"Right here on this open space is where they used to have the lectures forty years ago," James went on, somewhat abashed by the applause he received. "It's called Miller Park now."
"What became of the hall?"
"There never was any hall. There was a raised platform and the people sat in front of it and when it rained they had to put up their umbrellas."
"The trees have grown since, I suppose."
"There were trees there then, but they thinned them out to make room. The first houses were built around the edge of the open place. Those over there are some of the original articles."
The girls saw a row of small cottages rising side by side, their porches almost touching.
"They aren't bad looking," said James patronizingly, "but the Institution doesn't allow houses to be built so close together now."
"Why not?"
"They say that there's no reason why a cottage shouldn't be as good looking on a small scale as a big house and no house can look its best if it's jammed up into another one's lap, so now they require people to leave some land around them."
They had crossed Miller Park and passed between two houses to a walk that ran along the lakeside.