The children promised and he stopped the sleigh before the high flight of steps that led to the post-office. It was a square wooden building and built on such a tall foundation that it looked as though it stood on stilts. The fire house was in the basement, but the engine, when there was a fire, went out of a door on the other side. You couldn't expect a fire engine to come out under those wooden steps and turn around to go to the fire.
Meg and Bobby carried the sled up the stairs and Twaddles carried the glove. Dot wished she had something to carry, but she found a way to be useful without that; she had to hold the door open for a stout old gentleman who came up directly behind them and who almost was knocked down the steps by the sled runners as Meg and Bobby tried to get it inside the doorway.
"Thank you," said the stout old gentleman to Dot as she clung to the heavy door. "You're a thoughtful little girl."
Once inside the post-office, the children found that it wasn't exactly like the office at Oak Hill. It was larger and the windows were so far from the floor that the twins couldn't see inside at all and Bobby had to stand on tiptoe to speak to the clerk.
"We found some things in the road," said Bobby, holding on to the little window shelf with both hands when the clerk who had heard them come in asked him what he wanted.
"We thought we could put them on the lost and found board," Meg added.
"What sort of things are they?" asked the clerk kindly.
"This sled," Bobby answered, while the stout old gentleman who was writing at the desk against the wall, looked up.
"And a glove," chimed in Twaddles and Dot importantly.
"Good gracious!" the stout old gentleman exclaimed and the clerk leaned closer to the window and shouted.