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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
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