PHONNY’S LETTER. 23
Caroline’s white horse. Talk with Mr. Short. Letter left on the table.

a ride. The horse was very gentle, and Caroline could
drive him. He was a large, white horse, and very strong,
though he would not go very fast.

“It is a very pleasant afternoon for a ride,” said Caro-
line, “ only there are some clouds in the sky. Perhaps
there will be a shower.”

So saying, Caroline pointed to the west, where there
was a gathering of clouds. The clouds were piled up in
round masses, white above and dark below.

“ Perhaps it will be pleasanter to walk,” said Caroline.
“TJ have been riding a great deal lately, and I am rather
tired. of riding.”

« Just as you please,” said Mr. Short.

“YT wish Phonny was here,” said Caroline, “and we
would ask him. Why does he not come?”

“T will go and call him,” said Malleville.

So saying, Malleville ran off toward the house, leaving
Caroline with Mr. Short in the garden.

Malleville went into the office, and on her arrival there
she found that Phonny had sealed his letter and ad-
dressed it, and was now waiting for the writing to dry.
Malleville told him that Caroline wanted to see him in
the garden about taking a ride. So Phonny rose from
his desk, and leaving his letter there, went out. Malle-
ville remained a moment to look at the letter.

Malleville could not read the writing on the back of
the letter, for Beechnut’s name being, when written out
in full, Antoine Bianchinette, was very hard to read.
The name Boston, too—the place where Beechnut was—
was written below, which made the superscription of the
letter still more complicated. Malleville looked at it all
for a minute or two with a very studious air, and. then said,