"Where could we have it?" asked Hattie, who seemed much interested.
"In one of our own houses," said Maggie, "or,—that was another thought I had,—perhaps Miss Ashton would be so very good as to let us have it at her house. The piazza would be lovely for it; and she generally lets us have some party-ish kind of a thing when school breaks up. Last year we had a giving of prizes; and at Christmas we had a Christmas festival, and a queen both times."
"Yes," said Hattie, "and Gracie said it was shameful that you were queen both times. She thinks it was very selfish in you."
Maggie colored violently.
"The queen was chosen," she said, "and the girls chose me. I did not make myself queen."
"Well, Gracie did not like it one bit," said Hattie, "and she thinks you had no right to be queen when you did not go to the school the last time."
Maggie was silent, but the gladness was gone from her face.
"Wouldn't it be too cold to have the fair on the piazza?" asked Hattie.
"Not by the time we are ready," said Maggie. "You know it will take a good while to make enough things, and Miss Ashton does not close the school till the first of June. I heard her tell mamma so the other day. And by that time it will be quite warm and pleasant, and there will be plenty of flowers. I was thinking we could dress the piazza with wreaths and festoons and flags; and we could make some kind of a throne and canopy at one end. And there we could have the flower-table and the queen behind it, with some maids of honor to sell flowers."