h it!

"Look out!" cried a ringing voice. "Stop!"

"The little girl'll be killed!" said others with bated breath, as a
powerful pair of horses whose driver could not pull them up in time,
dashed along just in front of her! With one cry, Phronsie sprang between
their feet, and reached the opposite curbstone in safety!

The plunge brought her up against a knot of gentlemen who were standing
talking on the corner.

"What's this!" asked one, whose back being next to the street, hadn't
seen the commotion, as the small object dashed into their midst, and
fell up against him.

"Didn't you see that narrow escape?" asked a second, whose face had
paled in witnessing it. "This little girl was nearly killed a moment
ago--careless driving enough!" And he put out his hand to catch the
child.

"Bless me!" cried a third, whirling around suddenly, "Bless me! you
don't say so! why--" With a small cry, but gladsome and distinct in its
utterance, Phronsie gave one look--"Oh, grandpa!" was all she could say.

"Oh! where--" Mr. King couldn't possibly have uttered another word, for
then his breath gave out entirely, as he caught the small figure.

"I went to the Post Office," said the child, clinging to him in delight,
her tangled hair waving over the little white face, into which a faint
pink color was quickly coming back. "Only it wouldn't come; and I walked
and walked--where is it, grandpa?" And Phronsie gazed up anxiously into
the old gentleman's face.

"She went to the Post Office!" turning around on the others fiercely,
as if they had contradicted him--"Why, my child, what were you going to
do?"

"Mamsie's letter," said Phronsie, holding up for inspection the precious
bit, which by this time, was decidedly forlorn, "Polly couldn't write;
and Mamsie'd feel so bad not to get one--she would really" said the
child, shaking her head very soberly, "for Polly said so."

"And you've been--oh! I can't think of it," said Mr. King, tenderly
taking her up on his shoulder, "well, we must get home now, or I don't
know what Polly will do!" And without stopping to say a word to his
friends, he hailed a passing carriage, and putting Phronsie in, he
commanded the driver to get them as quickly as possible to their
destination.

In a few moments they were home. Mr. King pushed into the house with his
burden. "Don't anybody know," he burst out, puffing up the stairs, and
scolding furiously at every step, "enough to take better care of this
c