"But I didn't mean to."
"No, of course you didn't," answered Mrs. Dunlap. "Don't feel bad over
that, Sunny Boy. I'm afraid we teased Jerry too much about it, though.
He is a stranger here in Centronia, and we should have tried to be
extra kind to him. You shouldn't have said that about Jerry being a
donkey, Perry," she added, turning to Perry Phelps. "You must have
hurt his feelings."
Miss May often said that Perry had the best manners of any boy in her
school. He did not laugh now, but he came up to Mrs. Dunlap and said
he was sorry he had asked his cousin if he were a donkey.
"I should think he could take a joke," he said. "He's ten years old.
But I'm sorry, Mrs. Dunlap, and Mother will be, too, that Jerry left
your party like this. And I hope you'll 'scuse him banging your front
door."
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.
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