," said Marjorie, with dignity; "and I'll tell
you what I think of _you_, Hester Corey! I think you ought to be
Queen,--it _isn't_ fair for me to be it all the time. But I think you
might have asked me in a nicer way, and not call names, and smash things
all about! There, that's what I think!" and Marjorie glared at her in
righteous indignation.

"Maybe I ought," said Hester, suddenly becoming humble, as is the way of
hot-tempered people after gaining their point. "I've got an awful
temper, Marjorie, but I can't help it!"

"You _can_ help it, Hester; you don't try."

"Oh, it's all very well for you to talk! You never have anything to
bother you! Nothing goes wrong, and everybody spoils you! Why should
_you_ have a bad temper?"

"Now, Hester, don't be silly! You have just as good a home and just as
kind friends as I have."

"No, I haven't! Nobody likes me. And everybody likes you. Why, the Craig
boys think you're made of gold!"

Marjorie laughed. "Well, Hester, it's _your_ own fault if they don't
think you are, too. But how can they, when you fly into these rages and
tear everything to pieces?"

"Well, they make me so mad, I have to! Now, I'm going home, and I'm
going to stay there till you do as you promised, and get the boys to let
me be Queen."

"Well, I'll try----" began Marjorie, but Hester had flung the torn gilt
crown on the ground, and stalked away toward home. Midget picked up the
crown and tried to straighten it out, but it was battered past repair.

"I'll make a new one," she thought, "and I'll try to make the boys agree
to having Hester for Queen. But I don't believe Tom will. I know it's
selfish for me to be Queen all the time, and I don't want to be
selfish."

Seeing Hester go away, Tom came back, and reached Sand Court just as
Midget was about to leave.

"Hello, Queen Sandy!" he called out; "wait a minute. I saw that spitfire
going away, so I came back. Now, look here, Mopsy Maynard, don't you let
that old crosspatch be Queen!"

"I can't, unless we all elect her," returned Midget, smiling at Tom;
"but I wish you would agree to do that. It isn't fair, Tom, for me to
be Queen all the time."

"Why isn't it? It's your Club! You got it up, and Hester came and poked
herself in where she wasn't wanted."

"Well, we took her in, and now we ought to be kind to her."

"Kind to such an old Meany as she is!"

"Don't call her names, Tom. I don't believe she can help flying into a
temper, and then,