h the car down an embankment into
a river.

"Now we are dead!" shrieked the poor dolls, clinging together as they
heard the splash of water, the shouting of men, the splintering of wood,
and the hiss of steam.

"Don't be frightened, ladies, mail bags are always looked after," said a
large envelope with an official seal and the name of a Senator on it.

"Any bones broken, dear madam?" asked a jaunty pink letter, with a scent
of musk about it, evidently a love-letter.

"I think one foot is hurt, and my clothes are dripping," sighed Dora,
faintly.

"Water won't hurt calico," called out a magazine full of fashion plates,
adding dolefully, as its gay colors began to run, "I shall be in a nice
mess if I ever get out of this. People will wear odd fashions if they
follow me this time."

"Hope they will telegraph news of this accident in time for the evening
papers," said a dingy sheet called the "Barahoo Thunderbolt," as it lay
atop of the heap in its yellow wrapper.

"Be calm, my friends, and wait with fortitude for death or deliverance,
as I do." With which philosophic remark "The St. Louis Cosmos" folded
the pages which for the first time since the paper was started, were not
dry.

Here the water rose over the topmost letter and a moist silence
prevailed till a sudden jerk fished up the bag, and before the dolls
could recover their wits they were spread out on the floor of a mail car
to dry, while several busy men sorted and saved such papers and letters
as still held together.

"Now we shall see something," said Flora, feeling the warm air blow over
her as they spun along, for a slight accident like this did not delay
the energetic Westerners a moment longer than absolutely necessary.

"I can't see you, dear, but I hope you look better than I do, for the
yellow of my hair has washed into my eyes and the red of my cheeks is
quite gone, I'm sure," answered Dora, as her wet dress flopped in the
breeze and the broken foot sticking up showed her that her blue boots
were ruined.

"I don't care a bit how I look. It's great fun now we are safe. Pop up
your head and see the wide prairie flying past. I do hope that poor baby
got away and swam home to his mother. The upset into the river was quite
to his taste, I fancy," said Flora, who was much excited by her
adventure and eager for more.

Presently one of the men set the dolls up in the corner of a window to
dry, and there they stood viewing the fine landscape with o