Ruth had several of the pictures, too, and she said she should send some to friends in Philadelphia.

“She’s an awfully nice girl,” said Marjorie to her mother, when telling of their morning’s doings.  “I’m so glad she’s at Seacote.  We’re going to have lots of fun when we get back.”

“I’m glad, too,” said Mrs. Maynard.  “For you have so few acquaintances there, and Ruth is certainly a very sweet child.”

CHAPTER XVII

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.