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we were more inclined to be merely amused and tolerant of his
wonderful trust and simplicity than to really understand it for his
own good and ours。 I know you did not like his marriage； and were
inclined to believe he was the victim of a rather unscrupulous
father and a foolish； unequal girl； but are you satisfied that he
would have been the happier without it； or lived his perfect life
under other and what you may think wiser conditions？ If he WROTE
the poetry that he LIVES everybody would think him wonderful； for
being what he is we never give him sufficient credit。〃 Stacy
smiled grimly； and penciled on his memorandum； 〃He wants it to the
amount of ten thousand dollars。〃 〃Anyhow；〃 continued the writer；
〃look after him； Jim； for his sake； your sake； and the sake of
PHIL DEMOREST。〃
Stacy put the letter back in its envelope； and tossing it grimly
aside went on with his calculations。 Presently he stopped；
restored the letter to his cabinet； and rang a bell on his table。
〃Send Mr。 North here；〃 he said to the negro messenger。 In a few
moments his chief book…keeper appeared in the doorway。
〃Turn to the Branch ledger and bring me a statement of Mr。 George
Barker's account。〃
〃He was here a moment ago；〃 said North； essaying a confidential
look towards his chief。
〃I know it；〃 said Stacy coolly； without looking up。
〃He's been running a good deal on wildcat lately；〃 suggested North。
〃I asked for his account； and not your opinion of it；〃 said Stacy
shortly。
The subordinate withdrew somewhat abashed but still curious； and
returned presently with a ledger which he laid before his chief。
Stacy ran his eyes over the list of Barker's securities； it seemed
to him that all the wildest schemes of the past year stared him in
the face。 His finger； however； stopped on the Wide West Extension。
〃Mr。 Barker will be wanting to sell some of this stock。 What is it
quoted at now？〃
〃Sixty。〃
〃But I would prefer that Mr。 Barker should not offer in the open
market at present。 Give him seventy for itprivate sale； that
will be ten thousand dollars paid to his credit。 Advise the Branch
of this at once； and to keep the transaction quiet。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 responded the clerk as he moved towards the door。 But
he hesitated； and with another essay at confidence said insinuatingly；
〃I always thought； sir； that Wide West would recover。〃
Stacy； perhaps not displeased to find what had evidently passed in
his subordinate's mind； looked at him and said dryly； 〃Then I would
advise you also to keep that opinion to yourself。〃 But； clever as
he was； he had not anticipated the result。 Mr。 North； though a
trusted employee； was human。 On arriving in the outer office he
beckoned to one of the lounging brokers； and in a low voice said；
〃I'll take two shares of Wide West； if you can get it cheap。〃
The broker's face became alert and eager。 〃Yes； but I say； is
anything up？〃
〃I'm not here to give the business of the bank away；〃 retorted
North severely； 〃take the order or leave it。〃
The man hurried away。 Having thus vindicated his humanity by also
passing the snub he had received from Stacy to an inferior； he
turned away to carry out his master's instructions； yet secure in
the belief that he had profited by his superior discernment of the
real reason of that master's singular conduct。 But when he
returned to the private room； in hopes of further revelations； Mr。
Stacy was closeted with another financial magnate； and had
apparently divested his mind of the whole affair。
CHAPTER II。
When George Barker returned to the outer ward of the financial
stronghold he had penetrated； with its curving sweep of counters；
brass railings； and wirework screens defended by the spruce clerks
behind them； he was again impressed with the position of the man he
had just quitted； and for a moment hesitated； with an inclination
to go back。 It was with no idea of making a further appeal to his
old comrade； butwhat would have been odd in any other nature but
hishe was affected by a sense that HE might have been unfair and
selfish in his manner to the man panoplied by these defenses； and
who was in a measure forced to be a part of them。 He would like to
have returned and condoled with him。 The clerks； who were
heartlessly familiar with the anxious bearing of the men who sought
interviews with their chief； both before and after； smiled with the
whispered conviction that the fresh and ingenuous young stranger
had been 〃chucked〃 like others until they met his kindly； tolerant；
and even superior eyes； and were puzzled。 Meanwhile Barker； who
had that sublime； natural quality of abstraction over small
impertinences which is more exasperating than studied indifference；
after his brief hesitation passed out unconcernedly through the
swinging mahogany doors into the blowy street。 Here the wind and
rain revived him； the bank and its curt refusal were forgotten； he
walked onward with only a smiling memory of his partner as in the
old days。 He remembered how Stacy had burned down their old cabin
rather than have it fall into sordid or unworthy handsthis Stacy
who was now condemned to sink his impulses and become a mere
machine。 He had never known Stacy's real motive for that act；
both Demorest and Stacy had kept their knowledge of the attempted
robbery from their younger partner；it always seemed to him to be
a precious revelation of Stacy's inner nature。 Facing the wind and
rain； he recalled how Stacy； though never so enthusiastic about his
marriage as Demorest； had taken up Van Loo sharply for some foolish
sneer about his own youthfulness。 He was affectionately tolerant
of even Stacy's dislike to his wife's relations； for Stacy did not
know them as he did。 Indeed； Barker； whose own father and mother
had died in his infancy； had accepted his wife's relations with a
loving trust and confidence that was supreme； from the fact that he
had never known any other。
At last he reached his hotel。 It was a new one； the latest
creation of a feverish progress in hotel…building which had covered
five years and as many squares with large showy erections； utterly
beyond the needs of the community； yet each superior in size and
adornment to its predecessor。 It struck him as being the one
evidence of an abiding faith in the future of the metropolis that
he had seen in nothing else。 As he entered its frescoed hall that
afternoon he was suddenly reminded； by its challenging opulency； of
the bank he had just quitted； without knowing that the bank had
really furnished its capital and its original design。 The gilded
bar…rooms； flashing with mirrors and cut glass； the saloons； with
their desert expanse of Turkey carpet and oasis of clustered divans
and gilded tables； the great dining…room； with porphyry columns；
and walls and ceilings shining with allegoryall these things
which had attracted his youthful wonder without distracting his
correct simplicity of taste he now began to comprehend。 It was the
bank's money 〃at work。〃 In the clatter of dishes in the dining…
room he even seemed to hear again the chinking of coin。
It was a short cut to his apartments to pass through a smaller
public sitting…room popularly known as 〃Flirtation Camp；〃 where
eight or ten couples generally found refuge on chairs and settees
by the windows； half concealed by heavy curtains。 But the
occupants were by no means youthful spinsters or bachelors； they
were generally married women； guests of the hotel； receiving other
people's husbands whose wives were 〃in the States；〃 or responsible
middle…aged leaders of the town。 In the elaborate toilettes of the
women； as compared with the less formal business suits of the men；
there was an odd mingling of the social attitude with perhaps more
mysterious confidences。 The idle gossip about them had never
affected Barker； rather he had that innate respect for the secrets
of others which is as inseparable from simplicity as it is from
high breeding； and he scarcely glanced at the different couples in
his progress through the room。 He did not even notice a rather
striking and handsome woman； who； surrounded by two or three
admirers； yet looked up at Barker as he passed with self…conscious
lids as if seeking a return of her glance。 But he moved on
abstractedly； and only stopped when he suddenly saw the familiar
skirt of his wife at a further window； and halted before it。
〃Oh； it's YOU；〃 said Mrs。 Barker； with a half…nervous； half…
impatient laugh。 〃Why； I thought you'd certainly stay half the
afternoon with your old partner； considering that you haven't met
for three years。〃
There was no doubt she HAD thought so； there was equally no doubt
that the conversation she was carrying on with her companiona
good…looking； portly business manwas effectually interrupted。
But Barker did not notice it。 〃Captain Heath；