"Dr.Stella administered a generous dose of talk about the only new thing that has happened in this neighborhood for months and months and months." "Meaning me ?" he asked.
"Well, are you not ?" she retorted.
"I guess I am," he smiled.

"Well, and then what ?" "Why, then I came away, feeling much better, of course." "Yes ?" "I was feeling so much better I decided I would go home a roundabout way; perhaps to the top of Black Hill; perhaps up Horse Wash, where I might meet father, who would be on his way home from Fair Oaks where he went this morning." "I see." "Well, so I met Snip, who was on his way to the Cross-Triangle.

I knew, of course, that old Snip would be your horse." She smiled, as though to rob her words of any implied criticism of his horsemanship.
"Exactly," he agreed understandingly.
"And I was afraid that something might have happened; though I couldn't see how that could be, either, with Snip.

And so I caught him--" He interrupted eagerly.

"How ?" "Why, with my riata," she returned, in a matter-of-fact tone, wondering at his question.
"You caught my horse with your riata ?" he repeated slowly.
"And pray how should I have caught him ?" she asked.
"But--but, didn't he _run_ ?" She laughed.