" And Polly turned off
with him to examine the rest of the paper.
Phronsie, who hadn't heard what Polly said, her small head being full
of the responsibility of beginning the important letter, and
considering, since it was to be done, it was best to have it over with
as soon as possible, fell to scribbling the letters as fast as she
could, all of them running down hill.
"Well, I'm glad to see that we haven't made any mistake," cried Polly,
turning back in relief. "Oh, Phronsie, you haven't begun!"
She spoke so sharply that Phronsie started, and a little drop of ink
trembling on the point of her pen concluded to hop off. So it did and
jumped down on the clean white paper to stare up at them all like a
very bad black eye.
"Oh, see what she's written!" cried Polly, quite aghast, and tumbling
into her chair, she pointed at the top.
"Deer Mister Erl," scrawled clear across the top.
"I didn't--mean--oh, you said do it, Polly." Phronsie threw herself out
of her chair, and over into Polly's lap, burrowing and wailing
piteously.
"O dear me, how could I say anything?" cried Polly, overcome with
remorse and patting Phronsie's yellow hair; "but it is so very
dreadful. O dear me! Phronsie, there, there, don't cry. O dear me!"
Tom's mouth trembled. "It's all right. Granddaddy'll like it," he said.
"Oh, Tom Selwyn," gasped Polly, looking up over Phronsie's head, "you
don't suppose we'd let that letter go.
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