"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 trouble
to build?"

"Yes, I did!" said Hester. "And if you build it again, I'll tear it down
again,--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 the
back.

"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 the
combatants.

"Say, we've had about enough of this," he said, speaking quietly, and
without excitement. "We Maynards are not accustomed to this sort of
thing. We squabble sometimes, but we never get really angry."

"Goody-goody boy!" said Hester, sneeringly, and making one of her worst
faces at him. For some reason this performance struck King as funny.