“My love to your mother, always.
“Faithfully yours,
“Alice Barbara.”
71CHAPTER SIX
THE OPENING
The opening of the library had been vigorously advertised. Bert and Dot had wheeled the country roads over within a radius of three miles from town, posting bills of announcement. The ministers urged it upon their congregations as a civic duty to attend. At social gatherings the week before nothing else was talked of. And everybody was going to bring books.
“Such a lot of trash as we’ll get!” groaned Dorcas.
“I know it,” assented Polly, “but they will all take an interest, and that is what we are after now. Once properly established, we can buy good books, and these old ones will just stand idle or wear out or get lost or something.”
“I don’t think it’s very appropriate to serve refreshments,” objected Dorcas once more. “And Algernon doesn’t think it is a dignified way to do.”
“O, well,” put in Catherine, appeasingly. “Mrs. Graham says, you know, that we’ll ‘have to get people pretty well educated readin’ our 72 encyclopedias and dictionaries before they’ll think anything’s worth goin’ to that there ain’t somethin’ to eat at!’ And Mrs. Graham is going to take charge of all that part, anyhow, so I don’t feel like finding fault. There won’t be any expense, with everything contributed.”