But Steve did not even see her glowing
face below him in that instant, nor Caleb's, nor that of Allison
either, who watching Steve's eyes, had suddenly ceased to smile. Caleb
knew what his sister's thoughts were, however, for he was recalling
that black velvet suit with silver buttons himself. While Steve and
Barbara were shaking hands he gained her ear in whispered admiration.
"Sarah," he commented, "Sarah, you are clever!"
Miss Sarah was on the point of taking Dexter Allison's arm to lead the
way to table. Her reply was tuned to Caleb's ear alone.
"She had thought of him in terms of blue flannel and corduroy long
enough," she said. "If you please, Dexter--Stephen, do you and Barbara
want any dinner?"
Those two were still shaking hands. Steve, who was only dimly aware of
the fact that Garry and Fat Joe had arrived, the latter guilty of his
first dinner jacket and enormously proud of his guilt, stood looking at
Barbara while she was chattering at him, without hearing distinctly a
word she spoke. Miss Sarah's question helped to bring him back.
"You look as though I were a wraith," the girl accused him. "Am I so
pale after a few weeks of sophisticated city air?"
But her man had taken command of himself again, by then.
"I thought you looked like--shall I tell you what I thought?"
"Most certainly," she was forced to insist.
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