the three partners-第9节

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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

c