r made
things kind of different. It was all in the family, anyhow. So Kittie
heard Josephine tell Mr. Morgan that the reason she did not marry him
was because he was an idler and without an ambition or a purpose in
life. And she said she must respect the man she married as well as love
him. Then George jumped up quickly and asked if she loved him, and she
cried and said she did, but that she would never, never marry him until
he did something to win her admiration and prove he was a man. You can
imagine how exciting it was for Kittie to see with her own innocent eyes
how grown-up people manage such things. She said she was so afraid she'd
miss something that she opened them so wide they hurt her afterwards.
But she didn't miss anything. She saw him kiss Josephine, too, and then
Josephine got up, and he argued and tried to make her change her mind,
and she wouldn't, and finally they left the conservatory. After that
Kittie and Mabel crept out and rushed up-stairs.

The next morning Kittie turned to Mabel with a look on her face which
Mabel had never seen there before. It was grim and determined. She said
she had a plan and wanted Mabel to help her, and not ask any questions,
but get her skates and come out. Mabel did, and they went straight to
George Morgan's house, which was only a few blocks away. He was very
rich and had a beautiful house. An English butler came to the door.
Mabel said she was so frightened her teeth chattered, but he smiled when
he saw Kittie, and said yes, Mr. Morgan was home and at breakfast, and
invited them in. When George came in he had a smoking-jacket on, and
looked very pale and sad and romantic, Mabel thought, but he smiled,
too, when he saw them, and shook hands and asked them if they had
breakfasted.

Kittie said yes, but they had come to ask him to take them skating, and
they were all ready and had brought their skates. His face fell, as real
writers say, and he hesitated a little, but at last he said he'd go, and
he excused himself, just as if they had been grown up, and went off to
get ready.

When they were left alone a terrible doubt assailed Mabel, and she asked
Kittie if she was going to ask George again to marry her. Kittie
blushed and said she was not, of course, and that she knew better now.
For it is indeed true that the human heart is not so easily turned from
its dear object. We know that if once one truly loves it lasts forever
and ever and ever, and then one dies and is b