tilted over her eyes, and a generally woe-begone look in
her whole attitude; and they had just had a wordy battle out at the
pond.

"Why, Kathleen," he exclaimed, in mock penitence, "is it possible? Why,
I never meant to hurt your feelings. I didn't suppose they could be
hurt."

"No; they can't, by you," retorted Kat, knocking off her hat, and
showing her eyes scornfully bright and dry. "Whenever you speak, I
consider the source, and it never amounts to much."

"Is it possible?" he exclaimed, laughing. "When I speak to you, you are
the source of every inspiring word."

"Then I am heartily ashamed of myself."

"I don't wonder; I'm often ashamed of you."

"You're hideous," cried Kat, fiercely. "I wonder if you have the ghost
of an idea how horrible you are, Ralph Tremayne?"

"No, indeed, I never found any one impolite enough to tell me; but you
will, I'm sure."

"Don't judge my politeness by your own!"

"I can't for you have none," he rejoined coolly.

Kat could have slapped him with a relish, and like as not, if he had
been nearer her own age she would have tried it. As it was, she looked
into his laughing eyes and knew that she was angry, and he was not,
therefore he would win, for a cool head can think a great deal faster
than a hot one; so she turned on her heel with a contemptuous spin, and
left him.

That afternoon she heard Ralph and Kittie planning a walk to the woods
next day, and her jealous heart ached and burned fiercely. How
despicable he was to take all of Kittie's time, and make himself such a
paragon in her eyes, that she could talk of no one else. Kat shook her
head in dire vengeance, and might have cried if she hadn't been too
proud. But just then Kittie said:

"I don't know, Ralph, whether I can go or not; I have some sewing that I
ought to do; you remember how I tore my dress the last time we went
boating? well, I ought to darn it, you see."

"No, I don't happen to see, unless you take it out in the woods and mend
it, while I make you a crown and put it on your head as queen of
industrious girls. Violets would be very becoming to your brown hair and
winsome face."

"What nonsense!" muttered Kat, in disgust, while all the time her heart
ached. "Wouldn't it be a joke if he was saying all those things to me
instead of Kittie, and didn't know the difference. He wouldn't think I
had a winsome face if I was the last girl alive, and yet I'm the moral
image of Kittie."

"Perhaps I can fin