“Honestly, Patty, I haven’t the slightest idea.  Ken is splendid, I think,—­but——­”

“But what, Nan?” And Patty looked deeply interested.

“First, what did you say?”

“I won’t tell you, until you tell me what you meant by ‘but.’”

“Why, I only meant that Kenneth is,—­well he’s a dear and all that, but he’s so——­”

“Oh, fiddlesticks, Nan, say it out!  Dull, prosaic, old-fogy, poky, slow.”

“Patty, Patty! those words are too strong!  Ken isn’t all those things!  He’s only,—­just a little bit——­”

“Just a day and a half behind the times.  Or else I’m a day and a half ahead of them.  Well, Nan, that’s what I told him.”

“What! that he was dull and old-fogy?”

“Not exactly those terms; but in a few well-chosen words I gave him that impression, or tried to.  By the way, Nan, I danced all round the room while he was proposing.  Was that correct?”

“Patty, stop your nonsense!  Will you never be grown-up?  You shall not make fun of Kenneth.”

“Oh, Nan, I only wish I could!  You might as well try to make fun of the Public Library.  Kenneth is an institution.  I always feel like saying to him, ‘Sail on, sail on, oh, Ship of State!’ or something like that.  Now, wait a minute, Nan; don’t you think I don’t appreciate his sterling qualities.  Like a Ship of State, he’s made of pure granite,—­oh, no, they don’t make ships of granite, do they?—­I mean like the Public Library, you know.  And he has solid foundations,—­mental, moral, and physical.  But he hasn’t any fancy work about him.  Even the Public Library has flags flying,—­but Ken never thinks of anything as gay as a flag.”

“Patty, you’re talking a lot, but I do believe you know what you’re saying;—­it’s true, dear.  And are you going to marry him?”

“Marry him!” And Patty looked distinctly aggrieved.  “Why, Nan, do you think for a moment I’d accept my first proposal?  No, sir-ee!  After I’ve had half a dozen, I may take one seriously, but not before.  How can I tell until I’ve seen various sorts?  Why, Nan, Kenneth didn’t go down on his knees at all!  I thought they always did.  Didn’t father, when he asked you?”

“Oh, Patty, I thought you were up-to-date!  Kneeling proposals went out with the Colonials!  It’s only a tradition, now.”

“Gracious, Nan, how experienced you are!  But I don’t think I shall accept anybody until he kneels to me.  But don’t tell anybody that, for I don’t want them all doing it on purpose.”

“Patty,” and Nan spoke seriously, “it’s all very well for you to rattle on like this, but you mustn’t treat Ken’s proposal lightly.  He’s a splendid man and he’s terribly in love with you——­”

“Wait a minute, Nan,” and Patty was quite as earnest as the other.  “Ken isn’t terribly in love with me.  I’d like it better if he were.  He’s deeply in love, even earnestly,—­almost solemnly, but——­”