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SUNNY BOY
IN THE COUNTRY

CHAPTER I

THE MENDED DRUM

"Rub-a-dub, dub! Bang! Rub-a-dub-dub--Bang! Bang!" Sunny Boy thumped his
drum vigorously.

Usually when he made such a racket some one would come out and ask him
what in the world was he making a noise like that for, but this morning
every one seemed to be very busy. For several minutes now Sunny Boy had
been trying to attract Harriet's attention. She was doing something to
the front door.

"I spect she needs me," said Sunny Boy to himself.

There were any number of interesting things going on around the front
door this morning, but he was chiefly interested in Harriet, because as a
rule he had to help her Saturday mornings by going with her to the
grocery store at the corner. He liked to stand in her clean, comfortable
kitchen and drum for her until she was ready to start.

This particular morning Harriet's mind seemed to be far away from music.
She was rubbing briskly as Sunny Boy watched her, polishing--that was it:
she was shining the brass numbers on the door--266. Sunny Boy knew them,
and how careful Harriet was to keep them always bright.

"Just think," she would say, as they might be coming up the steps;
"suppose the postman had a letter for 266 Glenn Avenue, and the numbers
were so dull and streaked he couldn't read them! Think how we'd feel if
that should happen to us!"

Sunny Boy was sure such a thing could never happen, not with Harriet
rubbing away at the numbers morning after morning.

From his post at the head of the stairs he could see a man on a
step-ladder, working and whistling. He was hammering in nails over the
door. Dimly Sunny Boy made out another pair of doors standing in the
hall.

"Goodness, Sunny Boy, I nearly fell over you!" Aunt Bessie kissed him on
the back of his neck before he could turn round. That was a trick Aunt
Bessie had, and Sunny Boy was used to it. "Are you watching them put up
the screens and awnings?"

"Are they?" asked Sunny interestedly. "Could I hold the awning? Maybe the
man would like my tool-chest--it's all there but the hammer. I lost that
in the park. Can I help, Auntie?"

Aunt Bessie was going downtown, and she was in a hurry. "If you don't get
in the way, I daresay they'll be glad to have you," she said kindly, and
brushed by him, on down the stairs. She stopped to speak to some one in
the parlor, and then Sunny Boy saw