66 CAROLINE.

 

Beechnut’s mode of calling for aletter. He is astonished and alarmed.

“ My husband has gone to California,” said she, “ and I
expect a letter from him. I had to bring my Ihttle boy
with me, because I had nobody to leave him with at
home.”

Beechnut bad a great desire to know whether this Mrs.
Caroline Keep was any relation to his friend Caroline of
Franconia, and he was upon the point of asking the
question, when the clerk handed him out a letter. Mrs.
Keep seized it immediately and said very joyfully,

“ Yes, it is from my husband.”

Then she thanked Beechnut again for all his kindness,
and went away very greatly pleased, as it seemed, with
having got a letter.

Beechnut then went back to his own window, and took
his place as before at the foot of the column. In due
time, he made his way up to the window, and when there,
instead of calling his name as the others had done, he
handed in to the clerk aslip of paper with his name
written upon it. This was Beechnut’s usual practice, for
his name being a French one, and having, of course a
very unusual sound for American ears, it was always the
safest and also the most convenient way, both for himself
and the clerks, that he should give it to them in writing.

The clerk took down a parcel of letters from the com-
partment marked B,and very soom gave Beechnut a
Jetter. It was the letter which Phonny had written as a
composition in Mr. Keep’s office.

Beechnut left the letter-window and went across the
passage-way to a place where there was a window which
looked out into the open air, and there opened his letter
and began to read. He was greatly astonished and very
much alarmed at reading the account of the fire. Of