Marjorie sprang up from her wabbly throne, and running to Hester, threw her arms around her.

“Don’t cry, Hester,” she said.  “We’ll all forgive you.  I think you lost your temper and I think you’re sorry now, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yes, yes, I am!” sobbed Hester.  “But I envied the good times you had, and when Tom wouldn’t let me into your club, I got so mad I didn’t know what to do.”

“There, there, don’t cry any more,” and Midget smoothed the tangled red mop, and tried to comfort the bad little Hester.

Tom looked rather disappointed.

“I say,” he began, “she did an awful mean thing, and she ought to be——­”

“Hold on a minute, Tom,” said Marjorie.  “I’m Queen of this club, and what I say goes!  Is that right, my courtiers?”

She looked round at the boys, smiling in a wheedlesome way, and King said, “Right, O Queen Sandy!  Right always and ever, in the hearts of your gentlemen-in-waiting.”

“You bet you are!” cried Tom, quick to follow King’s lead.  “Our noble Queen has but to say the word, and it is our law.  Therefore, O Queen, we beg thee to mete out a just punishment to this prisoner within our gates.”

“Hear ye!  Hear ye!” said Midget, with great dramatic fervor.  “I hereby forgive this prisoner of ours, because she’s truly sorry she acted like the dickens.  And as a punishment, I condemn her to rebuild this royal palace, but, following Harry’s example, we will all help her with the work.”

Then King burst forth into song: 

    “Hooray, Hooray, for our noble Queen,
    The very best monarch that ever was seen. 
    There’s nobody quite so perfectly dandy,
    As our most gracious, most noble Queen Sandy!”

They all repeated this chorus, and the Queen bowed and smiled at her devoted court.

“And also,” her Royal Highness went on, “we hereby take into our club Miss Hester Corey as a new member.  I’m glad to have another girl in it,—­and what I say goes!”

This time Tom made up the song: 

    “What she says, goes! 
    She’s sweet as a rose,
    From head to toes,
    So what she says, goes!”

“Miss Hester Corey is now a member,” said Midget, “and her name is,—­is——­”

“Sand Witch,” suggested Tom.

“Yes,” said King; “you expect witches to cut up tricks.”

“All right,” said Hester.  “Call me Sand Witch, and you’ll see there are good witches as well as bad.”

“Come on, then,” said Marjorie, “and show us how you can work.  Let’s put this palace back into shape again as quick as scat!”

They all fell to work, and it didn’t take so very long after all.  Hester was conquered by the power of Marjorie’s kindness, and she was meek as a lamb.  She did whatever she was told, and was a quick and willing worker.

“Now,” said Midget, after it was all in order once more, “now we’ll have our celebration.  You see, we have six in our court now, instead of five, and I think it’s nicer.  I’ll give the Sand Witch my sash to wear, and she can be my first lady-in-waiting.”