Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-18
Copyright. 1897. by Bret Harte.,
CHAPTER I-Continned.


Lordi Stacy, I'm ali business now. I'm in
everything. And | bank with you, though,
perhaps, you don't know; it's in your branch
at Marysyille. | didn't want to say any
thing about 1t to you before. But Lord, you
don't suppose I'd bank anywhere else while
you are in the business-checks, dividends,
and all that, but in this matter / felt you
knew, old chap. ] didn't want to talk to a
banker nor to a bank, but to Jim Stacy, my
old partner"
Barker" said Stacy CURLY, how much
money are you short OFF,
At this direct question Barker's always
quick color rose, but with an equally quick
smile he said, II don't know yet that I'm
short at all"
But | 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 $500 900 put to your account at san
Francisco"
Yes said Barker, with a quiet remi-
niscent laugh. 81 remember | wanted to
draw it out in one check to see how 1t would
look"
and you've drawn out all in three years,
and il looks id bad"
"How did you know it?' asked Barker, his
face beaming only with admiration of his
companiOn's omniscience.
"How did | know it?" retorted Stacy. 81
know you and | know the kind Of people who
have unloaded to you"
Come. Stacy said Barker. 1--WE only
invested in shares and stocks like everybody
elsc. and then only on the best advice l
could get. Like Van LOIS, for Instance
that man who was here just now, the new
manager of the Empire Ditch company. And
Carter. my own Kitty's father. And when
l was offered 80, 900 West Extensions and was
hesitating over it. he told me you were in it,
too-and that was enough for me to buy it,"
Yes, but you didn't go into it at his fig
ures."
"No," said Barker, with an eager smile,
"but you sold at his figures, for l knew that
when I found that you, my old partner, was
In it. don't you see, | preferred to buy 1t
through your bank, and did at 10. OF
course, you wouldn't have sold at that figure
IL it wasn't worth 1t then, and neither | nor
you are to blame if it dropped the next week
to 60, don't you snc?"
Stacy's eyes hardened for a moment as he
looked keenly into his former partners bright
gray ones, but there was no trace of irony in
Bankers. On the contrary, a slight shade
of sadness came over them. mo" he said
refectively. Il don't think I've ever been
foolish or followed out my own ideas, except
once, and that was cXtravagant, | 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, | sunk
$40. 900 in that. and might have lost more,
only ~Carter-Kitty's father-persuaded me
he's an awhF clever old fellow-into turn
ing 1t into a kind of branch hotel OF Boom
vile, while using it as an 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, sit shows that things were
better than | had imagined. Only the others
did not come, either"
"And you lost your 100000" said Stacy
CURLY.
FIFTY thousand said Barker, "for, of
course, it had to be a larger hotel than the
other. And | think that Carter wouldn't
have gone into it, except to save me from los
ing money"
"And yet made you lose $50. 900 instead of
$50, 600. For | don't suppose he advanced
anything"
HE gave his time and experience said
Barker simply.
Il don't think 1t worth $50, OOO,'' said
Stacy drily. But all this doesn't tell me
what your business is with me today"
NO" said Barker Frightening up; but
II IN business, you know. Something in the
old style-as between partner and partner
and that's why | came to you, and not TO the
banker And 1t all comes out of something
that Demorest once told us, so you'll see it's
all us three again. Well. you know, of
course, that the Excelsior Ditch company
has abandoned the Bar and Heavy Tree Hill.
1t didn't pay"
Eyes; nor does the company pay any divi-
dends now. You ought to know. with $780,
600 Of their stock OF your hands"
Barker laughed. but listen. / found
that | could buy mp their whole plant and
all the dltchlng along the Black Spur Range
for $40, 900"
"And. Great Scott! you don't think of
taking up their business said Stacy aghast.
Barker laughed more heartily. mo, Not
their business. But I remember that once
Domorest told us, In the dear old days, that
IL cost nearly as much to make a water ditch
as n 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 Hill-what's the good of that?"
why, Black Spur will be in the line of the
new Divide railway they're trying TO get
a bill for i'm the legislature"
IAN infamous piece of wildcat jobbing
that viii never pass said Stacy decisively.
They said because 1t was that it would
pass said Barker simply. They say that
Watson's bank is in II, and vas bound to
get 1t through. And as that is a rival bank
OF yours, doa't you see, | thought that II
we could get something real good or valu-
able 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, tits too late to con-
suit you now, though | wish | had. I've
given my wCrd to take it, and | cant back
out, But | haven't the 10000 and | came to
you"
Stacy slowly settled himself back in his
chair and put both hands in his pockets.
Not a cent, Barker; not a cent"
I'm not asking II of the bank, - said Bar
ker with a smile, for | could have gone
to the bank for IL. But as this was some
thing between us, | am asking you. Stacy,
as my old partner"
"And | am answering you, Barker, as
of a hundred other men, who have even a
greater right to ask me, And my answer
is-not a cent"
Barker looked at him with a pale, aston
ished face and slightly parted lips. Stacy
rose, thrust his hands deeper in his pockets
and standing before him went on: /
"Now, look here. It's time you should UNI
me and yourself. Three years ago,
when our partnership was dissolved by ac-
cident or mutual consent, we will say, we
atresh, each on our own hook. l
foolishness and bad advice you
have, in those three years. hopelessly in
volved yourself as YOU never would have
done had we been partners, and yet in your
difficulty you ask me and my new partners
TO help you out Of a difficulty in which they
have no concern"
Your new partners?" stammered Barker.
Yes. My new partners, for every man