ho!" jeered Dick; "a nice Queen you look! Ho! ho!"

But by this time Hester was in one of her regular tantrums.

"I _will_ be Queen!" she shrieked; "I will, I tell you!"

"Come on, Mops, let's go home," said King, quietly.

The Maynard children were unaccustomed to outbursts of temper, and King
didn't know exactly what to say to the little termagant.

"All right, we'll go home, too," said Tom; "come on, boys!"

They all started off, leaving Hester in solitary possession of Sand
Court.

The child, when in one of her rages, had an ungovernable temper, and,
left alone, she vented it by smashing everything she could. She upset
the throne, tore down the decorations, and flew around like a wildcat.

Marjorie, who had turned to look at her, said:

"You go on, King; I'm going back to speak to Hester."

"I'm afraid she'll hurt you," objected King.

"No, she won't; I'll be kind to her."

"All right, Midge; a soft answer turneth away rats, but I don't know
about wildcats!"

"Well, you go on." And Marjorie turned, and went back to Sand Court.

"Say, Hester," she began a little timidly.

"Go away from here, Stuck-up! Spoiled child! I don't want to see you!"

As a matter of fact, Hester presented a funny sight. She was a plain
child, and her shock of red hair was straight and untractable. Her
scowling face was flushed with anger, and the gold paper crown was
pushed down over one ear in ridiculous fashion.

Marjorie couldn't help laughing, which, naturally, only irritated Hester
the more.

"Yes, giggle!" she cried; "old Smarty-Cat! old Proudy!"

"Oh, Hester, don't!" said Midget, bursting into tears. "How can you be
so cross to me? I don't mean to be stuck-up and proud, and I don't think
I am. You can be Queen if you want to, and we'll have the election thing
all right. Please don't be so mean to me!"

"Can I be Queen?" demanded Hester, a little mollified; "can I, really?"

"Why, yes, if the boys agree. They have as much say as I do."

"They don't either! You have all the say! You always do! Now, promise
you'll make the boys let me be Queen, or,--or I won't play!"

Hester ended her threat rather lamely, as she couldn't think of any dire
punishment which she felt sure she could carry out.

"I promise," said Marjorie, who really felt it was just that Hester
should be Queen for a time.

"All right, then," and Hester's stormy face cleared a little. "See that
you keep your promise."

"I always keep my promises