“You know why, I guess,” Kit said. “I kept it with me all year at school. And it’s pretty exciting, going away to school for the first time. I guess you know how proud we all are of you.” Kit looked down. “Jean and I ... well, we always have a lot of things going. And of course now Jean has graduated, and that was pretty exciting. But neither of us ever did anything like winning an honest-to-goodness scholarship. Sometimes I think people get the wrong impression. They always think we can do things. But it’s you who can really do wonderful things.”
Doris hugged her sister. “Kit, you shouldn’t talk like that,” she cried. “All in the world I ever want is to live up to you!”
“You’ll do better than that,” Kit said. “And another thing. It was mean of me to tease you about Bert. He’s one of the nicest boys I’ve ever met.”
Doris looked down. “Thanks, Kit,” she said softly. “I think so, too.”
Kit turned and ran out of the front door. Doris watched her as she waved to Frank and dashed down the long driveway.
Frank took her hand, and together they started down towards the river.
“The end of summer,” Kit said moodily. “All year long you live with the hope of the benevolent season, and then it comes and goes.”
“My goodness, but you sound gloomy today,” Frank said, sitting down on the bank of the stream.
“Oh, I’m glad to be going back to college, I guess,” Kit said. “Only I sort of wish this summer hadn’t had such definite results. It makes me feel all empty inside when I think about going away to Wisconsin when you’ll be in Washington.”
Frank lifted her hand and studied her palm. “Empty, Kit?” he asked. “It shouldn’t. You should be fuller than before. Wherever you go, I go,” he said softly.