. Horton couldn't guess, and Sunny Boy couldn't guess.
"Adele Parker," announced Mrs. Horton. "We went to school together,
but I haven't seen her since she was married. Bessie and her younger
sister are great chums, and Bessie wrote the sister we were in New
York. She gave our address and Adele has hunted us up. She wants me
to come up to-morrow afternoon. They are just back from the country,
and the house is all torn up, so we won't stay long. But I do want to
see her."
Sunny Boy dropped asleep while they were talking, and in the morning
he and Mother went shopping again, because Daddy was to have an
all-day conference with business men and they must amuse themselves.
"I think we ought to choose a few little gifts to take to the friends
at home," suggested Mrs. Horton, as she and Sunny Boy stepped from the
car and went into one of the beautiful big shops. "Daddy says we won't
be here much longer, perhaps not more than another week. Wouldn't you
like to take something home to Nelson and Ruth?"
Sunny Boy thought this would be very nice, but what should he take
them?
"Well, suppose you think about it, while I buy some things for Aunt
Bessie and Aunt Betty Martinson and Harriet," said Mrs. Horton.
Sunny Boy puzzled and puzzled, but Mother was all through her shopping
before he could think of a single thing that Ruth and Nelson might
like.
"Could we buy 'em a spress wagon?" he asked doubtfully. "Nelson's
always borrowing mine. Or roller skates?"
"Dear me," said Mrs. Horton, "don't you think something we could pack
in the trunk would be nicer? It needn't be a large gift, you know.
Just something they can say came from New York. We'll go up to the toy
department and look around."
This was a different shop from the first one they had visited, and
Sunny Boy had to see all the toys before he could settle down to
choosing gifts for Ruth and Nelson. Finally, by Mother's advice, he
settled on a quaint little painted music box for Ruth that played four
different tunes, and a picture puzzle game for Nelson, who liked to
put things together. These were sent home to the hotel so that Sunny
Boy and Mother would not have to carry packages with them the rest of
the day.
"Now we'll go to the restaurant and have lunch," planned Mrs. Horton,
leading the way to the elevator. "And then I want to get a box of nice
candy to take Adele's children. I hope their mother lets them eat
candy."
"Will there be some children?" a
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