It took the entire station force to
prevent him from starting for Colon as Kirk's guest. He considered
it a matter of course that his friend should offer him the
courtesies of the road, and he went away at last, wofully
disappointed but not discouraged.
On the evening of that eventful day, instead of returning to his
new quarters, Kirk proceeded to walk the streets in search of a
certain face. He strolled through the plazas; he idled in front of
the most pretentious residences; he tramped wearily back and forth
through dim-lit, narrow streets, gazing up at windows and
balconies, harkening for the tone of a voice or the sound of a
girl's laughter. But he was without the slightest success, and it
was very late when he finally retired, to dream, as usual, of
Chiquita.
Several days passed, and he began to feel a little dull. He was
making no progress in his quest, and he did feel the lack of
congenial society. Then one evening there came a note from Edith
Cortlandt briefly requesting him to come and see her.
He was a little surprised, yet he was conscious of a certain
relief. He had not felt like intruding upon her with further
explanations and apologies; but since she wished him to come--
perhaps they could meet, after all, in a natural way.
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