Hoof Beats 



"But you ride, of course," the girl insisted. 



"No, that is, I haven't for years you see." 



He suddenly became aware that the girl oppo- 

 site him had beautiful hair, and a wonderful red in 

 her cheeks, good healthy outdoor red. 



"Oh, and why did you give it up.'^ I could 

 never do that, give up riding!" 



"It wasn't easy. It isn't easy now, but one 

 can't practice law and ride, now can they?" he 

 appealed. 



"But why practice law?" the girl laughed, and 

 then, "Oh I'm sorry I said that, it sounded silly. 

 Of course you were right. Men can't just ride, 

 someone has to practice law and build bridges. I 

 daresay the world wouldn't go very far if men only 

 rode horses." 



Striving frowned. "I don't know," he went on 

 half to himself, "I'm not so sure it makes much 

 difference." 



The girl looked out of the window. 



"It is pretty country, isn't it?" she asked, "and 

 we rarely draw a blank. We're not very smart 

 perhaps, but we have a nice little club and one 

 really does have to ride to get over the fences 

 about here. And then, too, we don't have such 

 large crowds out and that's rather nice. Every- 

 body knows everybody else and we ride our owii 

 lines." 



66 



