Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-18

manner TO the man panoplied by these de-
lenses, and who was IN a measure forced t
be a part of them. He would like to have
returned and condoled with him. The clerks
who were heartlessly familiar with the anX-
iors bearing of the men who sought inter
views with their chief, both before and after
smiled with the whispered conviction that
the fresh and ingenious stranger had been
"chucked' like others. until they
met his kindly, tolerant, and even sI-
perior eyes, and were puzzled. Meanwhile
Barker, who had that sublime natural quality
of abstraction over small impertinences
which is more eXasperating than studied in,
difference, after his brief hesitation, passed
out unconcernedly through the swinging
mahogany doors into the blowy street. Here
the wind and rain revived him; the bank
and its curt refusal were forgotten; he walked
inward with only a smiling memory of his
partner as in the old days. Ee remembered
how Stacy had burned down their old cabin
rather than ii should fall into sordid or un-
worthy hands-this Stacy, who was now con,
demned to sink his impulses and become a
mere machine. He had never known Stacy's
real motive for that act; both Demorest and
Stacy had kept their knowledge of the at
tempted robbery from their younger
/ partner; it always seemed to him to be d
precious revelation Of Stacy's inner nature.
Facing the wind and rain, he recalled how
Stacy, though never so enthusiastic about his
marriage as Demorest, had taken up Van
| Loo sharply for some foolish sneer about his
own youthfulness. He was affectionately
tolerant of even tStacy's dislike to his wife's
relations, for Stacy did not know them as
he did. Indeed. Barker, whose own father
and mother had died in his infancy, had ac
cepted his wife's relations with a loving
trust and confidence that was supreme from
the fact that he had never known any other.
At last he reached his hotel. 1t was a
new one. the latest creation of a feverish
progress In hotel building which had COW
cred five years and as many squares with
large, Snowy erections, utterly beyond the
needs OF the community, yet each superior
in size and adornment to its predecessor.
1t struck him as being the one evidence of
an abiding faith in the future of the metrop-
oils that he had seen in nothing else. AS he
entered its frescocd hall that afternoon he
was suddenly reminded, by its challenging
opulency, of the bank he mad Just quilted,
without knowing that the bank had really
furnished its capitol and its original design.
Tho gilded barrooms, flashing with mirrors
and cut glass; the saloons, with their desert
expanse of Turkey carpet and oasis of clus-
tered divans and gilded tables; the great
dining room, with p%orphyry columns. and
walls and ceilings shining with allegory-
all these things which had attracted his
youthful wonder without distracting his cor
rect simplicity of taste he now began to
comprehend. 1t was the banks money Eat
work" In the clatter of dishes in the dining
room he even seemed to hear again the
chlnklng OF coin.
1t was y short cut to mis- apartments to
pass through a smaller public sitting room,
popularity known as Filtration Camp"
where eight or ten couples generally found
refuge on chairs and settees by the win
dOws, half concealed by heavy curtains. But
the occupants were by no means youthful
Spinisters or bachelors; they were generally
married women, guests n the hotel, receiv-
ing other peoples husbands, whose wives
wore in tho states" or responsible middle
aged leaders of the town. In the elaborate
toilets OF the women, as compared with the
less formal business suits of the men, there
was an odd mingllng of the social attitude
with perhaps more mysterious condolences.
The idle gossip about them had never af-
fec,ed Barker; rather he had that innate re-
spect for the secrets of others which is as
inseparable from simplicity as Ii is from high
breeding. and he scarcely glanced at the diff
ferent couples in his progress through the
room, Ho did not even notice a rather strik-
Ing and handsome woman who, surrounded
by two or three admirers, yet looked up at
Barker as he passed with self-consclOus lids,
az II seeking a return Of her glance. But
he moved on abstractedly. and only stopped
when he saw suddenly the familiar skirt OF
his wife at a further window and halted be-
fore it.
"oh, it's you" said Mrs. Barker, with a
half-pervOus. half-impatient laugh, why, |
thought you'd certainly stay half the after
noon with your old partner, considering that
you haven't met for three years
There was no doubt she had thought 80;
there was equally no doubt that the CONVEX
sgtion she was carrying on with her com
panion-a good locking, portly business man
was efectually interrupted. But Barker
did not notice II. Captain Heath, my hus-
band" she went on, caTelessly rising and
smoothing her skirts. The captain, who had
risen. too, bowed vaguely at the introduc-
ton. but Barker extended his hand frankly.
Il found Stacy busy he said IN answer to
his wife, but he is coming to dine with US
tonight"
III you mean Jim stacy, the banker" said
Captain Heath, Frightening into greater ease.
hes the busiest man IN California, I've
seen men standing in a queue outside his
door, as in the old days at the postolnee.