the three partners-第26节

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The　dictation　and　copy　finished　together。　　Demorest　laid　the

freshly　written　sheet　beside　the　letter　Stacy　had　produced。　　They

were　very　much　alike　and　yet　quite　distinct　from　each　other。　　Only

the　signature　seemed　identical。



〃That's　the　invariable　mistake　with　the　forger；〃　said　Demorest；　〃he

always　forgets　that　signatures　ought　to　be　identical　with　the　text

rather　than　with　each　other。〃



But　Stacy　did　not　seem　to　hear　this　or　require　further　proof。　　His

face　was　quite　gray　and　his　lips　compressed　until　lost　in　his

closely　set　beard　as　he　gazed　fixedly　out　of　the　window。　　For　the

first　time；　really　concerned　and　touched；　Demorest　laid　his　hand

gently　on　his　shoulder。



〃Tell　me；　Jim；　how　much　does　this　mean　to　you　apart　from　me？　　Don't

think　of　me。〃



〃I　don't　know　yet；〃　said　Stacy　slowly。　　〃That's　the　trouble。　　And　I

won't　know　until　I　know　who's　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　Does　anybody

know　of　your　affairs　with　me？〃



〃No　one。〃



〃No　confidential　friend；　eh？〃



〃None。〃



〃No　one　who　has　access　to　your　secrets？　　Nonowoman？　　Excuse　me；

Phil；〃　he　said；　as　a　peculiar　look　passed　over　Demorest's　face；

〃but　this　is　business。〃



〃No；〃　he　returned；　with　that　gentleness　that　used　to　frighten　them

in　the　old　days；　〃it's　ignorance。　　You　fellows　always　say　'Cherchez

la　femme'　when　you　can't　say　anything　else。　　Come　now；〃　he　went　on

more　brightly；　〃look　at　the　letter。　　Here's　a　man；　commercially

educated；　for　he　has　used　the　usual　business　formulas；　'on　receipt

of　this；'　and　'advices　received；'　which　I　won't　merely　say　I　don't

use；　but　which　few　but　commercial　men　use。　　Next；　here's　a　man　who

uses　slang；　not　only　ineptly；　but　artificially；　to　give　the　letter

the　easy；　familiar　turn　it　hasn't　from　beginning　to　end。　　I　need

only　say；　my　dear　Stacy；　that　I　don't　write　slang　to　you；　but　that

nobody　who　understands　slang　ever　writes　it　in　that　way。　　And　then

the　knowledge　of　my　opinion　of　Barker　is　such　as　might　be　gained

from　the　reading　of　my　letters　by　a　person　who　couldn't　comprehend

my　feelings。　　Now；　let　me　play　inquisitor　for　a　few　moments。　　Has

anybody　access　to　my　letters　to　YOU？〃



〃No　one。　　I　keep　them　locked　up　in　a　cabinet。　　I　only　make

memorandums　of　your　instructions；　which　I　give　to　my　clerks；　but

never　your　letters。〃



〃But　your　clerks　sometimes　see　you　make　memorandums　from　them？〃



〃Yes；　but　none　of　them　have　the　ability　to　do　this　sort　of　thing；

nor　the　opportunity　of　profiting　by　it。〃



〃Has　any　womannow　this　is　not　retaliation；　my　dear　Jim；　for　I

fancy　I　detect　a　woman's　cleverness　and　a　woman's　stupidity　in　this

forgeryany　access　to　your　secrets　or　my　letters？　　A　woman's

villainy　is　always　effective　for　the　moment；　but　always　defective

when　probed。〃



The　look　of　scorn　which　passed　over　Stacy's　face　was　quite　as

distinct　as　Demorest's　previous　protest；　as　he　said　contemptuously；

〃I'm　not　such　a　fool　as　to　mix　up　petticoats　with　my　business；

whatever　I　do。〃



〃Well；　one　thing　more。　　I　have　told　you　that　in　my　opinion　the

forger　has　a　commercial　education　or　style；　that　he　doesn't　know　me

nor　Barker；　and　don't　understand　slang。　　Now；　I　have　to　add　what

must　have　occurred　to　you；　Jim；　that　the　forger　is　either　a　coward；

or　his　object　is　not　altogether　mercenary：　for　the　same　ability

displayed　in　this　letter　would　on　the　signature　alonehad　it　been

on　a　check　or　drafthave　drawn　from　your　bank　twenty　times　the

amount　concerned。　　Now；　what　is　the　actual　loss　by　this　forgery？〃



〃Very　little；　for　you've　got　a　good　price　for　your　stocks；

considering　the　depreciation　in　realizing　suddenly　on　so　large　an

amount。　　I　told　my　broker　to　sell　slowly　and　in　small　quantities　to

avoid　a　panic。　　But　the　real　loss　is　the　control　of　the　stock。〃



〃But　the　amount　I　had　was　not　enough　to　affect　that；〃　said　Demorest。



〃No；　but　I　was　carrying　a　large　amount　myself；　and　together　we

controlled　the　market；　and　now　I　have　unloaded；　too。〃



〃You　sold　out！　and　with　your　doubts？〃　said　Demorest。



〃That's　just　it；〃　said　Stacy；　looking　steadily　at　his　companion's

face；　〃because　I　HAD　doubts；　and　it　won't　do　for　me　to　have　them。

I　ought　either　to　have　disobeyed　your　letter　and　kept　your　stock

and　my　own；　or　have　done　just　what　I　did。　　I　might　have　hedged　on

my　own　stock；　but　I　don't　believe　in　hedging。　　There　is　no　middle

course　to　a　man　in　my　business　if　he　wants　to　keep　at　the　top。　　No

great　success；　no　great　power；　was　ever　created　by　it。〃



Demorest　smiled。　　〃Yet　you　accept　the　alternative　also；　which　is

ruin？〃



〃Precisely；〃　said　Stacy。　　〃When　you　returned　the　other　day　you　were

bound　to　find　me　what　I　was　or　a　beggar。　　But　nothing　between。

However；〃　he　added；　〃this　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　forgery；　or；〃

he　smiled　grimly；　〃everything　to　do　with　it。　　Hush！　　Barker　is

coming。〃



There　was　a　quick　step　along　the　corridor　approaching　the　room。

The　next　moment　the　door　flew　open　to　the　bounding　step　and

laughing　face　of　Barker。　　Whatever　of　thoughtfulness　or　despondency

he　had　carried　from　the　room　with　him　was　completely　gone。　　With

his　amazing　buoyancy　and　power　of　reaction　he　was　there　again　in

his　usual　frank；　cheerful　simplicity。



〃I　thought　I'd　come　in　and　say　goodnight；〃　he　began；　with　a　laugh。

〃I　got　Sta　asleep　after　some　high　jinks　we　had　together；　and　then　I

reckoned　it　wasn't　the　square　thing　to　leave　just　you　two　together；

the　first　night　you　came。　　And　I　remembered　I　had　some　business　to

talk　over；　too；　so　I　thought　I'd　chip　in　again　and　take　a　hand。

It's　only　the　shank　of　the　evening　yet；〃　he　continued　gayly；　〃and

we　ought　to　sit　up　at　least　long　enough　to　see　the　old　snow…line

vanish；　as　we　did　in　old　times。　　But　I　say；〃　he　added　suddenly；　as

he　glanced　from　the　one　to　the　other；　〃you've　been　having　it　pretty

strong　already。　　Why；　you　both　look　as　you　did　that　night　the

backwater　of　the　South　Fork　came　into　our　cabin。　　What's　up？〃



〃Nothing；〃　said　Demorest　hastily；　as　he　caught　a　glance　of　Stacy's

impatient　face。　　〃Only　all　business　is　serious；　Barker　boy；　though

you　don't　seem　to　feel　it　so。〃



〃I　reckon　you're　right　there；〃　said　Barker；　with　a　chuckle。

〃People　always　laugh；　of　course；　when　I　talk　business；　so　it　might

make　it　a　little　livelier　for　you　and　more　of　a　change　if　I　chipped

in　now。　　Only　I　don't　know　which　you'll　do。　　Hand　me　a　pipe。

Well；〃　he　continued；　filling　the　pipe　Demorest　shoved　towards　him；

〃you　see；　I　was　in　Sacramento　yesterday；　and　I　went　into　Van　Loo's

branch　office；　as　I　heard　he　was　there；　and　I　wanted　to　find　out

something　about　Kitty's　investments；　which　I　don't　think　he's

managing　exactly　right。　　He　wasn't　there；　however；　but　as　I　was

waiting　I　heard　his　clerks　talk　about　a　drop　in　the　Wheat　Trust；

and　that　there　was　a　lot　of　it　put　upon　the　market。　　They　seemed　to

think　that　something　had　happened；　and　it　was　going　down　still

further。　　Now　I　knew　it　was　your　pet　scheme；　and　that　Phil　had　a

lot　of　shares　in　it；　too；　so　I　just　slipped　out　and　went　to　a

broker's　and　told　him　to　buy　all　he　could　of　it。　　And；　by　Jove！　I

was　a　little　taken　aback　when　I　found　what　I　was　in　for；　for

everybody　seemed　to　have　unloaded；　and　I　found　I　hadn't　money

enough　to　pay　margins；　but　I　knew　that　Demorest　was　here；　and　I

reckoned　on　his　seeing　me　through。〃　　He　stopped　and　colored；　but

added　hopefully；　〃I　reckon　I'm　safe；　anyway；　for　just　as　the　thing

was　over　those　same　clerks　of　Van　Loo's　came　bounding　into　the

office　to　buy　up　everything。　　And　offered　to　take　it　off　my　hands

and　pay　the　margins。〃



〃And　you？〃　said　both　men　eagerly；　and　in　a　breath。



Barker　stared　at　them；　and　reddened　and　paled　by　turns。　　〃I　held

on；〃　he　stammered。　　〃You　see；　boys〃



Both　men　had　caught　him　by　the　arms。　　〃How　much　have　you　got？〃　they

said；　shaking　him　as　if　to　precipitate　the　answer。



〃It's　a　heap！〃　said　Barker。　　〃It's　a　ghastly　lot　now　I　think　of　it。

I'm　afraid　I'm　in　for　fifty　thousand；　if　a　cent。〃



To　his　infinite　astonishment　and　delight　he　was　alternately　hugged

and　tossed　backwards　and　forwards　between　the　two　men　quite　in　the

fashion　of　the　old　days。　　Breathless　but　laughing；　he　at　length

gasped　out；　〃What　does　it　all　mean？〃



〃Tell　him　everything；　Jim；EVERYTHING；〃　said　Demorest　quickly。



Stacy　briefly　related　the　story　of　the　forgery；　and　then　laid　the

letter　and　its　copy　before　him。　　But　Barker　only　read　the　forgery。



〃How　could　YOU；　Stacyone　of　the　three　partners　of　Heavy　Treebe

deceived！　　Don't　you　see　it's　Phil's　handwritingbut　it　isn't

PHIL！〃



〃But　have　you　any　idea　WHO　it　is？〃　said　Stacy。



〃Not　me；〃　said　Barker；　with　widely　opened　eyes。　　〃You　see　it　must

be　somebody　whom　we　are　familiar　with。　　I　can't　imagine　such　a

scoundrel。〃



〃How　did　YOU　know　that　Demorest　had　stock？〃　asked　Stacy。



〃He　told　me　in　one　of　his　letters　and　advised　me　to　go　into　it。

But　just　then　Kitty　wanted　money；　I　think；　and　I　didn't　go　in。〃