freshet soon."

The news of the freshets was not the only sign of spring. At school,
Miss Davis had a large blue jar filled with beautiful pussy willows on
her desk, and the nature study lessons were all about the spring birds.
When Bob Parkney brought Mrs. Horton her fresh eggs, he also brought
her some budded twigs which he said would blossom if she put them in
water.

"My, it's nice out in the country now," said Bob. "Why can't Sunny Boy
come out and see us, Mrs. Horton? Ma was saying yesterday she'd like
to have him come any time. He's never really seen the place, and Judge
Layton is fixing it up fine. Can't he come next Saturday? I'd meet
him at the trolley station."

"I'll tell you, Bob, what Sunny Boy has been teasing to be allowed to
do," replied Mrs. Horton. "He and half a dozen of the boys he plays
with want to take their lunches and spend a day exploring. Mr. Horton
and I have suggested that they wait till it is warmer, but I am afraid
they can't wait contentedly much longer, and your suggestion has really
solved the problem for me."

"Oh, Mother!" cried Sunny Boy, who had been listening eagerly. "Next
Saturday, Mother? Please!"

Mrs. Horton laughed as she put her twigs in a vase of water.

"You see how it is, don't you, Bob?" she said. "Well, Mr. Horton and I
are not willing to have Sunny Boy go to a strange place. But if your
mother is willing to let them come out where you are, they can play