An audible breath of approval ascended from the attentive listeners. They were already deeply enough interested in Peter Graham to be in sympathy with his upward struggle.
“I knew I could trust Peter to give you his best in all ways,” was the positive declaration. “His bid for the entire operation—tearing down the old houses, preparing the site for the new building and erecting the dormitory was moderate in comparison with the figures I received from two widely known firms of builders. As you children have resolved to clear away the debt you will incur in building the dormitory you can do no better than trust the operation to Peter Graham. Jonas agrees with me. At first I thought of writing you about it, Marjorie. I found I did not feel like writing. I decided to tell you and Robin when you came to Hamilton. Time was flying, with nothing done. I sent for Peter and told him what I wanted. I made him happy. I know you are pleased with the progress he has made. But I don’t know what you think of Jonas and me.” She stopped with a half embarrassed laugh.
“There is only one thing we could think.” Marjorie’s face glowed with devotion. “You and Jonas must feel about Hamilton as Mr. Brooke Hamilton felt. You’d have to, in your heart, or you couldn’t have done such wonderful things for the students to come.”
“No such thing,” contradicted the old lady in an odd, harsh voice. “I mean, the way I feel about the college. Jonas is Uncle Brooke’s man, heart and soul. He still nurses all of Uncle Brooke’s plans for Hamilton College. Let us have it understood, here and now, that if a dear little friend of mine, Marjorie Dean, had not interested me in the plucky way she and her chums were fighting to turn that snob shop on the campus into a democracy, I’d not have lifted a finger for the benefit of Hamilton. As it turned out, Marvelous Manager’s way was his way. So I managed to please both,” she ended, her tone softening.
“Truly, Miss Susanna, that is the nicest compliment I ever had.” Marjorie showed such obvious delight at being ranked with the man she so reverenced that Miss Susanna’s own crinkly smile broke forth.
“Glad you liked it.” She continued to smile. Marjorie regarded her eccentric benefactor with utter devotion. Miss Susanna was flowering forth into graciousness as a peach tree breaks forth into rosy bloom in early spring. The others were watching the devoted pair and smiling their approval.