“I do believe that is the man for you,” said Grandpa Horton quickly.

Then, in a few words, he told the Judge about the Parkney family.  Of course nothing was settled that morning, but Judge Layton and his wife came over in the evening to see the Hortons and to learn more about the Parkneys.  In a day or two the Judge went to see Mr. Parkney, and before the month was out the Parkneys were comfortably established in the farmhouse which Judge Layton insisted on putting in good order for them.

Mr. Parkney’s arm was much better and Bob’s cold was entirely cured by the time they moved.  The four children who were of school age came into Centronia every day on the trolley car and Bob declared that nothing could keep him from going to school now that he had a prospect of learning to use the typewriter that summer.  Judge Layton engaged Mr. Parkney to look after the farm during the winter and to see that no tramps came along and set fire to the barns or cut down any of the valuable trees.  There was no really hard work for him to do, and he was so contented and happy that he did not seem like the same man.  Mrs. Parkney was happy, too.  As for the children, they thought Mr. Horton and his family were fairies.

“I never saw such dandy skates,” said Bob, when Sunny Boy gave them to him.  “They must have cost a heap of money.  I can’t say thank you right.”

“Don’t try,” replied Grandpa Horton, with a smile.  “Just think of them as a gift from a little boy who admires you very much.”

CHAPTER VIII

WHEN TOYS GO TO SCHOOL

Before the Parkney family moved to Judge Layton’s farm, Miss May’s school had opened, the Christmas holidays were over, and dear Grandpa and Grandma Horton had gone home to Brookside.  Grandma had to take the sweater she was knitting for Bob home with her to finish, but she sent it to him as soon as it was done.  And a handsome sweater it was, dark gray and warm and comfortable.  Bob was delighted with it.

The first day of school, after the holiday vacation, Jessie Smiley, a little girl who sat near Sunny Boy in Miss Davis’ room, brought her walking doll to school with her.

“I couldn’t leave Cora Florence at home,” Jessie explained to Miss Davis.  “Santa Claus brought her to me.  I thought she could sit in a chair and wait for me, mornings.”

Miss Davis shook hands politely with Cora Florence and said that she might stay.  The girls were much interested in the doll, and even the boys wanted to make her walk, though of course they privately thought that dolls were rather silly things.  But Cora Florence was as large as the youngest Parkney child and wore “real” clothes that one could take off like a real child’s.  Jessie spent a good many minutes taking off her doll’s hat and coat and her leggings and mittens and putting them on again.

“I brought my railroad train,” announced Carleton Marsh, the next morning.