Sunny Boy had found seven candy canes on his Christmas tree and he had
wrapped each one separately. There would be a cane for each Parkney
child. Harriet had helped him make seven little packages of cakes.
And, with Daddy's help, the night before he had picked out a toy for
each child. He could not go to sleep until he had chosen the toys.
Though, of course, he did not have anything especially for girls, he
thought they would like the games and the jack-in-the box, and Mother
Horton said she knew they would.

It was lucky that Sunny Boy and Grandpa Horton liked to walk, for the
Parkneys did not live near a car line. There was only one trolley line
that went through the River Section, anyway, and they lived many blocks
from that. Grandpa Horton carried a large bundle in one hand and a
basket Harriet had packed in the other. Sunny Boy had his toys and
candy and cakes.

"Here is the house," said Grandpa Horton, stopping suddenly before a
house that looked so old and dirty and shabby you would not think
people could live in it. The shutters were missing from most of the
windows and the door stood wide open.

"Now stay close to me," said Grandpa Horton. "It is dark in the halls,
and I don't want to lose you."

It was dark in the halls and dark on the stairs. They passed many
doors and they heard people talking, but they saw no one. Sunny Boy
followed Grandpa till they had climbed three flights of stairs and were
on the fourth floor of the house. Then Grandpa Horton knocked on a
door.