glad you asked me that while the men are at the
barn," said Kate. "Mr. Jardine hasn't said a word about it himself, so
please be careful what you say before him."

Agatha looked at Kate in wonder.

"You amaze me," she said. "Why, he regards you as if he would devour
you. He hasn't proposed for your hand, you say? Surely you're not
giving him proper encouragement!"

"She isn't giving him any, further than allowing him to be around,"
said Nancy Ellen.

"Do enlighten me!" cried the surprised Agatha. "How astonishing! Why,
Kate, my dear, there is a just and proper amount of encouragement that
MUST be given any self-respecting youth, before he makes his
declarations. You surely know that."

"No, I do not know it!" said Kate. "I thought it was a man's place to
speak up loud and plain and say what he had to propose."

"Oh, dear!" wailed Agatha, wringing her thin hands, her face a mirror
of distress. "Oh, dear, I very much fear you will lose him. Why,
Katherine, after a man has been to see you a certain number of times,
and evidenced enough interest in you, my dear, there are a thousand
strictly womanly ways in which you can lend his enterprise a little,
only a faint amount of encouragement, just enough to allow him to
recognize that he is not--not--er--repulsive to you."

"But how many times must he come, and how much interest must he
evince?" asked Kate.

"I can scarcely name an exact number," said Agatha. "That is personal.
You must decide for yourself what is the psychological moment at which
he is to be taken. Have you even signified to him that you--that
you--that you could be induced, even to CONTEMPLATE marriage?"

"Oh, yes," said Kate, heartily. "I told his mother that it was the
height of my ambition to marry by the time I'm twenty. I told her I
wanted a man as tall as I am, two hundred acres of land, and at least
twelve babies."

Agatha collapsed suddenly. She turned her shocked face toward Nancy
Ellen.

"Great Day of Rest!" she cried. "No wonder the man doesn't propose!"

When the men returned from their stroll, Agatha and Susan served them
with delicious frozen custard and Angel's food cake. Then they resumed
their drive, passing Hiram's place last. At the corner Robert
hesitated and turned to ask: "Shall we go ahead, Kate?"

"Certainly," said Kate. "I want Mr. Jardine to see where I was born
and spent my time of legal servitude. I suppose we daren't stop. I
doubt if Mother wo