Winifred had heard, and now she turned on the unfortunate Charlie.

"Charles Eldridge Raynor!" she said sternly. "Did you eat Roddy's
candy that you brought him? Did you?"

Charlie nodded miserably. He had slipped into the room, unnoticed
during the peanut hunt, and unable to longer withstand the
temptation, had calmly eaten up his birthday gift.

"I hope," stammered Winifred with very red cheeks, "I hope you
will excuse him, Mrs. Morrison. I never knew him to do such a
thing before!"

"Oh, it isn't anything so very dreadful," declared Mother
Morrison, smiling. "Any laddie with a sweet tooth might easily do
the same thing. Come, children, Grace is waiting to play for you."

They played "Going to Jerusalem" and "Drop the Handkerchief," and
all the time there was the mysterious fishpond back of the table!
But they could not fish till after they had had ice cream.

As they were playing a noisy game of "Tag" out on the lawn, Molly
came to the door to ask them to come into the dining-room.

Such a pretty table met their eyes! It seemed to be all blue and
white, and in the center was the big birthday cake--iced as only
Molly could ice it, and showing no trace of the starch Sister had
tried to cover it with. Six candles twinkled merrily on the top.