Putnam patriot., 1911-10-13
]: KATE'S CONSCIENCE It Troubled Her About Her
 Engagement.
By izoLA FORESTER.
 

 hour she felt more than annoyed. She ras frankly angry and perplexed.
 ~If you don't some one else will, and that will only make any subsequent explanation go unpleasant Men are peculiar, annray, and in an affair of 1his kind"-
 .J1nogene wayne"-Kate's face flush ed hotly-"I think you put 1t altogeth- CT too strongly"
 .It is A serious matter" Imogene bit off the end of her embroidery linen deliberately. "If it were my own ar fair I should consider it a matter Of conscience. Willard is the sort of man to take anything of that kind to heart. 1 know him we'll"
 .I don't care a bit whether he knows or not" exclaimed Kate "I suppose i should have told him in the first place, but he never asked me. and l didn't consider it necessary. l never thought Bart would
 'No one did" interposed lmegene. with serene significance. But the fact remains that Bart has
 Has what? Am l always in trou- bleT"
 L.azily. comfortably interested, the yoi-e sounded from the inner room whose windows opened on the yeran- da. Kate stood, silent. indignant, her chin upraised her lashes downcast. From the cool shadow of the curtained window seat Bart Holman thought her sweeter and dearer than ever And if had been nearly two years ago.
 Are you in there. BartF' lmogene laughed How long have you been llstenlng-long enough 10 agree with me? Whatever made you come home when everybody wanted you to stay in Japan?"
 f'Not everybody. came by special request"
 And went in the first place by spe cial request tooF
 Kate flashed the single glance Ut her cousin She had not known how much Imogene knew. She wondered II 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 good boy. He had come home the same n trifie browner. the lines about his mouth a bit deeper, the book of his eyes steadier The two years In Japan had done him good.
 "When is the wedding. KittyY
 No one ever called her Kitty but Tel nh name for girl. she thought. for the kind of girl at least that she prided herself on being She was not the fiuny. childish type. She was tall and slender. with smooth, dark hair ana eyes that changed like the sea with her mood.
 We are not even engaged yet she answered composedly. "I can hardly say when the wedding will be:
 Kate is so cautious about matri- mony this time" lmogene said amused iy. "She has actually put poor Willard on probation. If he is good boy for three months and manages to fulhil her ideal in that time. then she will con sent to an en;:a ycnent."
 IT l Were EtTt | Il put " lilaiu "" probation for liiv. Bart said cheer fully. One would he 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 lifetime for"
 r+"Don't he vindictive and cntty 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 awayg'
 No one sent me announcement cards of the probation" answered Bart calmly. "I like Viewpoint. Willard and are old college pals
 Were you really:s Imogene glanced lleck over her sho, der to laugh again Isn't it eomical thuneh. the whole af- fairf We'll. there h one thing sure. Bart-you won't be pals if Rates con science troubles her"
  fore the silence was broken. Then Bart asked:
 Does it2"
 "Trouble meY" 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 il, lmogene's non sense | only asked him to give me three months to make up my mind"
 .'l didn't give you three minutes"
 And l changed 1t in three weeks, ' she retorted quickly Tt Is better to be sure. But"
 But you haven't told Willard about meg"
 "Not yet" She hesitated and then added nervously. earnestly: Tt isn't that he would mind although l sup pose he would too. l know l should mind if he had done such a thing and had not told me But I thought he knew. of course. until one day he told me he didn't believe girl ever loved more than one man sincerely and abso- iuteiy and he was glau TOT that person that l had never been engaged be- fore"
 T agree with him" Bart swung over the barrier of the window ledge that separated them. "l don't believe you'n ever love any one as you did me. Kitty. will youT'
 The impersonal frankness of his tone disarmed her. She replied almost gaufly-