“’Tisn’t mine,” answered Virginia, “it’s Kit’s. This is her party. Her coming-out party at Hope.”
“Oh, are you the founder’s granddaughter?” Amy inquired, her eyes opening wide.
“No, I’m not,” replied Kit. “I wish this minute I could tell you about my ancestors. I’ve got some beauts. Peggy, don’t sit on the almonds. They’re right behind you in that glass dish.”
The room filled up rapidly with people. Kit declared after she had been the rounds four times that she felt exactly like the lecturer in a museum, telling the history of the relics over and over again. Nobody but Anne knew how anxious she was as the minutes slipped by and no Jeannette appeared. It would never do to have a climax happen without the surprise of her presence to carry it off. The refreshments had all been served, and the clock on top of the bookshelves showed that it was five, when Virginia called; “You’d better start in on your Founders’ talk, Kit. We’ve only got about half an hour.”
There was a baffled look in Kit’s eyes, as she picked up the challenge and rose from her chair. Virginia must know perfectly well how untimely it was to start to spring the surprise while there was a running chance of Jeannette appearing. Still there was a hush, and the girls faced her expectantly.
“As you all know,” began Kit, “the old bronze tablet in the lower hall carries names on its roll of honor which not only uphold the glory of Hope College, but also of the entire town of Delphi, of the entire state, I may say of Wisconsin.
“There are few of us here today, if any,” continued Kit slowly, one eye watching the concrete walk across the campus from the nearest window, “who can boast of a Hope founder in her family.”
“I can, almost,” interrupted Tony, “my sister Marie was engaged for a little while to Bernard Giron. If she had only married him, we would have had a ‘Founder’ in the family.”
“Tony,” said Kit, severely, “I am dealing with facts, not prospects, and you ought not reveal any family secrets, either. I say it is a great honor to be a direct descendant of a ‘Founder,’ and we have one in our class. A girl, too modest to take advantage of her grandfather’s record.” She paused impressively, but with a quickening gleam in her eyes, as there suddenly came in view a hurrying figure in a gray suit on the campus walk. It was Jeannette herself, late, but in time to create the desired sensation.
Kit drew a deep breath, and plunged back to her subject, considering exactly the time it would take for the belated guest to reach the study.