Perry Phelps’ mother did not allow him to bang doors.  If he forgot and slammed one, he had to come back and open and close it softly five times.  This helped him to remember.

“Well, I’m sorry our party is spoiled for Jerry,” sighed Mrs. Dunlap.  “But we’ll go out into the dining-room and have supper now.  Jennie Rice wins the prize for pinning the donkey’s tail nearer to the right place than any other child, so she gets the first prize.  Sunny Boy, of course, gets the consolation prize.  Give them the prizes, Oliver, dear.”

Oliver handed Jennie a tiny silver donkey on a pretty red ribbon, to wear around her neck.  She was delighted and put it right on.  Sunny Boy’s prize was a gray donkey whose head came off and whose body was filled with small gumdrops.  He thought it was a very nice prize.

They had a beautiful time at the supper table, and poor Jerry was hardly missed.  They had chicken sandwiches and cocoa with whipped cream.  Then came vanilla and chocolate ice cream.  And there was a large slice of the white-frosted birthday cake, which Oliver himself cut, for each child.

After supper they played a few more games, and then it was time to go home.  Mrs. Dunlap was almost smothered by the little girls who all tried to kiss her at once and tell her they had had the nicest time at Oliver’s party.  Nearly every one said-good-bye to Oliver and his mother and started down the steps at the same time.

At the first corner every one but the Baker children and Sunny Boy went a different way.  They could walk home together, and that was why Mrs. Horton had said that Harriet need not come for Sunny Boy.

As they were passing a house some one tapped on the window.  Nelson and Ruth’s aunt lived there, and she had been waiting to see them pass.

“Your mother telephoned me you went to Oliver Dunlap’s party and would go by our house on your way home,” said Aunt Edith, coming out on the steps, with a coat thrown over her shoulders.  “I asked her to let you stay and visit us till eight o’clock this evening.  Then I’ll take you home.  The cat has a basketful of new kittens for you to play with, Ruth.”

“May Sunny Boy stay, too, please?” asked Ruth.

“Yes, of course,” said Mrs. Tyler, who was Ruth’s Aunt Edith.  “Of course, he may.  I will telephone to his mother so that she will not worry about him.”

“No, thank you.  I have to go home,” Sunny Boy said shyly.  “I said I would come right home.  And I want to tell Mother about the party.”

“All right, dear, just as you please,” said Mrs. Tyler kindly.  “You are sure, Sunny Boy, you don’t mind going the rest of the way alone?”

Sunny Boy replied that he did not mind, and Nelson and Ruth went into the house, while he trudged off down the street by himself.  Presently he chuckled.

“Didn’t Jerry look funny?” snickered Sunny Boy.  “I wonder what made me pin the donkey’s tail on him.”