September 29, 1998

Dear Kitty,

My parents working in Williamsburg isn't as bad as I thought it would be. You won't believe what happened last night! We had a carriage take us to dinner, and I was the first one ready to go, so I skipped outside to wait for the carriage. When it rattled up to our tavern, the driver, who was an old looking guy, actually jumped down and opened the red carriage door for me! I clambered up to the seat, and the driver gently shut the door.

I leaned out the window to watch how he got up onto his seat, but just as he started to swing up his second foot, he suddenly started to fall backwards, his arms flailing. He must have hit the horses with the whip he was clutching, because the next thing I knew, the carriage was rushing headlong down the cobblestone street. I yelled for help, but no one knew what to do. Everyone just scurried out of the way, looking worried.

The horses were heading toward the stables, and I hoped someone there would be able to help me. As the stables came into view, the horses slowed down a little. I yelled for help again and a man in a three cornered hat came running. He tried to grab hold of the reigns, but he didn't need to, because as soon as we reached the stables, the horses stopped suddenly and stood patiently, waiting for someone to unsaddle them.

The man in the three cornered hat sheepishly opened the carriage door for me and helped me down. He explained that the horses had been spooked by something. I told him about the driver and the whip he had been holding. The man in the hat nodded and said that the whips were strictly for show, that they were never used.

Then he offered me his arm and walked me back to our tavern, where my worried parents were searching franticly for me. I ran into their waiting arms gratefully. We ended up walking to dinner, even though the man in the three cornered hat offered to bring the horses again. I was so relieved.

My eyes are refusing to stay open, so I'd better go.

Your friend,

Delilah