the three partners-第10节

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

chaps　who　couldn't　pay；　at　half　prices；　or　quarter　prices；

PRIVATELY；　don't　you　see；　so　as　to　spare　their　pride；awfully

pretty；　wasn't　it？and　make　the　hotel　profit　by　it。〃



〃Well？〃　said　Stacy　as　Barker　paused。



〃They　didn't　come；〃　said　Barker。



〃But；〃　he　added　eagerly；　〃it　shows　that　things　were　better　than　I

had　imagined。　　Only　the　others　did　not　come；　either。〃



〃And　you　lost　your　twenty　thousand　dollars；〃　said　Stacy　curtly。



〃FIFTY　thousand；〃　said　Barker；　〃for　of　course　it　had　to　be　a　larger

hotel　than　the　other。　　And　I　think　that　Carter　wouldn't　have　gone

into　it　except　to　save　me　from　losing　money。〃



〃And　yet　made　you　lose　fifty　thousand　instead　of　twenty。　　For　I

don't　suppose　HE　advanced　anything。〃



〃He　gave　his　time　and　experience；〃　said　Barker　simply。



〃I　don't　think　it　worth　thirty　thousand　dollars；〃　said　Stacy　dryly。

〃But　all　this　doesn't　tell　me　what　your　business　is　with　me　to…day。〃



〃No；〃　said　Barker；　brightening　up；　〃but　it　is　business；　you　know。

Something　in　the　old　styleas　between　partner　and　partnerand

that's　why　I　came　to　YOU；　and　not　to　the　'banker。'　　And　it　all

comes　out　of　something　that　Demorest　once　told　us；　so　you　see　it's

all　us　three　again！　　Well；　you　know；　of　course；　that　the　Excelsior

Ditch　Company　have　abandoned　the　Bar　and　Heavy　Tree　Hill。　　It

didn't　pay。〃



〃Yes；　nor　does　the　company　pay　any　dividends　now。　　You　ought　to

know；　with　fifty　thousand　of　their　stock　on　your　hands。〃



Barker　laughed。　　〃But　listen。　　I　found　that　I　could　buy　up　their

whole　plant　and　all　the　ditching　along　the　Black　Spur　Range　for　ten

thousand　dollars。〃



〃And　Great　Scott！　you　don't　think　of　taking　up　their　business？〃

said　Stacy；　aghast。



Barker　laughed　more　heartily。　　〃No。　　Not　their　business。　　But　I

remember　that　once　Demorest　told　us；　in　the　dear　old　days；　that　it

cost　nearly　as　much　to　make　a　water　ditch　as　a　railroad；　in　the　way

of　surveying　and　engineering　and　levels；　you　know。　　And　here's　the

plant　for　a　railroad。　　Don't　you　see？〃



〃But　a　railroad　from　Black　Spur　to　Heavy　Tree　Hillwhat's　the　good

of　that？〃



〃Why；　Black　Spur　will　be　in　the　line　of　the　new　Divide　Railroad

they're　trying　to　get　a　bill　for　in　the　legislature。〃



〃An　infamous　piece　of　wildcat　jobbing　that　will　never　pass；〃　said

Stacy　decisively。



〃They　said　BECAUSE　it　was　that；　it　would　pass；〃　said　Barker　simply。

〃They　say　that　Watson's　Bank　is　in　it；　and　is　bound　to　get　it

through。　　And　as　that　is　a　rival　bank　of　yours；　don't　you　see；　I

thought　that　if　WE　could　get　something　real　good　or　valuable　out　of

it；something　that　would　do　the　Black　Spur　good；it　would　be　all

right。〃



〃And　was　your　business　to　consult　me　about　it？〃　said　Stacy　bluntly。



〃No；〃　said　Barker；　〃it's　too　late　to　consult　you　now；　though　I　wish

I　had。　　I've　given　my　word　to　take　it；　and　I　can't　back　out。　　But　I

haven't　the　ten　thousand　dollars；　and　I　came　to　you。〃



Stacy　slowly　settled　himself　back　in　his　chair；　and　put　both　hands

in　his　pockets。　　〃Not　a　cent；　Barker；　not　a　cent。〃



〃I'm　not　asking　it　of　the　BANK；〃　said　Barker；　with　a　smile；　〃for　I

could　have　gone　to　the　bank　for　it。　　But　as　this　was　something

between　us；　I　am　asking　you；　Stacy；　as　my　old　partner。〃



〃And　I　am　answering　you；　Barker；　as　your　old　partner；　but　also　as

the　partner　of　a　hundred　other　men；　who　have　even　a　greater　right

to　ask　me。　　And　my　answer　is；　not　a　cent！〃



Barker　looked　at　him　with　a　pale；　astonished　face　and　slightly

parted　lips。　　Stacy　rose；　thrust　his　hands　deeper　in　his　pockets；

and　standing　before　him　went　on：



〃Now　look　here！　　It's　time　you　should　understand　me　and　yourself。

Three　years　ago；　when　our　partnership　was　dissolved　by　accident；　or

mutual　consent；　we　will　say；　we　started　afresh；　each　on　our　own

hook。　　Through　foolishness　and　bad　advice　you　have　in　those　three

years　hopelessly　involved　yourself　as　you　never　would　have　done　had

we　been　partners；　and　yet　in　your　difficulty　you　ask　me　and　my　new

partners　to　help　you　out　of　a　difficulty　in　which　they　have　no

concern。〃



〃Your　NEW　partners？〃　stammered　Barker。



〃Yes；　my　new　partners；　for　every　man　who　has　a　share；　or　a　deposit；

or　an　interest；　or　a　dollar　in　this　bank　is　my　PARTNEReven　you；

with　your　securities　at　the　Branch；　are　one；　and　you　may　say　that

in　THIS　I　am　protecting　you　against　yourself。〃



〃But　you　have　moneyyou　have　private　means。〃



〃None　to　speculate　with　as　you　wish　me　toon　account　of　my

position；　none　to　give　away　foolishly　as　you　expect　me　toon

account　of　precedent　and　example。　　I　am　a　soulless　machine　taking

care　of　capital　intrusted　to　me　and　my　brains；　but　decidedly　NOT　to

my　heart　nor　my　sentiment。　　So　my　answer　is；　not　a　cent！〃



Barker's　face　had　changed；　his　color　had　come　back；　but　with　an

older　expression。　　Presently；　however；　his　beaming　smile　returned；

with　the　additional　suggestion　of　an　affectionate　toleration　which

puzzled　Stacy。



〃I　believe　you're　right；　old　chap；〃　he　said；　extending　his　hand　to

the　banker；　〃and　I　wish　I　had　talked　to　you　before。　　But　it's　too

late　now；　and　I've　given　my　word。〃



〃Your　WORD！〃　said　Stacy。　　〃Have　you　no　written　agreement？〃



〃No。　　My　word　was　accepted。〃　　He　blushed　slightly　as　if　conscious

of　a　great　weakness。



〃But　that　isn't　legal　nor　business。　　And　you　couldn't　even　hold　the

Ditch　Company　to　it　if　THEY　chose　to　back　out。〃



〃But　I　don't　think　they　will；〃　said　Barker　simply。　　〃And　you　see　my

word　wasn't　given　entirely　to　THEM。　　I　bought　the　thing　through　my

wife's　cousin；　Henry　Spring；　a　broker；　and　he　makes　something　by

it；　from　the　company；　on　commission。　　And　I　can't　go　back　on　HIM。

What　did　you　say？〃



Stacy　had　only　groaned　through　his　set　teeth。　　〃Nothing；〃　he　said

briefly；　〃except　that　I'm　coming；　as　I　said　before；　to　dine　with

you　to…night；　but　no　more　BUSINESS。　　I've　enough　of　that　with

others；　and　there　are　some　waiting　for　me　in　the　outer　office　now。〃



Barker　rose　at　once；　but　with　the　same　affectionate　smile　and

tender　gravity　of　countenance；　and　laid　his　hand　caressingly　on

Stacy's　shoulder。　　〃It's　like　you　to　give　up　so　much　of　your　time

to　me　and　my　foolishness　and　be　so　frank　with　me。　　And　I　know　it's

mighty　rough　on　you　to　have　to　be　a　mere　machine　instead　of　Jim

Stacy。　　Don't　you　bother　about　me。　　I'll　sell　some　of　my　Wide　West

Extension　and　pull　the　thing　through　myself。　　It's　all　right；　but

I'm　sorry　for　you；　old　chap。〃　　He　glanced　around　the　room　at　the

walls　and　rich　paneling；　and　added；　〃I　suppose　that's　what　you　have

to　pay　for　all　this　sort　of　thing？〃



Before　Stacy　could　reply；　a　waiting　visitor　was　announced　for　the

second　time；　and　Barker；　with　another　hand…shake　and　a　reassuring

smile　to　his　old　partner；　passed　into　the　hall；　as　if　the　onus　of

any　infelicity　in　the　interview　was　upon　himself　alone。　　But　Stacy

did　not　seem　to　be　in　a　particularly　accessible　mood　to　the　new

caller；　who　in　his　turn　appeared　to　be　slightly　irritated　by　having

been　kept　waiting　over　some　irksome　business。　　〃You　don't　seem　to

follow　me；〃　he　said　to　Stacy　after　reciting　his　business　perplexity。

〃Can't　you　suggest　something？〃



〃Well；　why　don't　you　get　hold　of　one　of　your　board　of　directors？〃

said　Stacy　abstractedly。　　〃There's　Captain　Drummond；　you　and　he　are

old　friends。　　You　were　comrades　in　the　Mexican　War；　weren't　you？〃



〃That　be　dd！〃　said　his　visitor　bitterly。　　〃All　his　interests

are　the　other　way；　and　in　a　trade　of　this　kind；　you　know；　Stacy；

that　a　man　would　sacrifice　his　own　brother。　　Do　you　suppose　that

he'd　let　up　on　a　sure　thing　that　he's　got　just　because　he　and　I

fought　side　by　side　at　Cerro　Gordo？　　Come！　what　are　you　giving　us？

You're　the　last　man　I　ever　expected　to　hear　that　kind　of　flapdoodle

from。　　If　it's　because　your　bank　has　got　some　other　interest　and

you　can't　advise　me；　why　don't　you　say　so？〃　　Nevertheless；　in　spite

of　Stacy's　abrupt　disclaimer；　he　left　a　few　minutes　later；　half

convinced　that　Stacy's　lukewarmness　was　due　to　some　adverse

influence。　　Other　callers　were　almost　as　quickly　disposed　of；　and

at　the　end　of　an　hour　Stacy　found　himself　again　alone。



But　not　apparently　in　a　very　satisfied　mood。　　After　a　few　moments

of　purely　mechanical　memoranda…making；　he　rose　abruptly　and　opened

a　small　drawer　in　a　cabinet；　from　which　he　took　a　letter　still　in

its　envelope。　　It　bore　a　foreign　postmark。　　Glancing　over　it

hastily；　his　eyes　at　last　became　fixed　on　a　concluding　paragraph。

〃I　hope；〃　wrote　his　correspondent；　〃that　even　in　the　rush　of　your

big　business　you　will　sometimes　look　after　Barker。　　Not　that　I

think　the　dear　old　chap　will　ever　go　wrongindeed；　I　often　wish　I

was　as　certain　of　myself　as　of　him　and　his　insight；　but　I　am　afraid

we　were　more　inclined　to　be　merely　amused　and　tolerant　of　his

wonderful　trust　and　simplicity　than　to　really　understand　it　for　his

o