"I am sure that Phil knows how all his friends feel about his riding,"
she said coolly. "If he does not wish to gratify them, it is really a
small matter, is it not?"
Patches saw that he had made a mistake and changed easily to a safer
topic.
"You saw the beginning of the automobile race, of course? I suppose you
will be on hand this afternoon for the finish?"
"Oh, yes, I'm on my way now to join my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Stanford
Manning. We are going to see the finish of the race together."
She watched his face closely, as she spoke of her friends, but he gave
no sign that he had ever heard the name before.
"It will be worth seeing, I fancy," he returned. "At least everybody
seems to feel that way."
"I am sure to have a good time, anyway," she returned, "because, you
see, Mrs. Manning is one of my very dearest girl friends, whom I have
not seen for a long time."
"Indeed! You _will_ enjoy the afternoon, then."
Was there a shade too much enthusiasm in the tone of his reply? Kitty
wondered. Could it be that his plea of loneliness was merely a
conventional courtesy and that he was really relieved to find that she
was engaged for the afternoon?
"Yes, and I must hurry on to them, or they will think I am not coming,"
she said.
Pages:
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307