“I know mine,” boasted Reginald; “I have to run in right after the fairy, and say, ‘Here is your magic wand, oh, queen,’”

“I guess you can’t say it that way,” laughed Jeanette, “for Aunt Charlotte wouldn’t let you.  You said it just as if you’d said, ’Here is a great, big sandwich, oh, queen!’”

“Well, I didn’t say that, and you needn’t laugh.  It makes you feel big to be queen!” “Reginald!”

“Well, it does,” declared the small boy, “an’ Arabella said so yesterday.”

“Arabella likes to say mean things,” said Jeanette, “but it doesn’t prove that they’re so because she says so.”

Everything went smoothly at the afternoon rehearsal, until Dorothy said that Nancy was to do a lovely fancy dance for one number on the programme, when Arabella felt moved to make one of her unpleasant remarks.

“My Aunt Matilda doesn’t ’prove of dancing,” she said, looking sharply at Nancy.

“Well, your Aunt Matilda doesn’t have to dance,” said Mollie, pertly.

Mollie knew that she was naughty, but truly Arabella was trying.

“Perhaps your aunt likes music,” said Nina; “Dorothy is going to sing.”

“I don’t know whether she likes singing or not,” Arabella replied, “but she doesn’t like dancing, I know, for she said she wouldn’t ever let me learn to dance.”

“P’r’aps your father’d let you learn,” said Reginald.

“He wouldn’t unless Aunt Matilda said I could.”

“Why does folks have Aunt Matildas?” muttered Reginald.

Mollie Merton laughed.  She had heard what he said, although he had spoken almost in a whisper.

They left the cottage, promising to study their parts very carefully, and as they walked down the avenue they repeated some of the pleasing lines which they remembered.

Suddenly Reginald spoke.

“I’ve got to go back; I’ve left my ball on my desk,” he said.

“Don’t go back,” Katie said, “you won’t want it to-night.”

“P’raps I will, and anyway I’m going after it,” said Reginald, stoutly; “you wait for me.”

“Oh, we can’t, Reginald,” Katie said, “but you can overtake us if you hurry.”

Reginald was already running toward the cottage, so he did not hear what Katie said.  He pushed open the little gate and ran in, and up the steps on to the piazza.

“I left my ball on my desk,” he said to Aunt Charlotte, who was standing in the hall.

“The schoolroom is open,” she said with a smile, and Reginald rushed past her, and hurried to his desk.  The ball was not on it, nor was it in the desk, as careful hunting proved.

“I left it right on top of my desk,” he declared to Aunt Charlotte, who had followed, and now stood beside him.

“Are you quite sure of that?” she asked gently.

“Oh, yes, I know I left it there, and I came back on purpose to get it,” he said, his blue eyes wide with surprise, “and now it is getting late to hunt for it, ’sides, I don’t know where to hunt.”