"No one can go coasting," she said firmly, "who doesn't get up this
minute and start to get dressed!"
And then Daddy Horton jumped out of bed on one side and Sunny Boy fell
out on the other and Daddy chased him into his room and they had
another pillow fight in there. Sunny Boy laughed and squealed so much
that Grandpa Horton came and tapped on his door and asked him what all
the fun was about.
Dear, dear, Sunny Boy was so excited that he could hardly get dressed
and he was going downstairs without having brushed his hair. But
Mother called him back and brushed it neatly for him. Before Sunny Boy
could eat his oatmeal he had to go down into the laundry where his new
sled was and bring it upstairs and put it in the front hall. Santa
Claus had brought him the sled for Christmas as well as the skates.
"Do you want to go coasting, Grandpa?" asked Sunny Boy eagerly.
"Well, no, I don't believe I do," Grandpa Horton replied. "You see,
your daddy asked me to go down to the office with him this morning, and
I think I will. Perhaps I'll come around and see you coast down once
or twice, if not to-day, to-morrow. Is there a good hill for coasting
in this neighborhood?"
"There is only one hill in the whole city," Mrs. Horton explained. "I
suppose all the children in Centronia will be there this morning.
Don't you think Sunny Boy is too little to go alone, Daddy?"
"Oliver Dunlap and Nelson Baker will go, Mother," said Sunny Boy
anxiously. "All the fellows are going, Daddy."
Mr. Horton laughed and gave Harriet his cup for more coffee.
"I think Sunny Boy will be all right," he said. "I know that new sled
will rust its runners if it isn't used pretty soon. Sunny must not
stay a minute later than you wish him to, and if the hill is too
crowded, let him come home. You can have fun with your sled in more
ways than just using it for coasting, you know, Son."
"Your grandmother and I are going over to Aunt Bessie's for lunch,
dear," Mrs. Horton said to Sunny Boy, who had already finished his
breakfast. "Harriet will give you yours. Don't stay out on the hill
longer than half-past eleven. Have you your sweater on, precious?"
"Yes'm," nodded Sunny Boy. "May I be excused, Mother? That's Nelson
whistling for me. I won't forget. Good-bye. I have to hurry." And
he kissed his family in great haste and ran out into the hall for his
overcoat and mittens and sled.
CHAPTER IV
ON COURT HILL
"Hello!" called Nelson Baker, as Sunny Boy came out on his front steps,
dragging his new sled with him. "Did you know it snowed in the night?
Can you go coasting?"
"Yes. And let's stop for Oliver," suggested Sunny Boy. "Oh, Nelson,
your mother is rapping on the window for you."
"Gee, I bet Ruth wants to go coasting," said Nelson crossly. "I never
wanted to do anything in my life, Ruth didn't want to, too. I think
girls are just horrid!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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