the three partners-第25节

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he　had　fancied　that　Stacy　liked　her；indeed；　Kitty　fancied　it；

too；and　it　seemed　almost　providential　now　that　he　should　know　how

to　assist　his　old　partner　to　happiness。　　For　it　was　inconceivable

that　Stacy　should　not　be　able　to　rescue　this　woman　from　her

shameful　bonds；　or　that　she　should　not　consent　to　it　through　his

（Barker's）　arguments　and　entreaties。　　To　a　〃champion　of　dames〃　this

seemed　only　right　and　proper。　　In　his　unfailing　optimism　he

translated　Stacy's　laugh　as　embarrassment　and　Demorest's　as　only

ignorance　of　the　real　question。　　But　Demorest　had　noticed；　if　he

had　not；　that　Stacy's　laugh　was　a　little　nervously　prolonged　for　a

man　of　his　temperament；　and　that　he　had　cast　a　very　keen　glance　at

Barker。　　A　messenger　arriving　with　a　telegram　brought　from

Boomville　called　Stacy　momentarily　away；　and　Barker　was　not　slow　to

take　advantage　of　his　absence。



〃I　wish；　Phil；〃　he　said；　hitching　his　chair　closer　to　Demorest；

〃that　you　would　think　seriously　of　this　matter；　and　try　to　persuade

Stacywho；　I　believe；　is　more　interested　in　Mrs。　Horncastle　than

he　cares　to　showto　put　a　little　of　that　determination　in　love

that　he　has　shown　in　business。　　She's　an　awfully　fine　woman；　and　in

every　way　suited　to　him；　and　he　is　letting　an　absurd　sense　of　pride

and　honor　keep　him　from　influencing　her　to　get　rid　of　her

impossible　husband。　　There's　no　reason；〃　continued　Barker　in　a

burst　of　enthusiastic　simplicity；　〃that　BECAUSE　she　has　found　some

one　she　likes　better；　and　who　would　treat　her　better；　that　she

should　continue　to　stick　to　that　beast　whom　all　California　would

gladly　see　her　divorced　from。　　I　never　could　understand　that　kind

of　argument；　could　you？〃



Demorest　looked　at　his　companion's　glowing　cheek　and　kindling　eye

with　a　smile。　　〃A　good　deal　depends　upon　the　side　from　which　you

argue。　　But；　frankly；　Barker　boy；　though　I　think　I　know　you　in　all

your　phases；　I　am　not　prepared　yet　to　accept　you　as　a　match…maker！

However；　I'll　think　it　over；　and　find　out　something　more　of　this

from　your　goddess；　who　seems　to　have　bewitched　you　both。　　But　what

does　Mistress　Kitty　say　to　your　admiration？〃



Barker's　face　clouded；　but　instantly　brightened。　　〃Oh；　they're　the

best　of　friends；　they're　quite　like　us；　you　know；　even　to　larks

they　have　together。〃　　He　stopped　and　colored　at　his　slip。　　But

Demorest；　who　had　noticed　his　change　of　expression；　was　more

concerned　at　the　look　of　half　incredulity　and　half　suspicion　with

which　Stacy；　who　had　re…entered　the　room　in　time　to　hear　Barker's

speech；　was　regarding　his　unconscious　younger　partner。



〃I　didn't　know　that　Mrs。　Horncastle　and　Mrs。　Barker　were　such

friends；〃　he　said　dryly　as　he　sat　down　again。　　But　his　face

presently　became　so　abstracted　that　Demorest　said　gayly：



〃Well；　Jim；　I'm　glad　I'm　not　a　Napoleon　of　Finance！　　I　couldn't

stand　it　to　have　my　privacy　or　my　relaxation　broken　in　upon　at　any

moment；　as　yours　was　just　now。　　What　confounded　somersault　in

stocks　has　put　that　face　on　you？〃



Stacy　looked　up　quickly　with　his　brief　laugh。　　〃I'm　afraid　you'd　be

none　the　wiser　if　I　told　you。　　That　was　a　pony　express　messenger

from　New　York。　　You　remember　how　Barker；　that　night　of　the　strike；

when　we　were　sitting　together　here；　or　very　near　here；　proposed

that　we　ought　to　have　a　password　or　a　symbol　to　call　us　together　in

case　of　emergency；　for　each　other's　help？　　Well；　let　us　say　I　have

two　partners；　one　in　Europe　and　one　in　New　York。　　That　was　my

password。〃



〃And；　I　hope；　no　more　serious　than　ours；〃　added　Demorest。



Stacy　laughed　his　short　laugh。　　Nevertheless；　the　conversation

dragged　again。　　The　feverish　gayety　of　the　early　part　of　the

evening　was　gone；　and　they　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　the

reaction。　　They　fell　into　their　old　attitudes；　looking　from　the

firelight　to　the　distant　bulk　of　Black　Spur　without　a　word。　　The

occasional　sound　of　the　voices　of　promenaders　on　the　veranda　at

last　ceased；　there　was　the　noise　of　the　shutting　of　heavy　doors

below；　and　Barker　rose。



〃You'll　excuse　me；　boys；　but　I　must　go　and　say　good…night　to　little

Sta；　and　see　that　he's　all　right。　　I　haven't　seen　him　since　I　got

back。　　But〃to　Demorest〃you'll　see　him　to…morrow；　when　Kitty

comes。　　It　is　as　much　as　my　life　is　worth　to　show　him　before　she

certifies　him　as　being　presentable。〃　　He　paused；　and　then　added：

〃Don't　wait　up；　you　fellows；　for　me；　sometimes　the　little　chap

won't　let　me　go。　　It's　as　if　he　thought；　now　Kitty's　away；　I　was

all　he　had。　　But　I'll　be　up　early　in　the　morning　and　see　you。　　I

dare　say　you　and　Stacy　have　a　heap　to　say　to　each　other　on

business；　and　you　won't　miss　me。　　So　I'll　say　good…night。〃　　He

laughed　lightly；　pressed　the　hands　of　his　partners　in　his　usual

hearty　fashion；　and　went　out　of　the　room；　leaving　the　gloom　a

little　deeper　than　before。　　It　was　so　unusual　for　Barker　to　be　the

first　to　leave　anybody　or　anything　in　trouble　that　they　both

noticed　it。　　〃But　for　that；〃　said　Demorest；　turning　to　Stacy　as　the

door　closed；　〃I　should　say　the　dear　fellow　was　absolutely

unchanged。　　But　he　seemed　a　little　anxious　to…night。〃



〃I　shouldn't　wonder。　　He's　got　two　women　on　his　mind；as　if　one

was　not　enough。〃



〃I　don't　understand。　　You　say　his　wife　is　foolish；　and　this　other〃



〃Never　mind　that　now；〃　interrupted　Stacy；　getting　up　and　putting

down　his　pipe。　　〃Let's　talk　a　little　business。　　That　other　stuff

will　keep。〃



〃By　all　means；〃　said　Demorest；　with　a　smile；　settling　down　into　his

chair　a　little　wearily；　however。　　〃I　forgot　business。　　And　I

forgot；　my　dear　Jim；　to　congratulate　you。　　I've　heard　all　about

you；　even　in　New　York。　　You're　the　man　who；　according　to　everybody；

now　holds　the　finances　of　the　Pacific　Slope　in　his　hands。　　And；〃　he

added；　leaning　affectionately　towards　his　old　partner；　〃I　don't

know　any　one　better　equipped　in　honesty；　straightforwardness；　and

courage　for　such　a　responsibility　than　you。〃



〃I　only　wish；〃　said　Stacy；　looking　thoughtfully　at　Demorest；　〃that

I　didn't　hold　nearly　a　million　of　your　money　included　in　the

finances　of　the　Pacific　Slope。〃



〃Why；〃　said　the　smiling　Demorest；　〃as　long　as　I　am　satisfied？〃



〃Because　I　am　not。　　If　you're　satisfied；　I'm　a　wretched　idiot　and

not　fit　for　my　position。　　Now；　look　here；　Phil。　　When　you　wrote　me

to　sell　out　your　shares　in　the　Wheat　Trust　I　was　a　little

staggered。　　I　knew　your　gait；　my　boy；　and　I　knew；　too；　that；　while

you　didn't　know　enough　to　trust　your　own　opinions　or　feeling；　you

knew　too　much　to　trust　any　one's　opinion　that　wasn't　first…class。

So　I　reckoned　you　had　the　straight　tip；　but　I　didn't　see　it。　　Now；

I　ought　not　to　have　been　staggered　if　I　was　fit　for　your　confidence；

or；　if　I　was　staggered；　I　ought　to　have　had　enough　confidence　in

myself　not　to　mind　you。　　See？〃



〃I　admit　your　logic；　old　man；〃　said　Demorest；　with　an　amused　face；

〃but　I　don't　see　your　premises。　　WHEN　did　I　tell　you　to　sell　out？〃



〃Two　days　ago。　　You　wrote　just　after　you　arrived。〃



〃I　have　never　written　to　you　since　I　arrived。　　I　only　telegraphed

to　you　to　know　where　we　should　meet；　and　received　your　message　to

come　here。〃



〃You　never　wrote　me　from　San　Francisco？〃



〃Never。〃



Stacy　looked　concernedly　at　his　friend。　　Was　he　in　his　right　mind？

He　had　heard　of　cases　where　melancholy　brooding　on　a　fixed　idea　had

affected　the　memory。　　He　took　from　his　pocket　a　letter…case；　and

selecting　a　letter　handed　it　to　Demorest　without　speaking。



Demorest　glanced　at　it；　turned　it　over；　read　its　contents；　and　in　a

grave　voice　said；　〃There　is　something　wrong　here。　　It　is　like　my

handwriting；　but　I　never　wrote　the　letter；　nor　has　it　been　in　my

hand　before。〃



Stacy　sprang　to　his　side。　　〃Then　it's　a　forgery！〃



〃Wait　a　moment。〃　　Demorest；　who；　although　very　grave；　was　the　more

collected　of　the　two；　went　to　a　writing…desk；　selected　a　sheet　of

paper；　and　took　up　a　pen。　　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃dictate　that　letter　to

me。〃



Stacy　began；　Demorest's　pen　rapidly　following　him：



〃DEAR　JIM；On　receipt　of　this　get　rid　of　my　Wheat　Trust　shares　at

whatever　figure　you　can。　　From　the　way　things　pointed　in　New　York〃



〃Stop！〃　interrupted　Demorest。



〃Well？〃　said　Stacy　impatiently。



〃Now；　my　dear　Jim；〃　said　Demorest　plaintively；　〃when　did　you　ever

know　me　to　write　such　a　sentence　as　'the　way　things　pointed'？〃



〃Let　me　finish　reading；〃　said　Stacy。　　This　literary　sensitiveness

at　such　a　moment　seemed　little　short　of　puerility　to　the　man　of

business。



〃From　the　way　things　pointed　in　New　York；〃　continued　Stacy；　〃and

from　private　advices　received；　this　seems　to　be　the　only　prudent

course　before　the　feathers　begin　to　fly。　　Longing　to　see　you　again

and　the　dear　old　stamping…ground　at　Heavy　Tree。　　Love　to　Barker。

Has　the　dear　old　boy　been　at　any　fresh　crank　lately？



〃Yours；　PHIL　DEMOREST。〃



The　dictation　and　copy　finished　together。　　Demorest　laid　the

freshly　written　sheet　beside　the　letter　Stacy　had