"Oh, that is it!" said the stranger; "but you can scarcely reach up here. Shall I lift you?"
Belle agreed, and the gentleman lifted her, and let her slip the letter into the box herself, telling her he was sure her papa would be much pleased with it; and Belle went on her way well satisfied.
"Do you think dear papa has my letter yet?" she said to Bessie, when, an hour later, they returned home.
"Oh yes, long ago!" answered Bessie. "Why, we took a long walk, Belle; and it's a great while since you sent it."
"Maybe he's sitting in the cars, reading it," said Belle; to which Bessie replied, "Course he is," and since neither of them knew it, neither of them was disturbed by the fact that it would take three or four days for the letter to reach Mr. Powers; and Belle was made quite happy when she received the next morning a little note from her papa, written in the cars and posted at the first stopping-place on his way.
She and Bessie made another droll mistake one day. Maggie had gone out with her Aunt Annie, and so was out of the way when it was time for the others to take their walk; and lo, the daily letter was not written, forgotten for the first time! Bessie and Belle were both in a great way about it. Mamma, too, having gone to ride, there was no help to be had from her.
"Do it yourself, can't you?" said Bessie: "you can print a little."
"Yes," said Belle, seizing on a sheet of paper. "But what shall I say? I haven't much to tell to-day."
"And we haven't time for much thoughts about it," said Bessie. "Nurse has baby 'most ready, and she don't like her to be kept waiting. You might tell him you are alive. Maggie said he would like to know that."
"Yes," said Belle, and she began to writs; but a new difficulty arose.