"
"Professionally?" he asked.
She nodded brightly. "For the good of my soul. Stella's a famous soul
doctor. The best ever except one, and she lives far away--away back east
in Cleveland, Ohio."
"Yes, I know her, too," he said gravely.
And while they laughed at the absurdity of his assertion, they did not
know until long afterward how literally true it was.
"Of course, I knew about you," she continued. "Phil told me how you
tried to ride that unbroken horse, the last time he was at our house.
Phil thinks you are quite a wonderful man."
"No doubt," said Patches mockingly. "I must have given a remarkable
exhibition on that occasion." He was wondering just how much Phil had
told her.
"And so, you see," she continued, "I couldn't very well help being
interested in the welfare of the stranger who had come among us.
Besides, our traditional western hospitality demanded it; don't you
think?"
"Oh, certainly, certainly. You could really do nothing less than inquire
about me," he agreed politely.
"And so, you see, Stella quite restored my soul health; or at least
afforded me temporary relief."
He met the quizzing, teasing, laughing look in her eyes blankly.
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