e had so often done
during the past few months, mentally placed the two men side by side.

"I just wanted to tell you"--she hesitated--"Mr. Patches--"

"I beg your pardon," he interrupted smiling.

"Well, Patches then; but you seem so different somehow, dressed like
this. I just wanted to tell you that I saw what happened this morning.
It was splendid!"

"Why, Miss Reid, you know that was nothing. The driver of the car would
probably have dodged the youngster anyway. I acted on the impulse of the
moment, without thinking. I'm always doing something unnecessarily
foolish, you know."

"The driver of the car would more likely have dodged into the child,"
she returned warmly. "And it was fortunate that some one in all that
stupid crowd could act without taking time to think. Everybody says so.
The dear old Dean is as pleased and proud as though you were one of his
own sons."

"Really, you make too much of it," he returned, clearly embarrassed by
her praise. "Tell me, you are enjoying the celebration? And what's the
matter with Phil? Can't you persuade him to ride in the contest? We
don't want the championship to go out of Yavapai County, do we?"

Why must he always bring Phil into their talk? Kitty asked herself.

"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 w