He looked older, too; his cheeks
had sunken in until they outlined his jaws sharply. He seemed far
from well; a nervous twitching of his fingers betokened the strain
he had been under. He was quite as immaculate as usual, however,
quite as polished and collected.
"How is our little 'stag' coming on?" he asked.
"Fine! Everything is ready," said Runnels. "You won't expect an
elaborate layout; it's mostly cold storage, you know, but we'll at
least be able to quench our thirst at the Central."
"Then it's really coming off? I was--afraid you'd forgotten it."
Cortlandt cast a curious glance at Kirk, who exclaimed, heartily:
"Well, hardly!" Then, as their prospective guest moved off, "What
a strange remark!"
"Yes," said Runnels, "he's a queer fellow; but then, you know,
he's about as emotional as a toad."
XXVI
THE CRASH
Kirk had no further chance of speaking with his wife, for after
the dance she was whisked away, leaving him nothing but the memory
of an adoring, blissful glance as she passed. With Runnels and
Cortlandt and the rest, he was driven to the Hotel Central, where
they found a very attractive table set in a private dining-room.
It was a lively party, and Kirk's secret elation enabled him to
play the part of host with unforced geniality.
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