his mouth half-way across his cheek. Even when his
face was in repose he had an odd expression; and when, as he chanced
to do now, he smiled, odd became a mild adjective, quite inadequate
for purposes of description. It was not an unpleasant face, however.
Unquestionably genial, indeed. There was something in it that had a
quality of humorous appeal.
Archie started. He stared at the man, Memory stirred.
"Great Scot!" he cried. "It's the Sausage Chappie!"
Reginald van Tuyl gave a little moan. He was not used to this sort of
thing. A sensitive young man as regarded scenes, Archie's behaviour
unmanned him. For Archie, releasing his arm, had bounded forward and was
shaking the other's hand warmly.
"Well, well, well! My dear old chap! You must remember me, what? No?
Yes?"
The man with the scar seemed puzzled. He shuffled the brown shoes,
patted the straw hat, and eyed Archie questioningly.
"I don't seem to place you," he said.
Archie slapped the back of the evening-dress coat. He linked his arm
affectionately with that of the dress-reformer.
"We met outside St Mihiel in the war. You gave me a bit of sausage.
One of the most sporting events in history. Nobody but a real sportsman
would have parted with a bit of sausage at that moment to a stranger.
Never forgotten it, by Jove. Saved my life, absolutely. Hadn't chewed
a morse for eight hours. Well, have you got anything on? I mean to say,
you aren't booked for lunch or any rot of that species, are you? Fine!
Then I move we all toddle off and get a bite somewhere." He squeezed
the other's arm fondly. "Fancy meeting you again like this! I've often
wondered what became of you. But, by Jove, I was forgetting. Dashed rude
of me. My friend, Mr. van Tuyl."
Reggie gulped. The longer he looked at it, the harder this man's costume
was to bear. His eye passed shudderingly from the brown shoes to the
tweed trousers, to the green scarf, from the green scarf to the straw
hat.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "Just remembered. Important date. Late already.
Er--see you some time--"
He melted away, a broken man. Archie was not sorry to see him go. Reggie
was a good chap, but he would undoubtedly have been de trop at this
reunion.
"I vote we go to the Cosmopolis," he said, steering his newly-found
friend through the crowd. "The browsing and sluicing isn't bad there,
and I can sign the bill which is no small consideration nowadays."
The Sausage Chappie chuckled amusedly.
"I
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