He first saw her during a thunder storm, in the paddock at the
races, wearing a rain-coat with the collar turned up and a Panama
hat with the brim turned down. She was talking, in terms of
affectionate familiarity, with Cuthbert's two-year- old, The Scout.
The Scout had just lost a race by a nose, and Dolly was holding the
nose against her cheek and comforting him. The two made a charming
picture, and, as Carter stumbled upon it and halted, the race-horse
lowered his eyes and seemed to say: "Wouldn't YOU throw a race for
this?" And the girl raised her eyes and seemed to say: "What a
nice-looking, bright-looking young man! Why don't I know who you
are?"
So, Carter ran to find Cuthbert, and told him The Scout had gone
lame. When, on their return, Miss Ingram refused to loosen her hold
on The Scout's nose, Cuthbert apologetically mumbled Carter's name,
and in some awe Miss Ingram's name, and then, to his surprise, both
young people lost interest in The Scout, and wandered away together
into the rain.
After an hour, when they parted at the club stand, for which Carter
could not afford a ticket, he asked wistfully: "Do you often come
racing?" and Miss Ingram said: "Do you mean, am I coming
to-morrow?"
"I do!" said Carter.
"Then, why didn't you say that?" inquired Miss Ingram. "Otherwise
I mightn't have come.
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