[Illustration: It was a hot summer day.]

"Oh, I know!" remembered Buster. "Ruth Giant had a birthday party
last night. I think there may be some candy in the play-room. It will
do no harm to look."

He stole softly into the play-room on tiptoe, lest old Thomas Cat
might be prowling about and hear him. Ruth Giant was sitting among
the pillows upon the couch, reading a book. Beside her was a box of
splendid chocolates. Now and then she ate one.

Buster hid behind the doll's dresser and waited. At last he got
impatient.

"She will eat 'em all up and I know they are real good," he fussed.
"Mammy will come home and call me pretty soon. Oh, why doesn't
somebody call Ruth Giant down-stairs? I wonder if she would think I
was Silver Ears and toss me some candy? It can't be poison, for she
is eating it her own self."

At last, such a long at last, Buster thought, Ruth closed her book
and went away. How Buster did hurry to get his greedy little paws
into that box of chocolates!

He ran home with one, frisked back for another, and still another,
until the very last one of Ruth's fine chocolates was added to the
delicious heap on Buster's bed.

"My, but that was hard work!" panted the fat, lazy, little fellow. "I
wonder where I can hide 'em so I can have candy to nibble when I want