“Are you lost, little boy?” he asked.

He was a short man, and he stared at Sunny Boy so hard through round, black-rimmed Spectacles that the little boy felt rather uncomfortable.

“No, thank you, I’m not lost,” he answered politely.  “But my grandpa is.  I can’t find him anywhere.”

“Well, well, you don’t tell me!” replied the man eagerly.  “Why, I heard a grandfather saying back there in the crowd that he was looking for his little grandson.  Come along and I’ll help you find him.”

The short man was very kind, for he knelt down and unbuckled the stubborn skate straps and tied them over Sunny Boy’s arm.  Then he took his hand and led him back into the crowd up to a worried-looking old gentleman.

“Excuse me, sir, I think I’ve found your little grandson,” he said.  “I discovered this little fellow over by the edge of the pond.  He is looking for his grandpa.”

The worried-looking old gentleman was tall and thin.  He had no white mustache and no gray-and-white muffler.  He was not Grandpa Horton at all.

“What ails the man!” cried this grandpa, glaring at the short man.  “I am looking for my granddaughter and he brings me a lost boy!”

“Oh, my!” murmured the short man, dropping Sunny Boy’s hand.  “I’m sorry.  I’m so absent-minded.  I hardly ever get things straight.  I thought you said you had lost your grandson.  Excuse me,” and he turned and stepped back into the crowd, leaving Sunny Boy alone again.

This other grandpa stared at Sunny Boy silently for a few minutes and Sunny Boy stared back.  Then the old gentleman threw back his head and laughed and laughed.  He laughed so heartily that Sunny Boy had to laugh, too, though he could not see that there was anything funny to laugh at.

“Well, poor James Ridley has made a mess of it as usual,” said the old gentleman, when he could stop laughing.  “I suppose, because I called Adele my little girl, he went about looking for a child.  She is seventeen and able to take care of herself almost anywhere.  Well, child, if I were your grandfather I’d want some one to look after you, so suppose you stay with me till we see if your grandpa is here.  He wouldn’t go home without you, that much I know.”

Sunny Boy felt better, with a tall, kindly old gentleman to walk about with him, but he wished that they could find Grandpa Horton before his feet were too cold to walk on.  And then, just as he was sure his shoes were frozen fast to his toes, he saw dear Grandpa Horton!

“Grandpa!” he shouted.  “Here I am, Grandpa!  We’ve been looking all over for you.”

“And I’ve been about crazy, looking for you,” said Grandpa Horton, hurrying up to them.  “Are you all right, Sunny Boy?  Are you cold?  Are you wet?  How did you get ashore?”

The other grandfather laughed again as he shook hands with Grandpa Horton.

“He’s all right, though I suspect his feet are pretty wet,” he said.  “I would have bundled him off home, but I knew you would be terribly anxious and I couldn’t pick you out of the crowd without his help.  You’d better hurry, now.  I’m going to get out of this crowd as soon as I find my granddaughter.”