“Gude afternoon, Miss Dean. How you ben all sommer?” she greeted Marjorie with pleased effusion.
“Good afternoon, Hilda. How have you been? I have been very well, and very happy.”
“Tha’s gude. I am pritty gude, too. We go sea shore, you know. Nize place. I go tak the bathe in the oshin. I gat awful much sunburn. Ha, ha!” Hilda showed her white teeth enjoyingly over her calamity. “You come see Mrs. Matthews? She is gone away this afternoon. The president is here. May-bee you come see him?”
“I hope your sunburn is all well now.” Marjorie smiled at the jolly pink and white maid. “Yes, I came to see President Matthews. Is he busy?”
“He see you.” Hilda nodded confidently. “You come in, pleese, Miss Dean. I tell him.” She ushered Marjorie into the colonial reception hall and disappeared into the room at the right, the president’s office. She was back in an instant with: “The president pleese to see you, Miss Dean.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Marjorie. This is a most unexpected pleasure.” President Matthews met Marjorie at the door of his office and warmly shook her by the hand. She saw that he was alone in the office.
“Good afternoon, President Matthews. I am very glad to see you. Miss Susanna and I are coming to make a social call upon Mrs. Matthews and you as soon as you are fairly settled again after your summer away from the campus. I came today on business of my own. I hoped to find you here and not too busy to see me.” Marjorie’s color heightened a trifle as she made the frank statement.
“I am at your service, Miss Marjorie.” The president bowed her into a chair in his courtly fashion and sat down opposite her in his own. “What can I do for you?”
“I will give you a direct answer, and explain things afterward.” Marjorie raised candid eyes to those of the president. “I wish you would give Leslie Cairns an opportunity to return to Hamilton College, and earn the degree she forfeited when she was expelled from Hamilton.”
A dead silence followed her straight-forward request. President Matthews regarded her with contemplative gravity.