must have put a fairy into it."

"O Uncle Morris!" cried Jessie, w