“This is really an occasion. I am delighted, in my new capacity as Trustee, to salute the Founder and the Mainstay of our Library.”
“O!” protested Catherine. “But isn’t it perfectly lovely the way the council did take up with the idea? Was there any hitch at all about it?”
“Not the least,” said Mr. Osgood. “You never saw anything smoother. You young folks certainly struck this town with this library scheme of yours at the psychological moment. The council was all for it. The tax was voted, and directors 91 appointed as though it had been talked up for years.”
“And Bertha is a trustee,” cried Catherine, seeing Bertha in the group beyond. “O, Bertha dear, do use your influence to keep Algernon in office!”
Everybody laughed at that, and Mrs. Osgood threw up her hands.
“We can’t help ourselves! No one can ever underbid him, except by paying for the privilege. Algernon won’t take a salary.”
Algernon flushed uneasily. “I haven’t earned one yet,” he muttered. “And besides, salaries for public positions–”
Some choice fact was refused utterance there, for Algernon, seeing Catherine’s eye upon him, swallowed his harmless ‘statistic’ and lapsed into silence.
“Where are Bess and Archie?” fussed Polly. “Every one else is here, and we do want to begin dancing. I wonder what can have kept them.”
“Here they are,” called some one. “Hurry up, you two. You’re the latest.”