“Too far off,” Anne demurred.  “Better do it while it’s fresh in your mind, before you start lectures.”

“I believe I’ll go over now.  It’s only a little after five, and that’ll keep me from answering that family budget until I’ve calmed down.  If you see any one looking for me, tell them I’ll be right straight back.  I’ll stop in the library and look up Malcolm’s historic record, on my way, so you may truthfully announce I’m delving into research.”

Kit went up the hill road buoyantly.  Dearly she loved to set a goal ahead of her, and then run for it.  Delphi had appeared rather barren as a field for her real endeavor, but now with the opening of school, she could see her way ahead to conscientiously starting something, which she sincerely hoped she could finish.  Coming along the sidewalk which bounded the campus on the south, she met Charity on her way back from the post-office.

“This is ever so much better than going up-stairs,” Kit said.  “Let’s walk around the campus twice, while I unburden my soul.”

At the second lap, the whole plan had been matured by Charity’s quick sympathy and understanding.

“And it will do them good, too,” she said, as they parted.  “That’s not the college spirit by a long shot, and you’re perfectly right, Kit, but just the same it’s easier to get it on the girls in this way with a nice friendly accompaniment of sandwiches, and iced tea, and whatever you do, Kit, don’t breathe one blessed word to anybody.  I wouldn’t even tell Marcelle herself that she is to be the guest of honor.  She’d run like a deer, if she even suspected it.”

The date of the Founders’ Tea was set for the following Saturday.  Kit evolved the invitations herself and wrote them on blank cards, as she remembered doing back at the Cove in the days of opulence and entertainment.

    Saturday, October Second, Three to Five.

    You are invited to attend a Founders’ Tea, Douglas Dormitory,
    Hope College, Miss Allen’s Study.

“Diffident, modest and correct,” quoth Kit, critically, when she showed them to Anne.  “Now, what are you going to eat, Anne?  Isn’t there something besides just plain tea?  Couldn’t we fix up some kind of glorified lemonade?”

“I’ve got it all down,” answered Anne.  “Grape juice, ginger ale and lemons.  It’s wonderful, and six kinds of sandwiches.  Cheese with pimento, and cheese with chopped walnuts, lettuce and egg, chopped raisins with beaten white of egg, and raspberry jam and cream cheese, sardine on lettuce with mayonnaise and deviled ham, with macaroons on the side.”

“It’s perfectly dandy,” exclaimed Kit.  “Aunt Daphne told me when I first started in that I could give a spread for the girls, and this is it.  After it’s all over, I’ll tell her about Marcelle, and I know she’ll enjoy it and approve.  I think we ought to get Peggy or Amy to write some kind of an anniversary ode for us.  It might begin like this: