"But won't the postage-stamp make it go all safe?" asked Bessie.
"Oh, to be sure!" said Belle, and the postage-stamp was put on; and, nurse and Jane appearing at that moment with the other children, they set out, Belle in great glee at having contrived to "do" her letter all by herself, and reached the familiar lamp-post, where she was lifted up by Jane, and dropped it in, neither of the nurses observing that it had no address; and both the little girls firmly believing it would go in the proper direction with that important postage-stamp on it.
After all, Belle continued to be very happy while her father was away. She would have been very ungrateful if she had not been both happy and good when so much was done to please her. The Christmas holidays came and passed, and she shared in all the enjoyments which were provided for Maggie and Bessie, and was treated quite as if she were one of the family; while Mrs. Bradford could not help thinking that she had improved a little, being more obedient and far less wilful. The example of such a prompt obedience as was shown by the other children had done her good.
And now the holidays were over, and they were back at school once more, while the time for Mr. Powers' return was drawing near.
CHAPTER VII.
THE HURT FOOT.
"Oh, oh!" said Belle.
She did not say it as if she were pleased; on the contrary, the tone had in it some pain and a good deal of fear. And that was not to be wondered at; for Belle was half-way up a stone-fence—that fence which divided Mrs. Ashton's garden from the ball-ground where Mr. Peters' boys played; and a large stone had slipped and hurt her foot, and the wall felt shaky and very much as if it might give still more.
There she stood, all crouched together, clinging to the topmost stones with her small hands, and afraid to go up or down lest the whole fence should fall on her.
"Oh, o-o-o-oh!" said she again, but not loud; for there were boys at play just beyond the wall, and, if they heard her, Harry and Fred Bradford would come and lift her down and take her to the house, and Miss Ashton and Mrs. Bradford would know how disobedient she had been.