"What were you doing, precious?" his mother asked him, when he came
into the dining-room. "Didn't you hear Harriet calling you?"

"Yes, Mother, and I did hurry," replied Sunny Boy. "But I have to take
my lead soldiers to school to-morrow and I was putting them in the box."

Then he told Mother about the toys the other children had brought to
school and that he was sure they would like to see his lead soldiers.

"But I don't believe Miss Davis will be pleased," said Mrs. Horton.
"She must find it hard to teach her class when they are thinking about
their toys. Do you think you ought to take the lead soldiers, dear?"

"Oh, yes, Mother, please," Sunny Boy said. "We put them under the sand
table and we don't play with them till recess. Lead soldiers don't
make a noise, Mother, and Miss Davis will like them. She said she
likes quiet toys."

So Mrs. Horton said he might take the lead soldiers if he would promise
not to play with them during school hours and if he would put them away
the moment recess was over and not make Miss Davis speak to him twice.

"What you got, Sunny Boy?" asked Carleton, when Sunny Boy came into
Miss Davis' room the next morning, a box under his arm.

Sunny Boy, though he would not have said so, rather wished he had not
decided to bring his lead soldiers. They were heavy to carry and it
was a very cold morning, so cold that although he kept his hands in his
pockets, his fingers were red and stiff when he pulled off his mittens.