Place Hough met old acquaintances among some St. Louis visitors, who
were out to see the road and Benton, and perhaps to find
investments; and he assured them blandly that their visit would not
be memorable unless he relieved them of their surplus cash. So a
game with big stakes was begun. Neale, with Hough and five of the
visitors, made up the table.
Eastern visitors worked upon Neale's mood, but he did not betray it.
He was always afraid he would come face to face with some of the
directors, whom he did not care to meet in such surroundings. And
so, while gambling, he seldom looked up from his cards. The crowd
came and went, but he never saw it.
This big game attracted watchers. The visitors were noisy; they
drank a good deal; they lost with an equanimity that excited
interest, even in Benton. The luck for Neale seesawed back and
forth. Then he lost steadily until he had to borrow from Hough.
About this time Beauty Stanton, with Ruby and another woman, entered
the room, and were at once attracted by the game, to the evident
pleasure of the visitors. And then, unexpectedly, Larry Red King
stalked in and lounged forward, cool, easy, careless, his cigarette
half smoked, his blue eyes keen.
"Hey! is that him?" whispered one of the visitors, indicating Larry.
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