Standing a moment, trembling with bitterness,
she darted out of the stable, out of the corral,
across the _patio_. She sped into the house and
her father's study, caught up the receiver of the
telephone.

And then, after a long time, the connection.
And her father's voice. And her frantic inquiry.
And the Judge's smiling reply. And her recital
of the facts -- pleading, pitiful, almost whimpering.
And now the Judge's serious rejoinder.
And then her imperious request that he come
home. And the Judge's regretful reply -- could
not on account of pressing matters. And then
her tearful, choking outburst into the transmitter!
And now suddenly the wires crossing and a
strange voice demanding that she get off. And
with it her utter collapse. She whirled away
from the telephone, flung herself down upon a
couch, and gave way to a wild outburst of
tears.

The thing _was_ pitiful. The horse had occupied
a very big place in her life. And because that
place now was empty, and because she saw no
promise of its ever being filled, she sobbed wretchedly
a long time. Then, rising quietly, she ascended
the stairs to her room. Here she sank
into a chair, one that overlooked the corral, and
began an analysis of the case, taking the affair
up from the very first day of Pat's coming into
her life. She did not go further than that. Woman
that she was, endowed with strongest intuitions
and insight, she knew she had sounded the mys-

[[96]]

p095 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p096w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p097

v?