“Well, when you forget, come home and tell Mother all about it, and we’ll take a fresh start.  You’re pretty fairly, tolerably, moderately good children after all!  Only I want you to grow a little speck better each day.”

“And we will!” shouted King and Marjorie together.

CHAPTER V

“THE JOLLY SANDBOY”

The Sand Club was not very strict in its methods or systems.  Some days it met, and some days it didn’t.  Sometimes all the court was present, and sometimes only three or four of them.

But everything went on harmoniously, and there were no exhibitions of ill temper from the Sand Witch.

In fact, Hester was absorbed in doing her part toward the first number of The Jolly Sandboy.

The child was quite an adept at drawing and painting, and she was making several illustrations for their court journal.  One, representing Marjorie seated on her sand throne, was really clever, and there were other smaller pictures, too.

Kingdon worked earnestly to get the paper into shape.  He had contributions from all the club, and from Mr. and Mrs. Maynard also.  He had a small typewriter of his own, and he laboriously copied the contributions on fair, white pages, and, with Hester’s pictures interspersed, bound them all into a neat cover of red paper.

This Hester ornamented with a yellow sand-pail, emblem of their club, and tied it at the top with a yellow ribbon.  Altogether, the first number of The Jolly Sandboy was a strikingly beautiful affair.

And the court convened, in full court dress, to hear it read.

The court wardrobes had received various additions.  Often a courtier blossomed out in some new regalia, always of red or yellow, or both.

The several mothers of the court frequently donated old ribbons, feathers, or flowers, from discarded millinery or other finery, and all these were utilized by the frippery loving courtiers.

Hester had contrived a witch costume, which was greatly admired.  A red skirt, a yellow shawl folded cornerwise, and a very tall peaked hat of black with red and yellow ribbons, made the child look like some weird creature.

Marjorie’s tastes ran rather to magnificent attire, and she accumulated waving plumes, artificial flowers, and floating gauze veils and draperies.

The boys wore nondescript costumes, in which red jerseys and yellow sashes played a prominent part, while King achieved the dignity of a mantle, picturesquely slung from one shoulder.  Many badges and orders adorned their breasts, and lances and spears, wound with gilt paper, added to the courtly effect.

“My dearly beloved Court,” Marjorie began, beaming graciously from her flower decked throne, “we are gathered together here to-day to listen to the reading of our Court Journal,—­a noble paper,—­published by our noble courtier, the Sand Piper, who will now read it to us.”