CHAPTER III
THE SAND CLUB
Life at Seacote soon settled down to its groove, and it was a verypleasant groove. There was always plenty of fun to be had. Bathing everyday in the crashing breakers, digging in the sand, building beach fires,talking to the old fishermen, were all delightful pursuits. And thenthere were long motor rides inland, basket picnics in pine groves, andexcursions to nearby watering-places.
The Craig boys turned out to be jolly playfellows, and they and theMaynards became inseparable chums. Marjorie often wished one of them hadbeen a girl, but at the same time, she enjoyed her unique position ofbeing the only girl in the crowd. The boys deferred to her as to aprincess, and she ruled them absolutely.
Of course the senior Craigs and Maynards became good friends also, andthe two ladies especially spent many pleasant hours together.
Baby Rosamond rarely played with the older children, as she was toolittle to join in their vigorous games, often original with themselves,and decidedly energetic. The beach was their favorite playground. Theynever tired of digging in the sand, and they had a multitude of spadesand shovels and hoes for their various sand performances. Some days theybuilt a fort, other days a castle or a pleasure ground. Their sand-workswere extensive and elaborate, and it often seemed a pity that the tideor the wind should destroy them over night.
"I say, let's us be a Sand Club," said Tom one day. "We're alwaysplaying in the sand, you know."
"All right," said Marjorie, instantly seeing delightful possibilities."We'll call ourselves Sand Crabs, for we're always scrambling throughthe sand."
"And we're jolly as sandboys!" said King. "I don't know what sandboysreally are, but they're always jolly, and so are we."
"I'd like something more gay and festive," Marjorie put in; "I mean likeCourt Life, or something where we could dress up, and pretend things."
"I know what you mean," said Dick, grasping her idea. "Let's have SandCourt, and build a court and a throne, and we'll all be royal people andMarjorie can be queen."
"Well, let's all have sandy names," suggested Tom. "Marjorie can beQueen Sandy. And we'll call our court Sandringham Palace. You knowthere is one, really."
"You can be the Grand Sandjandrum!" said King, laughing.
"No, you be that," said Tom, unselfishly.
"No, sir; _you've_ got to. I'll be a sand piper, and play the courtanthems."
"All right," said Marjorie, "and Harry can be a sand crab, for he justscuttles through the sand all the time. What'll Dick be?"
King looked at Dick. "We'll call him Sandow," he suggested, and they alllaughed, for Dick was a frail little chap, without much muscularstrength. But the name stuck to him, and they always called him Sandowthereafter.
"I wish we could make our palace where it would stay made," saidMarjorie. "We don't want to make a new one every day."
"That's so," said Tom. "If we only could find a secret haunt."
"I know a kind of a one," said Dick; "'way back in our yard, near whereit joins yours, is a deepy kind of a place, and it's quite sandy."
"Just the thing!" cried Marjorie. "I know that place. Come on!"
She was off like a deer, and the rest followed. A few moments' scamperbrought them to the place, and all declared it was just the very spotfor a palace.
"I'd like beach sand better, though," said Marjorie.
"We'll bring all you want," declared Tom. "We'll take a wheelbarrow, andbring heaps up from the beach."
The Sand Club worked for days getting their palace in order. The two bigboys wheeled many loads of sand up from the beach, and Marjorie and thetwo other boys arranged it in shape.
Dick was clever at building, and he planned a number of fine effects. Ofcourse, their palace had no roof or walls, but the apartments werepartitioned off with low walls of sand, and there were sand sofas andchairs, and a gorgeous throne.
The throne was a heap of sand, surmounted by a legless armchair, foundin the Craigs' attic, and at court meetings draped with pink cheeseclothand garlands of flowers. The whole palace was really a "secret haunt,"for a slight rise of ground screened it from view on two sides and treesshaded the other side.
The parents of both families were pleased with the whole scheme, for itkept the children occupied, and they could always be found at a moment'snotice.
Sand tables were built, and on them were bits of old dishes and brokenvases, all of which were desirable because they could stay out in therain and not be harmed. Moreover, they were handy in case of a feast. Atlast preparations were complete and they decided to open the court nextday.
"We must have a flag," said Marjorie. "I'll make it. The court colorsare red and yellow, and our emblem will be,--what shall our emblem be?"
"A pail of sand," suggested Tom.
"Yes; I can cut out a pail of red flannel, and sew it on to a yellowflag. I'll make that this afternoon, and we'll hold court to-morrowmorning at ten o'clock. We must all wear some red and yellow. Sasheswill do for you boys, and I'll have,--well, I'll fix up a rig of somekind."
Marjorie was a diligent little worker when she chose to be, and thatafternoon she made a very creditable flag, showing a pail, red; on afield, yellow. She made also sashes for them all, of red and yellowcheesecloth, and she made herself a court train of the same material,which trailed grandly from her shoulders.
Next morning the Sand Club assembled on the Maynards' veranda, to marchto Sandringham Palace.
Mrs. Craig had helped out the costumes of her royal children, and theGrand Sandjandrum was gorgeous in a voluminous yellow turban, with a redcockade sticking up on one side.
Sandow and the Sand Crab had soldier hats made of red and yellow paper,and big sailor collars of the same colors.
The Sand Piper wore his sash jauntily with a huge shoulder knot, and he,too, had a cockaded headgear.
Marjorie, as Queen Sandy, wore her trailing court robe and a crown ofyellow paper with red stars on it. She had a sceptre, and Sandow carriedthe flag.
The Sand Piper marched ahead, playing on a tuneful instrument known as akazoo. Next came the Grand Sandjandrum, then the Queen, then the SandCrab, and finally, Sandow with the flag.
Slowly and with great dignity the procession filed out toward thepalace. King was playing the Star Spangled Banner, or thought he was. Itsounded almost as much like Hail Columbia,--but it didn't really matter,and they're both difficult tunes, anyway.
Blithely they stepped along, and prepared to enter the palace with aflourish of trumpets, as it were, when King's music stopped suddenly.
"Great Golliwogs!" he cried. "Look at that!"
"Look at what?" said Tom, who was absorbed in the grand march.
But he looked, and they all looked, and five angry exclamations soundedas they saw only the ruins of the beloved Sandringham Palace.
Somebody had utterly demolished it. The low walls were broken andscattered, the sand tables and chairs were torn down, and the throne wasentirely upset.
"Who did this?" roared Tom.
But as nobody knew the answer, there was no reply.
"It couldn't have been any of your servants, could it?" asked King ofthe Craigs. "I know it wasn't any of ours."
"No; it wasn't ours, either," said Tom. "Could it have been your littlesister?"
"Mercy, no!" cried Marjorie. "Rosy Posy isn't that sort of a child. Oh,I do think it's awful!" and forgetting her royal dignity, Queen Sandybegan to cry.
"Why, Mops," said King, kindly; "brace up, old girl. Don't cry."
"I'm not a cry baby," said Midget, smiling through her tears. "I'm justcrying 'cause I'm so _mad_! I'm mad clear through! How _could_ anybodybe so ugly?"
"I'm mad, too," declared Tom, slowly, "but I know who did it, and it'spartly my fault, I s'pose."
"Your fault!" exclaimed Midget. "Why, Tom, how can it be?"
"Well, you see it was this way. Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Corey came tocall on my mother, and she brought Hester with her."
"That red-headed girl?"
> "Yes; and she has a temper to match her hair! Mother made me talk toher, and, as I didn't know what else to talk about, I told her about ourSand Club, and about the Court to-day and everything. And she wanted tobelong to the club, and I told her she couldn't, because it was just theMaynards and the Craigs. And she was madder'n hops, and she coaxed me,and I still said no, and then she said she'd get even with us somehow."
"But, Tom," said King, "we don't know that girl to speak to. We hardlyknow her by sight."
"But we do. We knew her when we were here last summer, but, you see,this year we've had you two to play with, so we've sort of neglectedher,--and she doesn't like it."
"But that's no reason she should spoil our palace," and Marjorie lookedsadly at the scene of ruin and destruction.
"No; and of course I'm not sure that she did do it. But she said she'ddo something to get even with you."
"With me? Why, she doesn't know me at all."
"That's what she's mad about. She says you're stuck up, and you put onairs and never look at her."
"Why, how silly! I don't know her, but somehow, from her looks, I _know_I shouldn't like her."
"No, you wouldn't, Marjorie. She's selfish, and she's ill-tempered. Sheflies into a rage at any little thing, and,--well, she isn't a bit likeyou Maynards."
"_No!_ and I'm glad of it! I wouldn't _want_ to be like such a stuck-upthing!"
These last words were spoken by a strange voice, and Marjorie lookedround quickly to see a shock of red hair surmounting a very angry littleface just appearing from behind the small hill, beneath whoseoverhanging shadow they had built their palace.
"Why, Hester Corey!" shouted Tom. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see how you like your old sand-house!" she jeered, mockingly,and making faces at Marjorie between her words. Marjorie was utterlyastonished. It was her first experience with a child of this type, andshe didn't know just how to take her.
The newcomer was a little termagant. Her big blue eyes seemed to flashwith anger, and as she danced about, shaking her fist at Marjorie andpointing her forefinger at her, she cried, tauntingly, "Stuck up!Proudy!"
Marjorie grew indignant. She had done nothing knowingly to provoke thiswrath, so she faced the visitor squarely, and glared back at her.
"I'd rather be stuck up than to be such a spiteful thing as you are!"she declared. "Did _you_ tear down this palace that we took such troubleto build?"
"Yes, I did!" said Hester. "And if you build it again, I'll tear it downagain,--so, there, now!"
"You'll do no such thing!" shouted Tom.
"Huh, Smarty! What have you got to say about it?"
The crazy little Hester flew at Tom and pounded him vigorously on theback.
"I hate you!" she cried. "I _hate_ you!"
As a matter of fact, her little fists couldn't hurt the big, sturdy boy,but her intense anger made him angry too.
"You, Hester Corey!" he cried. "You leave me alone!"
King stood a little apart, with his hands in his pockets, looking at thecombatants.
"Say, we've had about enough of this," he said, speaking quietly, andwithout excitement. "We Maynards are not accustomed to this sort ofthing. We squabble sometimes, but we never get really angry."
"Goody-goody boy!" said Hester, sneeringly, and making one of her worstfaces at him. For some reason this performance struck King as funny.
"Do it again," he said. "How do you ever squink up your nose like that!Bet you can't do it three times in succession."
The audacious Hester tried it, and the result was so ludicrous they alllaughed.
"Now look here," went on King, "we're not acquainted with you, but weknow you're Hester Corey. We know you spoiled our Sand Palace, just outof angry spite. Now, Hester Corey, you've got to be punished for that.We're peaceable people ourselves, but we're just, also. We were about tohave a nice celebration, but you've put an end to that before it began.So, instead, we're going to have a trial. You're the prisoner, andyou've pleaded guilty,--at least, you've confessed your crime. QueenSandy, get into that throne,--never mind if it is upset,--set it upagain. Grand Sandjandrum, take your place on that mussed up sand heap.You two other chaps,--stand one each side of the prisoner as sentinels.I'll conduct this case, and Queen Sandy will pronounce the sentence.It's us Maynards that Hester Corey seems to have a grudge against, soit's up to us Maynards to take charge of the case. Prisoner, stand onthat board there."
"I won't do it!" snapped Hester, and the red locks shook vigorously.
"You will do it," said King, quietly, and for some reason or otherHester quailed before his glance, and then meekly stood where he toldher to.
"Have you anything to say for yourself?" King went on. "Any excuse tooffer for such a mean, hateful piece of work?"
Hester sulked a minute, then she said:
"Yes, I was mad at you, because you all have such good times, andwouldn't let me in them."
"What do you mean by that? You never asked to come in."
"I did. I asked Tom Craig yesterday, and he wouldn't ask you."
"Then why are you mad at us?"
"Because you're so proud and exclusive. You think yourselves so great;you think nobody's as good as you are!"
"That isn't true, Hester," said King, quite gently; "and even if itwere, are you proving yourself better than we are by cutting up thismean, babyish trick? If you want us to like you, why not make yourselflikeable, instead of horrid and hateful?"
This was a new idea to Hester, and she stared at King as if greatlyinterested.
"That's right," he went on. "If people want people to like them, theymust be likeable. They must be obliging and kind and pleasant, and notsmall and spiteful."
"You haven't been very nice to me," muttered Hester.
"We haven't had a chance. And before we get a chance you upseteverything by making us dislike you! What kind of common sense is that?"
"Maybe you could forgive me," suggested Hester, hopefully.
"Maybe we could, later on. But we're for fair play, and you treated usunfairly. So now, you've got to be punished. Queen Sandy, GrandSandjandrum, which of you can suggest proper punishment for thisprisoner of ours?"
Tom thought for a moment, then he said:
"Seems 's if she ought to put this palace back in order, just as it waswhen she found it,--but that's too hard work for a girl."
"I'll help her," said Harry, earnestly. "I'm sorry for her."
"Sorry for her!" cried Tom, with blazing eyes. "_Sorry_ for the girlthat spoiled our palace!"
"Well, you see," went on Harry, "she's sorry herself now."