"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 will think I am not coming," she said.