The girl sat, where he had left her, in a daze of happiness. All about her the seats of the grand stand were filling with people for the afternoon races; but she did not see them, nor the arid stretch of the race-course, around which were circling various experimental trotters under the guidance of hunched men in two-wheeled vehicles. The subdued light of the shaded place brought out new and more vivid flashes of color in the marvellous white stone on her little pink hand—scarlet and green and blue. Jennie twisted it slowly on her finger, her eyes riveted upon its alien splendors. “To think she didn’t like it!” she whispered to herself. “Good-afternoon, Miss Jennie,” murmured a carefully modulated voice at her side. She turned with a start to gaze into Mr. Todd’s smiling face. “Goodness!” exclaimed the girl petulantly. “How you made me jump!” “You were thinking about that new ring of yours, I suppose,” said Mr. Todd, blinking pleasantly. “Who told you I had a new ring, I’d like to know?” the girl demanded coldly. “I don’t have to be told,” Mr. Todd said facetiously. “Say, but it’s handsome! I shouldn’t wonder if it cost as much as two hundred and fifty.” “Not dollars?” exclaimed the girl, in an awestruck voice. “Sure! He must have thought a lot of you to give you that—eh, Miss Jennie?” The girl did not answer. She was putting on her gloves with an air of offended dignity. “I guess it ain’t any of your affairs,” she said, her lips trembling, “if I’ve got a friend or two.” “Don’t sit on me too hard,” begged Mr. Todd. “I didn’t mean anything out of the way. I couldn’t help noticing the sparkler on your hand. Most anybody would. Get it to-day?” “Yes, I did,” admitted the girl. “But you don’t need t’ ask me who give it t’ me, for I shan’t tell; so there!” “I wasn’t going to ask,” asserted Mr. Todd truthfully. “I—er—congratulate you, though. You’ll let me do that, won’t you?” The girl hunched the shoulder nearest him and eyed him sulkily over its slender defence. “I ain’t engaged; if that’s what you mean.” “Not engaged—with that ring? Come, you’re fooling!” “It does look some like an engagement ring,” said the girl, stealthily feeling her new treasure, “but it—it’s only an offerin’ o’ friendship. He—he’s got another girl. But I guess he don’t care s’ awful much ’bout her. She’s good-lookin’; but she don’t treat him right, an’ that makes him mad. I don’t blame him, neither.” “Do I know the party?” inquired Mr. Todd, affecting a consuming curiosity. “I ain’t a-goin’ t’ say, whether you do, er don’t,” and the girl tossed her head. “I wisht you’d let me alone.” “W’y, I ain’t sayin’ anything out the way. What’s your hurry to get rid of me, I’d like to know?” The girl moistened her red lips, with an anxious glance at the stair. “The’s a party bought that seat you’re in. I got t’ save it fer him.” “That’s all right, too,” said Mr. Todd affably. “I’ll get up an’ vamoose the minute you tell me he’s coming.”