"Come right in, sir," he told Bob, in tones which mingled much deference
with considerable surprise.
Bob had no reason to understand how unusual was the circumstance of so
prompt a reception of a visitor for whom no previous appointment had
been made. He entered the door held open for him by the boy, and so
found himself in Baker's presence.
XXIII
The office was expensively but plainly furnished in hardwoods. A thick
rug covered the floor, easy chairs drew up by a fireplace, several good
pictures hung off the wall. Near the windows stood a small desk for a
stenographer, and a wide mahogany table. Behind this latter, his back to
the light, sat Baker.
The man's sturdy figure was absolutely immobile, and the customary
facetiously quizzical lines of his face had given place to an expression
of cold attention. When he spoke, Bob found that the picturesque diction
too had vanished.
At Bob's entrance, Baker inclined his head coldly in greeting, but said
nothing. Bob deliberately crossed the room and rested his two fists,
knuckle down, on the polished desktop. Baker waited stolidly for him to
proceed.
Pages:
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788