At the same instant the offending kitten was placed on the floor. "You little monkey!" cried the man, smiling down at the furry object at his feet. "Isn't she!" echoed the visitor sympathetically. "There she goes, the imp! What is left of your tie? Let me look at it." "It's all right, thank you." "There is just one thread ruffed up. I could fix it if I had a pin." From her gown she produced one, but as she did so a spray of wild roses slipped to the ground. "You've dropped your flowers," said Bob, picking them up. "Have I? Thank you. They are withered, anyway, I'm afraid." Tossing the rosebuds on the bench, she began to draw into smoothness the silken loop that defaced the tie. "There!" she exclaimed, glancing up into his eyes and tilting her head critically to one side. "That is ever so much better. You would hardly notice it. Now I really must go. I have bothered you quite enough." "You have not bothered me at all," contradicted Bob emphatically. "But I know I must have," she protested. "I've certainly delayed you. Besides, it doesn't look as if Willie was coming back." "Isn't there something I can do for you?" "No, thank you. It was nothing important. In fact, it doesn't matter at all. I just came to see if he could fix the clasp of my belt buckle. It is broken, and he is so clever at mending things that I thought perhaps he could mend this." "Let me see it." "Oh, I couldn't think of troubling you." "But I should be glad to fix it if I could. If not, I could at least hand it over to Willie's superior skill." She laughed. "I'm not certain whether Willie's skill is superior," was her arch retort. "Why not make a test case and find out?" Still she hesitated. "You're afraid to trust your property to me," Bob said, piqued by her indecision. "No, I'm not," was the quick response. "See? Here is the belt." She drew from her pocket a narrow strip of white leather to which a handsome silver buckle was attached and placed it in his hand. He took it, inspected its fastening and looked with beating pulse at the girdle's slender span. "Do you think it can be mended?" she inquired anxiously. "Of course it can." "Oh, I'm so glad!" "Give me a few days and you shall have it back as good as new." "That will be splendid!" Her eyes shone with starry brightness. "You see," she went on, "it was given me on my birthday by my--my--by some one I care a great deal for--by my--" she stopped, embarrassed.