Hughie," she called, "just shut that cupboard! You know your mother doesn't like you to go in there." "I only want a little," called out Hughie, still moving the dishes, and hearing, to his great relief, Jessie's descending step.

In desperation he seized a dish of black currant preserves which he found on the cupboard shelf, and spilled it over the dishes and upon the floor just as Jessie entered the room.
"Land sakes alive, boy! Will you never be done your mischief ?" she cried, rushing toward him.
"Oh!" he said, "I spilt it." "Spilt it!" echoed Jessie, indignantly, "you needn't be telling me that.
Bring me a cloth from the kitchen." "I don't know where it is, Jessie," cried Hughie, slipping upstairs again with his candle.
To his great relief he saw that Jessie's attention was so entirely taken up with removing the stains of the preserves from the cupboard shelves and dishes, that she for the moment forgot everything else, Robbie's stockings included.
Hurrying to his room, and shading the candle with his hand lest the light should waken his little brother, he hastily seized the money upon the bed quilt, and after a few moments' searching under the bed, found the strayed quarter.
With these in his hand he passed into his mother's room.

Leaving the candle there, he came back to the head of the stairs and listened for a moment, with great satisfaction, to Jessie muttering to herself while she cleaned up the mess he had made.

Then he turned, and with trembling fingers he swiftly made up the quarter-dollars into another parcel.

With a great sigh of relief he put the two parcels in his pocket, and seizing his candle turned to leave the room.