WHAT HESTER DID
"I won't have her!" declared Hester. "I'm Queen of this Court, and I
won't have any new members taken in. You had no right, Marjorie Maynard,
to ask her to belong, without consulting me!"
"Why, Hester, I had so! You may be Queen, but you don't own the whole
Sand Club! And Ruth Rowland is a lovely girl. How can you dislike her,
when you know how sweet and pretty she is. She says she knows you."
"Yes, I do know her. Stuck-up, yellow-haired thing!"
Sand Court was in full session, and all had been going on amicably until
Marjorie had chanced to mention meeting Ruth at Atlantic City, and said
she had asked her to come to the Sand Club meetings. At this, Hester had
flown into one of her rages, and declared that Ruth should not become a
member of their little circle.
"Look here, Hester Corey," said Tom Craig, "you promised, if you could
be Queen, to be always sweet and pleasant. Do you call this keeping
your promise?"
"Pooh, who cares! I only promised, if the club stayed just the same. If
you're going to put in a lot of new members without asking me, my
promise doesn't count."
"Ruth isn't 'a lot,'" said Marjorie, laughing at Hester's fury.
But her laughter only made Queen Sandy more angry than ever.
"I don't care if she isn't! She's a new member, and I won't have _any_
new members,--so, there, now!"
"Say, Hester," began King, "I don't think you're boss of this club. Just
because you're Queen, you don't have any more say than the Grand
Sandjandrum, or me, or anybody."
"I do, too! A Queen has _all_ the say,--about everything! And I say
there sha'n't be any more people in this club, and so there sha'n't!"
Hester stamped her foot and shook her fist and wagged her head in the
angriest possible way, and if the others hadn't been so exasperated by
her ill-temper they must have laughed at the funny picture she made. Her
new crown was tumbled sideways, her hair ribbons had come off, and her
face, flushed red and angry, was further disfigured by a disagreeable
scowl.
And just at this moment Ruth arrived. She came in, smiling, neatly
dressed in a clean print frock, and broad straw hat with a wreath of
flowers round it.
"Hello, Marjorie," she said, a little shyly, for she didn't know the
Craig boys, and she couldn't help seeing that Hester was in a fit of
temper.
"Hello, Ruth," said Marjorie, running to her, and taking her by the
hand. "Come on in; this is Sand Court. These are the Craig boys,--Tom,
Dick, and Harry. And this is our Queen,--but I think you know Hester
Corey."
"Yes," began Ruth, but Hester cried out: "I don't want her to know me!
She sha'n't join our club, I say!"
Ruth looked bewildered at first, and then her sweet little face wrinkled
up, and the tears came into her big blue eyes.
"Don't cry, Ruth," said Midget, putting her arm round her; "Hester is
sort of mad this morning, but I guess she'll get over it. Don't mind
her."
"I won't get over it," screamed Hester. "I'm not going to have Ruth
Rowland in this club!"
"For goodness gracious sakes, children, what _is_ the matter?"
A grown-up voice exclaimed these words, and then Mr. Jack Bryant entered
Sand Court. He took in the situation at a glance, but pretended to be
ignorant of the true state of things.
"What's up, O Queen?" he said, addressing Hester. "Oh, sunny-faced,
honey-voiced Queen of Sand Court, what, I prithee, is up?"
"Nothing," growled Hester, looking sullen.
"Nay, nay, not so, sweet Queen; I bethink me there is much up, indeed!
Else why these unusual consternations on the faces of thy courtiers?"
Of course, Cousin Jack knew all about the doings of Sand Court. He had
often been with them, and delighted them all by talking "Court
language," but to-day nobody responded to his pleasantry. Ruth and
Marjorie were on the verge of tears, the boys were all angry at Hester,
and Hester herself was in one of her wildest furies.
She refused to answer Cousin Jack, and sat on her throne, shrugging her
shoulders and twitching about, with every cross expression possible on
her pouting face. Mr. Bryant became more serious.
"Children," he said, "this won't do. This Sand Club is a jolly,
good-natured club, usually, and now that I see you all at sixes and
sevens, I want to know what's the matter. Midget, will you tell me?"
"I want Ruth Rowland to be in our club," said Marjorie,
straightforwardly; "and Hester doesn't want her. And Hester says that
because she is Queen, we must all do as she says."
"Ah, ha; urn, hum. Well, Hester, my dear child, _why_ don't you want
Ruth in the club?"
"Because I don't!" and the Queen looked more disagreeable than ever.
"Because you _don't_! Well, now, you see, my dear, that is just no
reason at all, so Ruth can be a member, as far as you're concerned."
"No, she can't! I won't have her in!"
"Why?"
"Because I don't like her!"
"Ah, now we're getting at it. And suppose any of the club shouldn't like
you; then you couldn't be a member, could you?"
"They _do_ like me!" declared Hester.
"_Like_ you! like _you_! A girl that flies into rages, and says unkind
things? Oh, no, nobody could like a girl like that! Now, I'll fix it.
You, Hester, won't have Ruth in the club, you say. Well, then if you're
not in the club yourself, of course Ruth could come in. So, the rest of
the club can choose which of you two girls they'd rather have, as it
seems impossible to have you both. King, as the oldest, I'll ask you
first. Will you choose to have Hester or Ruth in this club?"
"Ruth," said King, promptly. "She doesn't quarrel all the time."
"Next, Tom. Which do you choose?"
"Ruth," replied Tom.
"Why, Tom Craig!" cried Hester, in surprise; "you never saw that girl
till to-day!"
"No, but I've seen you," he replied; "and I can tell you, Hester, I'm
tired of these scraps you're always putting up! I believe we'll have
better times with Ruth Rowland."
"Marjorie," Cousin Jack went on, "which girl do you choose?"
"I'd like them both," said Midget, who couldn't quite bring herself to
denounce Hester entirely.
"But Hester won't have Ruth. You must choose one or the other."
"Then I choose Ruth, Cousin Jack. For Hester does make me a lot of
trouble."
Midget sighed deeply, for, truly, Hester had caused strife in the club
from its very beginning.
The two smaller boys voted decidedly for Ruth, and then Cousin Jack
turned to Hester.
"You see," he said, but not unkindly, "the club has unanimously
expressed its preference for Ruth. I don't see that you can do anything
but take your hat and go home."
Hester looked at him in amazement.
"What do you mean?" she cried. "I _won't_ go home! I'm Queen, and I'll
stay here and _be_ Queen! Ruth can go home!"
"No," said Mr. Bryant, more decidedly this time; "Ruth is not going
home. You're to go home, Hester. I happen to know that the Maynard
children and the Craig boys have already shown patience and
unselfishness toward your tyranny and unreasonableness--now, they're not
going to be imposed on any longer. I'll have a voice in this matter
myself. Either you'll stay in the club and agree to have Ruth for a
member also, and be pleasant and kind to her, or else you can take your
hat and go home."
Mr. Bryant spoke quietly, but very firmly. He knew all the club had been
through, in putting up with Hester's tantrums, and he thought it only
fair that they should be relieved of this troublesome member.
"I won't have Ruth in," she repeated, but she dropped her eyes before
Mr. Bryant's stern glance.
"I'm sorry, Hester, but if you won't have Ruth in, then you must go
home, yourself, and I will ask you to go at once."
"All right, I'm glad to go!" and Hester pulled off her crown and threw
it on the ground, and stamped on it. Then she broke in two her pretty
gilt sceptre, and threw that down. She flung her hat on her head and
marched out of Sand Court with angry glances at each one. She flirted
her skirts and twitched her shoulders, and though she said nothing, she
was as furious a little girl as can well be imagined.
Ruth was almost frightened, for she was unaccustomed to such scenes. Nor
were the Maynards used to them, except as they had seen Hester in her
rages now and then.
Cousin Jack looked after the child a little sadly. He was sorry that she
could behave so, but he had made up his mind that Midget and King had
been imposed on by Hester for a long time, and he had determined to put
a stop to it. The advent of Ruth gave a good opportunity, and he availed
himself of it.
A silence fell on them all. They watched Hester as she slowly went out
of Sand Court.
But as she started across the lawn, she saw a garden hose with which a
man had been sprinkling the grass. He had gone off and left it lying on
the ground, partly turned off.
Hester picked it up, turned it on to run full force, and whirling
herself quickly around pointed it straight at Ruth. In a moment the
child was-soaked,--her pretty fresh dress hung limp and wet, her curls
were drenched, and the swift stream of water in her face almost knocked
her over.
Marjorie sprang to Ruth's side, and received a drenching herself.
King ran to Hester to take the hose from her, but she turned it full in
his face and sent him sprawling to the ground.
The Craig boys were treated the same way, and when Mr. Bryant
manoeuvred to get behind Hester and pinion her arms, she wheeled and
sent the splashing stream all over him.
"You little vixen!" cried Cousin Jack, as, unheeding the water, he
grasped her right arm.
But the child was wonderfully agile and like an eel she squirmed out of
his grasp, and wielding her ungainly weapon with her left hand, she
again sprayed the water on the two girls.
"You stop that, Hester Corey!" yelled King, as he scrambled to his feet,
and in another moment he and Cousin Jack succeeded in getting the hose
away from Hester.
"She ought to have it turned on her!" said Cousin Jack, looking at the
little fury, now dancing up and down in her angry rage. "But, I don't
want anything more to do with you, miss. Go home at once, and tell your
mother all that has happened."
Glad to get away without further reprimand, Hester, her wrath spent now,
walked slowly across the lawn and out of the gate.
"She's a terror!" Cousin Jack commented; "now forget it, kiddies, and
let's go into the house and get dried out. Are you girlies much wet?"
"Not so awfully," replied Marjorie. "Mostly our hair and, oh, yes, the
front of Ruth's skirt is soaked!"
"Well, we'll build a fire in the library, and hang ourselves up to dry.
Come on, all you Sand boys and girls."
They went in the house, and while they dried their hair and clothes,
Cousin Jack told them funny stories and made no mention of Hester or of
the Sand Club.
"Now we're going to play a game," he announced, after everybody was dry,
and the fire had died away to ashes. "Here are the things to play it
with."
He produced what looked like some rolls of ribbon, and six pairs of
scissors. But it wasn't ribbon, it was the white paper that comes rolled
in with ribbon, when bought by the piece. This paper was about an inch
wide and he had enough to cut six pieces, each about ten feet long.
These pieces he fastened by one end to the wainscoting with thumb tacks,
and giving the other end of each piece to one of the children, he bade
them stand in a row, far enough away to hold their paper strips out
straight across the room.
Then, at his given signal, each one was to begin to cut, with the
scissors, straight through the middle of the paper, lengthwise, the game
being to cut clear to the end without tearing the paper. Of course, if
carefully done, this would divide each paper into two strips of equal
width.
But the game was also to see which reached the end first, and the winner
was promised a prize. If the scissors inadvertently cut off either
strip, the player was "out."
"Go!" cried Cousin Jack, "and strive only for the greatest speed
consistent with safety. If you go too fast, you're very likely to snip
off your strips; and if you go too slow, somebody else will beat you.
Hurry up, Ruth, you're going evenly, but you'll never get there at that
rate! Oh, hold up, Harry! if you go so fast you'll snip it off. You're
terribly close to one edge, now! Ah, there you go! one strip is chopped
right off. Well, never mind, my boy, stand here by me, and watch the
others. What, Tom out, too? Well, well, Tom, the more haste the less
speed! Careful, Midget, you'll be out in a minute. There you go! Out it
is, for Mehitabel! Well, we have three still in the running. Easy does
it, King! You're getting along finely. Hurry up, Ruth. You can go faster
than that, and still be safe. Dick just says nothing and saws wood.
That's it, Dick, slow and sure!"
Those who were "out" watched the others with breathless interest. It
would have been an easy task had there been no competition. To cut a
long paper into two strips is not difficult, but to cut that paper in
haste, with others looking on and commenting, is more trying. The
scissors seem bewitched. The paper twists and curls, and one's fingers
seem to be all thumbs. King was doing well, but he gave an impatient
jerk as the paper curled round his finger, and then he was out.
Dick worked steadily, and Ruth plodded slowly along.
As they neared the end at the same time the watchers grew greatly
excited.
"I bet on Ruth!" cried King; "go it, Ruth! get up! g'lang there!"
"Go on, Dick," cried Marjorie. "Clk! Clk! go 'long!"
On sped the cutters, but just as it seemed as if they must finish at the
same time, Dick gave a little nervous jerk at his paper, and it tore
right off.
"Oh," said Midget, "you're out, Dicksie!"
And then Ruth, slowly and carefully, cut the last few inches of her
paper, and held up her two strips triumphantly. She looked so sweet and
happy about it that they all declared she ought to have been the winner,
and Dick said, shyly: "I'm glad you won."
The prize was a shell box that Cousin Jack had brought from Atlantic
City, and Ruth dimpled with pleasure as she took it.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Bryant," she said, prettily; "I never won a
prize before, and I shall always keep it."
"I'm glad you won it, Ruth," said Cousin Jack, "and I want you to let it
help you forget any unpleasantness of to-day. Will you forget all that
happened at Sand Court, and just remember that the Maynards and the
Craigs are kind and polite children, and never mind about anybody else.
And come again some time, and play in Sand Court, won't you? And I'll
promise you a good and pleasant time."
Ruth agreed gladly to all this, and then she went home, so happy that
the memory of her pleasant hours made her almost forget Hester's
rudeness.
"Now, kiddies," said Mr. Bryant, after she had gone, "I want you, too,
to forget all about Hester's performance. Don't talk it over, and don't
say hard things of Hester. Just forget it, and think about something
nice."
"All right, Cousin Jack," said Midget, "we'll do as you say. Come on,
boys, let's race down to the beach!"
The children ran away, and after a consultation with Mrs. Maynard, Mr.
Bryant set out to make a call on Mrs. Corey.
His was not a pleasant task, but he felt it his duty to tell her frankly
of Hester's behavior, and to say that Mr. and Mrs. Maynard couldn't
allow her further to impose on their children. Mrs. Corey didn't resent
this decree, but she was greatly pained at the necessity therefor.
"I don't know what to do with Hester," she said, sadly. "The child has
always been subject to those ungovernable rages. I hope she will outgrow
them. I feel sorry for her, for it is not really her fault. She tries to
be more patient, and sometimes succeeds; then suddenly her temper breaks
out at most unexpected moments."
Mr. Bryant did not say what he thought; that Hester was a spoiled child,
and that had her mother taught her how sinful such a temper was, she
could have learned to control it, at least, to a degree.
But he said that the Maynards could not allow Hester to come to Sand
Court any more, unless with the thorough understanding and agreement
that Ruth was to be a member of the Sand Club, and that Marjorie was to
be Queen again. He said that Hester had forfeited all right to be Queen,
and that as Midget practically formed the club, the right to be Queen
was hers.
Mrs. Corey agreed to all this, expressed great chagrin that Hester had
acted so rudely, and promised to talk to the child and try to induce a
better spirit of kindness and good comradeship.
And Cousin Jack went away, feeling that he had served the little
Maynards a good turn, if it had been a difficult and unpleasant duty to
perform.