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the three partners-第9章

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magnificence that his heart failed him at the last moment; and

mumbling an apology to the elegant receiving teller; fled with his

greasy chamois pouch of gold…dust to deposit his treasure in the

dingy Mint around the corner。  Perhaps there was something of this

feeling; mingled with a certain simple…minded fascination; in the

hesitation of a stranger of a higher class who entered the bank

that rainy morning and finally tendered his card to the important

negro messenger。



The card preceded him through noiselessly swinging doors and across

heavily carpeted passages until it reached the inner core of Mr。

James Stacy's private offices; and was respectfully laid before

him。  He was not alone。  At his side; in an attitude of polite and

studied expectancy; stood a correct…looking young man; for whom Mr。

Stacy was evidently writing a memorandum。  The stranger glanced

furtively at the card with a curiosity hardly in keeping with his

suggested good breeding; but Stacy did not look at it until he had

finished his memorandum。



〃There;〃 he said; with business decision; 〃you can tell your people

that if we carry their new debentures over our limit we will expect

a larger margin。  Ditches are not what they were three years ago

when miners were willing to waste their money over your rates。

They don't gamble THAT WAY any more; and your company ought to know

it; and not gamble themselves over that prospect。〃  He handed the

paper to the stranger; who bowed over it with studied politeness;

and backed towards the door。  Stacy took up the waiting card; read

it; said to the messenger; 〃Show him in;〃 and in the same breath

turned to his guest: 〃I say; Van Loo; it's George Barker!  You know

him。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Van Loo; with a polite hesitation as he halted at the

door。  〃He wasI thinkerin your employ at Heavy Tree Hill。〃



〃Nonsense!  He was my partner。  And you must have known him since

at Boomville。  Come!  He got forty shares of Ditch stockthrough

youat 110; which were worth about 80!  SOMEBODY must have made

money enough by it to remember him。〃



〃I was only speaking of him socially;〃 said Van Loo; with a

deprecating smile。  〃You know he married a young womanthe hotel…

keeper's daughter; who used to wait at the tableand after my

mother and sister came out to keep house for me at Boomville it was

quite impossible for me to see much of him; for he seldom went out

without his wife; you know。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Stacy dryly; 〃I think you didn't like his marriage。

But I'm glad your disinclination to see him isn't on account of

that deal in stocks。〃



〃Oh no;〃 said Van Loo。  〃Good…by。〃



But; unfortunately; in the next passage he came upon Barker; who

with a cry of unfeigned pleasure; none the less sincere that he was

feeling a little alien in these impressive surroundings; recognized

him。  Nothing could exceed Van Loo's protest of delight at the

meeting; nothing his equal desolation at the fact that he was

hastening to another engagement。  〃But your old partner;〃 he added;

with a smile; 〃is waiting for you; he has just received your card;

and I should be only keeping you from him。  So glad to see you;

you're looking so well。  Good…by!  Good…by!〃



Reassured; Barker no longer hesitated; but dashed with his old

impetuousness into his former partner's room。  Stacy; already

deeply absorbed in other business; was sitting with his back

towards him; and Barker's arms were actually encircling his neck

before the astonished and half…angry man looked up。  But when his

eyes met the laughing gray ones of Barker above him he gently

disengaged himself with a quick return of the caress; rose; shut

the door of an inner office; and returning pushed Barker into an

armchair in quite the old suppressive fashion of former days。  Yes;

it was the same Stacy that Barker looked at; albeit his brown beard

was now closely cropped around his determined mouth and jaw in a

kind of grave decorum; and his energetic limbs already attuned to

the rigor of clothes of fashionable cut and still more rigorous

sombreness of color。



〃Barker boy;〃 he began; with the familiar twinkle in his keen eyes

which the younger partner remembered; 〃I don't encourage stag

dancing among my young men during bank hours; and you'll please to

remember that we are not on Heavy Tree Hill〃



〃Where;〃 broke in Barker enthusiastically; 〃we were only overlooked

by the Black Spur Range and the Sierran snow…line; where the

nearest voice that came to you was quarter of a mile away as the

crow flies and nearly a mile by the trail。〃



〃And was generally an oath!〃 said Stacy。  〃But you're in San

Francisco NOW。  Where are you stopping?〃  He took up a pencil and

held it over a memorandum pad awaitingly。



〃At the Brook House。  It's〃



〃Hold on!  'Brook House;'〃 Stacy repeated as he jotted it down。

〃And for how long?〃



〃Oh; a day or two。  You see; Kitty〃



Stacy checked him with a movement of his pencil in the air; and

then wrote down; 〃'Day or two。'  Wife with you?〃



〃Yes; and oh; Stacy; our boy!  Ah!〃 he went on; with a laugh;

knocking aside the remonstrating pencil; 〃you must listen!  He's

just the sweetest; knowingest little chap living。  Do you know what

we're going to christen him?  Well; he'll be Stacy Demorest Barker。

Good names; aren't they?  And then it perpetuates the dear old

friendship。〃



Stacy picked up the pencil again; wrote 〃Wife and child S。 D。 B。;〃

and leaned back in his chair。  〃Now; Barker;〃 he said briefly; 〃I'm

coming to dine with you tonight at 7。30 sharp。  THEN we'll talk

Heavy Tree Hill; wife; baby; and S。 D。 B。  But here I'm all for

business。  Have you any with me?〃



Barker; who was easily amused; had extracted a certain entertainment

out of Stacy's memorandum; but he straightened himself with a look

of eager confidence and said; 〃Certainly; that's just what it is

business。  Lord! Stacy; I'm ALL business now。  I'm in everything。

And I bank with you; though perhaps you don't know it; it's in your

Branch at Marysville。  I didn't want to say anything about it to you

before。  But Lord! you don't suppose that I'd bank anywhere else

while you are in the businesschecks; dividends; and all that; but

in this matter I felt you knew; old chap。  I didn't want to talk to

a banker nor to a bank; but to Jim Stacy; my old partner。〃



〃Barker;〃 said Stacy curtly; 〃how much money are you short of?〃



At this direct question Barker's always quick color rose; but; with

an equally quick smile; he said; 〃I don't know yet that I'm short

at all。〃



〃But I do!〃



〃Look here; Jim: why; I'm just overloaded with shares and stocks;〃

said Barker; smiling。



〃Not one of which you could realize on without sacrifice。  Barker;

three years ago you had three hundred thousand dollars put to your

account at San Francisco。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Barker; with a quiet reminiscent laugh。  〃I remember I

wanted to draw it out in one check to see how it would look。〃



〃And you've drawn out all in three years; and it looks dd bad。〃



〃How did you know it?〃 asked Barker; his face beaming only with

admiration of his companion's omniscience。



〃How did I know it?〃 retorted Stacy。  〃I know YOU; and I know the

kind of people who have unloaded to you。〃



〃Come; Stacy;〃 said Barker; 〃I've only invested in shares and

stocks like everybody else; and then only on the best advice I

could get: like Van Loo's; for instance;that man who was here

just now; the new manager of the Empire Ditch Company; and

Carter's; my own Kitty's father。  And when I was offered fifty

thousand Wide West Extensions; and was hesitating over it; he told

me YOU were in it tooand that was enough for me to buy it。〃



〃Yes; but we didn't go into it at his figures。〃



〃No;〃 said Barker; with an eager smile; 〃but you SOLD at his

figures; for I knew that when I found that YOU; my old partner; was

in it; don't you see; I preferred to buy it through your bank; and

did at 110。  Of course; you wouldn't have sold it at that figure if

it wasn't worth it then; and neither I nor you are to blame if it

dropped the next week to 60; don't you see?〃



Stacy's eyes hardened for a moment as he looked keenly into his

former partner's bright gray ones; but there was no trace of irony

in Barker's。  On the contrary; a slight shade of sadness came over

them。  〃No;〃 he said reflectively; 〃I don't think I've ever been

foolish or followed out my OWN ideas; except once; and that was

extravagant; I admit。  That was my idea of building a kind of

refuge; you know; on the site of our old cabin; where poor miners

and played…out prospectors waiting for a strike could stay without

paying anything。  Well; I sunk twenty thousand dollars in that; and

might have lost more; only CarterKitty's fatherpersuaded me

he's an awful clever old fellowinto turning it into a kind of

branch hotel of Boomville; while using it as a hotel to take poor

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