I stood bewildered, and then my stupid mind cast out a soulless image that it held and fixed the true one there.
"I rarely make this kind of a fool of myself," she said at last.
"That I can quite believe," I replied, smiling down at her. She returned the smile with one that held a fine good comradeship, and we seemed to have known each other long.…
A crowd had packed themselves before the stall. As we reached it Blister appeared in the doorway.
"Get back! Get back!" he ordered, and pointing to the panting mare: "Don't you think she's earned a right to breath?"
The crowd fell away, except one rather shabby little old man.
"No one living," said he, "appreciates what she has done moh than myself, suh, but I desiah to lay ma hand on a real race mayah once moh befoh I die!"
Blister's face softened.
"Come on in, Mr. Sanford," he invited. "Why you win the derby once, didn't you?"
"Thank you, suh. Yes, suh, many yeahs ago," said the little old man, and removing his battered hat he entered the stall, his white head bare.