Ruth could not speak. Her heart was so full of gladness, but she indulged in what Ralph called “a happy cry.”
CHAPTER XX.
THE DEDICATION OF THE LIBRARY.
The dedication of the library proved to be a very enjoyable affair although the military “fuss and feather,” the Independence Day racket and the ostentatious hoisting of flags were left out. It was more like a church dedication, minus the mounted marshals and uniformed cadets which are among the latter day improvements or experiments. The Schwarmers stood out more conspicuously than they would otherwise have done; but they were no more so than the Killsbury people felt that they had a right to be. Mrs. Schwarmer was in regal robes with which the ladies were much pleased. Mrs. Martin nodded to Mrs. Arundel and said:
“She has honored us at last by putting on her best apparel.”
Adelaide was dressed in a lovely white mull. Nobody had noticed until then how very pretty she had grown. Mr. Schwarmer insisted on wearing his plain business suit as it was eminently proper he should since he had to do the main business part—that is, hand over the deeds to the Town. That being done he made a short characteristic speech, in which he said:
“This building is not a monument to myself, most assuredly it is not; but it would have been if the architect had carried his point. He planned to have a giraffe style of tower, which was to rise about sixty feet above the roof and be furnished with a bell that would weigh 3,000 pounds and peal out every hour of the day and night. But as it was going to be a gift to the people and named after my daughter I thought they ought to have something to say about it, and they did; most assuredly they did (cheers and laughter). You see, my dear friends and fellow citizens, I have discarded the old barbarous saying—‘Never look a gift-horse in the mouth.’ Hereafter my maxim will be: Look a gift horse in the mouth very carefully and pay particular attention to his grinders. (Laughter and applause.) But, as I was saying, the architect’s plan was handed over to the Golden Rule President and referred to the people—‘all the people,’ my daughter included, and they decided that the giraffe tower and thunderous bell would be a superfluity if not a nuisance, most assuredly they did. They decided that they did not want to be kept awake nights by the clanging and the whanging of a brazen bell. Also that they had never had any trouble finding out the time of day.”
Schwarmer sat down amidst cries of “Good, good!” “Schwarmer’s a wit.” “What’s the matter with Schwarmer? He’s a wit. He’s a wit.”