The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-02
Kate's
Conscience
By IZOLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1906, by Ruby Douglas
By IzoLA FORESTER


was frankly angry and perplexed.
IF you don't some one else WILL and
that will only make any subsequent
explanation so unpleasant Men are
peculiar, anyway, and in an affair Of
this kind''-
''Imogene Wayne"-Kate's face flush
ed hotly-'I think you put it altogether
too strongly"
1T is a serious matter" Imogene
bit off the end of her embroidery linen
deliberately. IF it were my own af-
fair | should consider it a matter Of
conscience. Willard is the sort of man
to take anything of that kind to heart.
| know him well''
Il don't care a bit whether he knows
or mott" exclaimed Kate. II suppose
| should have told him in the first
place, but he never asked me, and
didn't consider it necessary. 1 never
thought Bart would"
No one did," interposed Imogene,
with serene significance. But the
fact remains that Bart has
HAS what? Am l always in trou-
bleY'
Lazily, comfortably interested, the
voice sounded from the inner room
whose windows opened on the veran-
da. Kate stood, silent, indignant, her
chin appraised, her lashes downcast
From the cool shadow of the curtained
window seat Bart Holman thought
her sweeter and dearer than ever. And
1t had been nearly two years ago.
'Are you In there, Bart7" Imogene
laughed. How long have you been
listening-long enough to agree with
me? Whatever made you come home
when everybody wanted you to stay in
Japanw
Not everybody. / came by special
request"
And went in the first place by spe-
cial request too7'
Kate flashed one single glance at her
cousin She had not known how much
Imogene knew. She wondered If Bart
had told her. Against her will she
looked at Bart. He was smiling at
her, and suddenly, vaguely, she felt
more at ease. After all Bart was a
good boy. He had come home the same
"a trifle browner, the lines about his
mouth bit deeper, the look Of his
eyes steadier The two years In Japan
had done him good.
when is the wedding, Kittyf''
No one ever called her Kitty but
Bart. 1t was such foolish, childish
name for girl, she thought, for the
kind of girl at least that she prided
herself on being. She was not the
fluffy, childish type She was tall and
slender with smooth dark hair, and
eyes that changed like the sea with her
mood
1--WE are not even engaged yet" she
answered composedly. Il can hardly
say when the wedding will be-"
Kate is so cautious about matri-
mony this time," Imogene said amused
ly. "She has actually put poor Willard
on probation. If he is good boy for
three months and manages to fulfill her
ideal in that time, then she will consent
to an engagement"
IF / were q girl I'd put Willard on
probation for life," Bart said cheer
fully. Zone would be perfectly SAFE
There would never be any danger of
foreclosure"
Three months is long enough" said
Kate. "A man who cannot stand a
three months test is not worth waiting
a lifetime for
Don't be vindictive and catty,
Kate" Imogene gathered up her melee
of embroidery odds and ends Every
body at Viewpoint knows about you and
Bart, and when you twit him that way
it is simply bad taste. Bart, why on
earth didn't you have sense enough to
stay awayY
mo one sent me announcement cards
of the probation" answered Bart
calmly. Il like Viewpoint. Willard
and l are old college pals"
Were you really?" Imogene glanced
back over her shoulder to laugh again.
isn't it comicaI, though, the whole
affair? Well, there is one thing sure,
Bart, you won't be pals if Rates con-
science troubles her,
They were alone several minutes be-
fore the silence was broken Then
Bart asked:
Does 1T"
Trouble me?' Kate lifted her head.
and the anxiety in her eyes startled
him. Yes, it does, Bart. OF course
intend to marry Willard. The proba-
ton idea is half of it, Imogene's non
sense. l only asked him to give me
three months to make up my mind"
Il didn't give you three minutes"
"And l changed it In three weeks"
she retorted quickly. 1T is better to
be sure. But
But you haven't told Willard about
meY'
Not yet" She hesitated and then
added nervously, earnestly: 1T isn't
that he would mind, although l sup
pose he would too. l know l should
mind if he had done such thing and
had not told me. But l thought he
knew of course, until one day he told
me he didn't believe girl ever loved
more than one man sincerely and alb
solutely, and he was glad for that rea-
son that had never been engaged be-
fore"
Il agree with him." Bart swung
over the barrier of the window ledge
that separated them. Il don't believe
you'll ever love any one as you did me,
Kitty, will your
The impersonal frankness of his tone
disarmed her. She replied almost gen.
tly:
1T was the newness of it all, that's
what makes it different Why, Bart
do you know you were the first man
who ever asked me to be his wife2
And it seemed so queer. You never
said word do you remember, just
Il remember" said Bart. TT was
enough. You gave it back"
and you brought the ring the very
next day to me-"
you gave that back too" He looked
at her left hand as he spoke. 1t was
| ringless. Willard was certainly on pro-
baton. He reached In his inside coat
pocket and drew out small leather
case. The color rose in her cheeks as
he tossed it over on her lap. She open
| ed it with fingers not quite steady.
| Bart was watching a figure in gray
flannel walking up the board walk
! from the beach. 1t was Willard
When Kate raised her lashes from the
little leather case they sparkled with
! tears
"Why did you ever come backT she
asked. "What made you keep it,
! Bartf'
Bart bent over her quickly. The
veranda was secluded and private In
that particular corner No person down
on the board walk could intrude on its
seclusion. He took Hates left hand in
his own strong young ones, tanned by