HOME AGAIN
“Yes, little girls, I’m so glad to be home again! I’ve been outdoors
tramping around the estate since early this morning. Do give me another
cup of tea, Jerry.” Miss Susanna had ordered the dinner dessert served
in the tea room with tea as an after-dinner beverage instead of coffee.
“Yours truly.” Jerry refilled the thin priceless cup, it belonged to the
famous Chinese tea set, and offered it to Miss Susanna.
“It has seemed so strange without you, Miss Susanna.” Marjorie bent
affectionate eyes on the upright little figure in black silk. “Not to
see you for six weeks during the college year is a long time now.”
“So it is; so it is,” nodded the old lady. “I had no intention of
leaving the Arms for that shrieking demon of noise, New York. The last
time you had tea with me, Marjorie, was just before Hallowe’en. I was
thinking then about having a Hallowe’en frolic for you girls. Then Jonas
brought me a letter from an old friend of mine who lives in New York. In
the letter he mentioned something so interesting that it set me to
thinking hard. The upshot of it was I told Jonas I intended to go to New
York. He nearly collapsed with amazement.” Miss Susanna chuckled at the
recollection of Jonas’s unbelieving surprise. “When I went on to tell
him why I was going he was as much pleased with my plan as I was.”
Miss Hamilton paused. Her alert dark eyes were dancing with some secret
of her own which gave promise of being signally amusing. Jerry and
Marjorie knew the signs. Miss Susanna was on the verge of imparting to
them something in the nature of a pleasant surprise. Jerry’s surmise of
the afternoon that the last of the Hamiltons had gone to New York in the
interests of the dormitory flashed into the minds of both girls.
“The odd feature of the whole affair is, Jonas has been elected to go to
New York, now that I’ve returned to the Arms.” Miss Susanna’s gleeful,
child-like chuckle was heard. “Poor Jonas. He looked so horrified when I
informed him of what I had in store for him.”
“Shall we inquire what it’s all about?” Jerry flashed Marjorie the
pretense of a bewildered glance.
“It’s the only way we’ll ever find out,” sighed Marjorie in an
exaggeratedly hopeless tone. “Unless we pounce upon Jonas in the hall
and bully him into telling us.” She turned the merest fraction of a
glance on Miss Hamilton as she proposed this violent means of obtaining
information.
“A good plan,” heartily approved Jerry. “I’ll improve upon it. I suggest
that we rush him, or anyone else around here who may happen to know
something we don’t, but would like to know. Let’s begin now.”
“Come on.” Marjorie rose and brandished two bare, smooth, dimpled arms
threateningly in Miss Susanna’s direction. Jerry followed suit, even
more menacing of gesture. Her ridiculous, desperado thrust of chin, the
slow, determined advance of the pair upon the little, bright-eyed figure
in the chair further added to the astonishment of Jonas as he suddenly
appeared in the tea room to refill the tea-pot.
“I guess I got here just in time,” he slyly declared, his mouth drawing
into a humorous pucker as he picked up the tea-pot to refill it with
fresh tea.
“In time to land yourself in difficulties; not to save me,” Miss Susanna
told him between chuckles. “We’re both threatened with attack, Jonas,
unless we stand and deliver our great secret.”
Miss Susanna had thrown herself into the spirit of the bit of by-play
with the merry zest of a child. Since she had known Marjorie and the
light-hearted, fun-loving coterie of Hamilton girls she had appeared to
grow younger and younger. That particular, congenial galaxy of youth
Miss Susanna had taken to her heart as a charm against crabbed old age.
“Maybe we’d better not make any resistance, Miss Susanna,” Jonas advised
with a timid air. It reduced the two desperadoes to a state of giggles
which utterly broke up their threatening aspect.
“Maybe we hadn’t,” the old lady agreed with brisk amusement. “You sit
down at the table with us and have a cup of tea, Jonas. There’s safety
in numbers.” She graciously waved Jonas into the one vacant chair of the
four around the table. Had he been her elder brother instead of her
major-domo of many years she could not have treated him with more kindly
affection.
“It’s mean in me to tease you children,” she said, flashing her guests
one of her bright smiles. “Forgive me. I’m really going to tell you all
about it now.”
“The past is forgot,” Jerry moaned ungrammatically.
“Thank you,” Miss Susanna responded gratefully. “I was hoping it might
be. Now for the tale of my adventures in New York. My lawyer, who was
young when I was, left Hamilton many years ago and established himself
in New York. His name is Richard Henry Garrett. He never married. During
our younger days we lost track of each other. Later we met again and
after Uncle Brooke’s death I engaged him to attend to the legalities of
the estate. Uncle Brooke’s lawyer died shortly after my great uncle’s
decease.
“Since the laying of the dormitory corner stone last fall,” Miss Susanna
continued, “I have often wondered what I could give the girls who are to
live there that would be of use and benefit to all. When the dormitory
is completed I shall carry out a certain wish of Uncle Brooke’s of which
at present I prefer not to speak. What I was anxious to do was something
personal for the girls’ welfare. In the midst of my quandary I received
my old friend Richard’s letter. I had not finished reading it when the
very idea I was seeking came to me. Let me read you the paragraph of his
letter which furnished my inspiration.”
Miss Susanna drew from an ornamental ruffled silk pocket of her skirt
the folded sheets of a letter. She unfolded them; hunted them for the
desired paragraph. She quickly found it and read in her brisk tones:
“‘Since you used to be greatly interested in old and rare books you will
remember the Ellerton’s fine private library which I once took you to
see when you were in New York. It is to be sold soon, at auction, as a
whole. The elder Ellertons have died and the heirs to the Ellerton
estate prefer to convert the library into cash. It appears to be the
chief aim of the rising generation to convert everything of beauty and
worth, which has a monetary value, into dollars, regardless of
tradition. So that splendid monument to learning, Steven Ellerton’s
library, will come under the auctioneer’s hammer next month.’”
“I’m sure the Ellerton library _couldn’t_ be finer than the Hamilton
Arms’ library,” Marjorie said in loyal defense of the remarkable
collection of volumes gathered together by Brooke Hamilton.
“It is not as complete, if I remember rightly,” Miss Susanna said,
looking pleased at Marjorie’s staunch opinion. “Uncle Brooke has some
rare Chinese and Japanese books and a collection of Spanish incunabula
which I know the Ellerton library lacks, as well as a good many other
rare and curious books of which he possessed the only known copies.”
Miss Susanna’s face broke into a little, amused smile as she glanced
from one to the other of the two girls.
“You girls must surely understand by this time what my inspiration was.
You both look a trifle bewildered. Can’t you add two and two, children?”
she asked playfully. “You ought to know the result.”
“But it’s such an overwhelming result, Miss Susanna!” Marjorie drew a
long breath. “Two, which stands for the dormitory girls, plus, two,
which stands for the Ellerton library make—” Marjorie paused. She gazed
at Miss Hamilton, her eyes bright as stars. “It’s too wonderful even to
think about;—until I grow more used to the idea. It’s too great a gift,
Miss Susanna, after all you’ve already done for the dormitory project.”
“Nonsense. Nothing is too great for me to give, provided I have it to
give, and feel like giving it,” declared the old lady brusquely. “I like
the idea of the dormitory having its own library. I have only one
request to make concerning it. I’d like to have the library named the
Brooke Hamilton Dormitory Library.”
“Just as though we _could_ give it another name!” Marjorie exclaimed
with fond fervor. “I’d say it ought to be named for you but I know you
would rather use Mr. Brooke’s name.”
“Of course I should.” Miss Hamilton gave an emphatic little nod of the
head. “I shouldn’t like the ‘Susanna Hamilton Dormitory Library,’ as a
name. Should you, child?”
“Yes; I should,” Marjorie disagreed with affectionate frankness. Jerry
echoed the opinion.
“You’re a couple of nice children. I appreciate your loyal approval,”
Miss Susanna told them. Her tones took on an odd grimness as she added:
“My name shall not appear in connection with a Hamilton College
movement, however worthy it may be. In the case of his name, there’s a
difference. He had the right to hope that his name might be perpetuated
in the college his genius and benevolence raised up.”
“‘The college his genius and benevolence raised up,’” Marjorie
meditatively repeated. “How beautiful that would be in a biography of
Mr. Brooke Hamilton.” She flushed, but looked bravely at Miss Susanna.
She had, in thus speaking, obeyed an irresistible impulse.
Answering color signals displayed themselves in the old lady’s cheeks. A
frown sprang to her brows. It disappeared almost instantly. Her alert
dark eyes grew tender. “It was a fortunate day for Hamilton when a
certain curly-haired little girl first set foot on the campus. Why not
call the new dormitory the Marjorie Dean Dormitory? The dream dormitory
that Marjorie Dean’s unselfish work made a reality. That’s what Uncle
Brooke would say if he were here.”
“How I love you for saying that, Miss Susanna, about Mr. Brooke
Hamilton!” Marjorie cried happily. “But I think Robin has done more hard
work than I to make the dormitory a reality. It should be named for
her.”
“_Don’t you ever believe it_, Miss Susanna.” Jerry laid emphasis on each
word. “Marvelous Manager began it. Robin is a close second, though. The
‘dorm’ ought to be called the Page and Dean Dormitory. Sounds something
like a business directory, but it tells the story. And the great beauty
of it is this:—it includes both distinguished promoters.” Jerry directed
a refulgent smile at Marjorie, who promptly made a saucy mouth at her.
“The Page and Dean Dormitory,” repeated Miss Susanna with a humorous
glance at Jerry. “I rather like the sound of the combination. You’re
right about it, Jerry. When one has two such retiring persons to deal
with as Marjorie and Robin it becomes necessary to drag them both to the
front. So be it. Now for Uncle Brooke’s study and our library
catalogues. Only a limited number of them were issued. I wish you had
been with me at the auction. There was some very brisk bidding at first.
There were perhaps a dozen wealthy New York men interested in the
auction. Richard Garrett represented me. I had nothing to do but keep
quiet and listen to the bidding.”
Miss Hamilton continued to relate in her abrupt, lively way the
interesting circumstances of the auction as they left the Chinese room
and stepped into the lift which Jonas manipulated for them.
“Send Selma to clear away the tea things, Jonas,” she ordered as she
stepped from the tiny elevator. “Then come to the study. You must go
over the catalogues with us. Nothing like familiarizing yourself with
the books you are going to pack.”
Jonas disappeared with alacrity. He returned as speedily to the study,
an utterly pleased smile decorating his placid, old face. He was
immensely proud of being invited to make a fourth member of the group in
the study.
The four friends sat at the massive, claw-legged library table and were
soon deep in exploring the copies of the auction catalogue with which
Miss Hamilton had supplied them. They read by snatches, browsing avidly
here and there among the descriptive pages; exclaiming exultantly over
one rare book or another which they discovered listed there.
“I’m positively dizzy with pride and vanity over the dormitory’s wonder
of a present!” Marjorie’s eyes gleamed like stars. There was a wealth of
feeling in her gratefully gay utterance. Presently, she allowed the
catalogue to drop from her hands to the table. She sat gazing at the
erect little figure on the opposite side of the table with boundless
affection. “I’m sure _you_ must love the dream dormitory that you helped
make a reality as dearly as we Travelers do,” she said fervently.
“We’ll say I have nothing against it,” Miss Susanna said dryly. “Why
should I? It’s not on the campus.” She cast a defiant glance about her.
“But we’ll not go into that subject. Back to our library. Having
acquired it, the next thing to do is to get it here.” The independent
donor declined to hear of her own generosity. “You’d best start for New
York in the morning, Jonas,” was her next terse remark.
“What train, Miss Susanna?” Jonas inquired imperturbably.
“An early morning train. One that will bring you into New York, it ought
to be called New Pandemonium Let Loose, while daylight lasts,” the old
lady pithily replied.
Jerry and Marjorie were both smiling openly at the sudden imperative
order Miss Susanna had launched at Jonas, and its tranquil reception.
“Yes, Jonas, for goodness sake don’t get lost in the wilds of New York
after dark,” Jerry warned with a chuckle. “I hope you know who’s who,
what’s what and where’s where in the metropolis.”
“I don’t; but I suppose I’ll have to learn.” Jonas echoed the chuckle.
His highly cheerful expression evidenced the coming detail as being
quite to his taste. “New York’s not much like it was when I was a young
man and Mr. Brooke took me there with him once for a trip.”
Two pairs of bright eyes were turned on Jonas with an expression which
bordered on reverence. It was something to marvel at—that this stately
old man with his crown of thick, snowy hair had been the chosen
traveling companion of Brooke Hamilton on a trip to New York. Miss
Susanna watched them understandingly, experiencing a secret happiness in
the unconscious girlish tribute offered her distinguished kinsman.
“It won’t take Jonas long to find his bearings,” she confidently
predicted. “With the help of two or three workmen he can pack the
library in short order. It will have to be stored at the Arms when it
arrives, until the dormitory is completed. Jonas will see to having it
shipped to the Arms by motor van. That will save time and extra
handling. I want it here and off my mind before Christmas. I have
received an invitation from a dear friend to spend Christmas with her
and her family. I am thinking of accepting it.”
Miss Susanna peered mysteriously over her glasses at Marjorie and Jerry.
She did not offer to divulge the name of the friend. Jonas raised a hand
to his mouth as though to brush away a smile that flickered briefly upon
his lips.
“Truly, Miss Susanna?” Marjorie cried out her pleasure of the
announcement. Each year since she had come to know the old lady well she
had invited her to spend the Christmas holidays at Castle Dean. On each
occasion Miss Susanna had flatly refused to leave the Arms over the
holidays, declaring that she would not consider the idea of passing
Christmas Day away from her ancestral home.
“Yes, truly. You won’t need to worry this Christmas about my being
lonely, child. I’m going back on my vow of years’ standing. I’ve found
something stronger even than my love for the Arms. I’ve found the love
of friends.” There was exultant triumph in Miss Hamilton’s forceful
speech.
“I’m so glad,” Marjorie assured with hearty sincerity. Her cheery smile
further conveyed her unenvious spirit at the news. She could only be
glad because Miss Susanna had found such a boon. She surmised that
through the friendly offices of Richard Garrett Miss Hamilton had come
in touch again with the woman friend of whom she had just spoken. They
had of course met in New York.
“Did you meet your friend in New York, Miss Susanna?” Jerry’s surprised
curiosity got the better of her. “I don’t mean to be an old curiosity
shop,” she instantly apologized, half laughing. “I scented an
interesting story. I thought you might have met a girl chum whom you
hadn’t seen for years and years.”
“No, Jerry; I did not meet my friend in New York.” Miss Susanna tried
vainly to keep a sober face. The battery of bright, wondering eyes
turned upon her proved too much for her. She laughed; a high, joyful
little laugh in which Jonas’ deeper notes of amusement mingled. “I first
met my friend on the road to the Arms; not such a long while ago,” she
said with tender pride. “The interesting story of our friendship began
with a broken basket handle and a young girl’s gracious courtesy toward
a crusty old woman. I was very fortunate in meeting her. She turned out
to be a royal young person who lived in a castle in the far country of
Sanford. Since I’ve known her she’s often invited me to spend Christmas
at Castle Dean. I’ve stayed at the Arms when I might have been happy in
the royal palace of the King and Queen of Dean. I—”
“Miss Susanna!” Marjorie and Jerry were now on their feet with a
concerted jubilant shriek.
“Wait a second.” Miss Hamilton briefly warded off the impending,
tumultuous embrace of two energetic pairs of arms. “One more remark;
then you may hug me hard. Like all the rest of the world, I hope to be
happy at Christmas time. I know I shall be—at Castle Dean.”
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