“Oh, I’ll love to be the queen,” Jeanette said quickly, and she glanced at her playmates with flashing eyes.

“I guess Dorothy expected to be the queen,” whispered Nina to Lola.  Nina felt almost as proud as if she herself had been honored.

It was true that Dorothy had usually been given leading parts, but evidently she was not at all vexed.

“You’ll make a fine queen, Jeanette,” she was saying, “and oh, Aunt Charlotte, do tell her to let her hair hang loose; it’s ’most below her waist.”

“Surely Jeanette must have her hair unbraided,” Aunt Charlotte agreed, “and we must make a tiny gold crown for her.”

“How lovely!” said Nancy, and Jeanette was delighted.

Of course Reginald was to be the little page, and the other parts were assigned, Aunt Charlotte choosing for each of the girls the part which best fitted her.

At first Arabella had seemed greatly interested, but as soon as Jeanette had been chosen for the fairy queen, she left the group, and turning toward the window, looked out into the garden.

Flossie called to her.  “Come, Arabella!” she cried.  “We’re going to read our dialogue now.”

The others took their places, and Arabella turned, and slowly joined them.

“We will pass the book from one to another, and thus read the little play through,” said Aunt Charlotte, “and I will copy each part carefully, that each can memorize all that she has to say.  When you have learned your lines, we will have our first rehearsal.”

“Hooray!” said Reginald, and although the girls laughed, they were quite as eagerly delighted as he.

They left the cottage, and as they walked down the avenue they talked of the pretty dialogue, each insisting that she liked her part best.

“But mine’s the best,” said Reginald, “for I’m the only boy in it.”  “Mine’s the best, for I’m the queen,” said Jeanette, and she held her head very high, as she looked toward her playmates.

“All the parts are nice,” Nancy said, “and we’ll have a fine entertainment.”

Arabella had stopped to arrange her books in her desk, and was the last to leave the cottage.

“I like to see that you are orderly,” Aunt Charlotte said, as Arabella passed her on her way to the door.

She made no reply, but hurried down the walk.

“An odd child, truly,” Aunt Charlotte said, as she looked after the slender little figure.

The next day each girl received a copy of her lines, and Wednesday of the next week was set for the first rehearsal.

* * * * *

“I know every word I have to say,” said Jeanette, as she walked along toward the cottage with Katie Dean.

It was Wednesday morning, and the first rehearsal was set for the afternoon.

“I guess I know mine, but I’m not sure.  Aunt Charlotte will have the book and she can prompt me,” Katie said.