Omaha daily bee., 1897-04-18

my wife's cousin, Harry Spring, a broker
and no makes something by it, from the
company, on commission, and | can't &C
back on him. What did you say?"
Stacy had only groanad through his sci
teeth. Nothing he said briefly, "eXcept
that I'm coming, as | said before, to dine
with you tonight, but no more business. Eve
enough of that with others, and there are
some waiting for me in the outer Office now.
Barker rose at once. but with the same
countenance, and laid his hand caressingly
on Stacy's shoulder. rs like you to give
up so much Of your time to me and my fool
ishnes, and be so frank with me. And
know it's mighty rough on you to have tt
be a mere machine instead of jim Stacy
Don't you bother about me. I'll ssll some
OF my Wide West Extension and pull the
thing through myself. It's all right, but
I'm sorry for you, old chap" He glanced
around the room at the walls and rich panel,
ing and added: II suppose that's what you
have to pay for all this sort of thing?"
Before Stacy could reply a waiting visitor
was announced for the second time. and
Barker, with another handshake and a reas-
surfing smile to his old partner, passed into
the hall as If the onus Of any infelicity in
the interview was upon himself alone. But
Stacy did not seem TO be in a particularly
accessible mood to the new caller, who, in
his turn, appeared to be slightly irritated by
having been kept waiting over some irksome
business. You don't seem to follow me, >
ne Sald 10 stacy AFTER feCltlnS MS business
perpleXity. Cant you suggest something? 2"
"Well, why don't you get hold of one OF
your board of directors ?" said stacy, abstract
eddy. There's Captain Drummond; you and
he arc old friends. You were comrades in
the Mexican war, weren't YOU"
That be d-dn' said his visitor bitterly.
"All his interests are the other way. and in
a trade Of this kind, you know. Stacy, a
man would sacrifice his own brother. DO
you suppose that he'd let up on a sure thlng
that he's got just because he and | fought
side by side at Cerro Gordo? Come, what
are you giving us? You're the last man |
ever expected to hear that kind of flapdoodle
from. II it's because your bank has got
some other interest and you cant advise
me, why don't you say so?" Nevertheless
in spite of Stacy's abrupt disclaimer, he left
a few minutes later, half convinced that
Stacy's lukewarmness was due to some adj
verse influence. Other callers were almost
as quickly disposed of, and at the end of an
hour Stacy found himself again alone.
But not apparently in a very satisfactory
mood. After n few moments of purely me-
chanical memoranda making he arose alb
ruptly and opened n small drawer in a cabi~
net, from which he took a letter still in its
envelope. 1t bore a foreign postmark.
CHANGING over 1t hastily his eyes at last
became fixed on a concluding paragraph. II
hope" wrote his correspondent, that even
in the rush of your big business You will
sometimes look after Barker. Not that |
think the dear old chap will ever go wrong
indeed, / often wish | Yves as certain of my
self as Of him and his insight; but | am
afraid we were more inclined TO be merely
amused and tolerant o. lis wonderful trust
and simplicity than to really understand 1t
for his own good and ours. | know you did
not like his marriage, and vas inclined TO
believe he was the victim OF a rather I'M
scrupulous father and q foolish, unequal girl,
but are you satisfied that ne would have
Inan thn IA pHinr without II pr lfNg1 hfC no
feet life under other and what you may
think wiser conditions? II he wrote the
poetry that he lives everybody would think
him wonderful; for being what he is we
never give him sufficient credit" Stacy
smiled grimly and ~penciled on his memo
randa, "He wants 1t to the amount of $l0,-
900" Anyhow continued the writer, "look
after him, Jim, for his sake, your sake and
the sake Of - PHI Demorest."
Stacy put the letter back in its envelope,
and, tossing it grimly aside. went on with
his calculations. Presently he stopped, re-
stored tho letter to his cabinet, and rang a
bell on his table. Send Mr.. North here"
he said to the negro messenger, In a few
moments his chief bookkeeper appeared in
the doorway.
Turn to the Branch ledger and bring
me a statement Of Mr. George Barker's ac-
count"
He was here a moment ago said North
e~ssaying a confidential look toward his chief.
II know it, said Stacy coolly, without
looking up.
Hes been running a good deal on wild
cat lately suggested North,
II asked for his account and not your
opinion OF it," said Stacy shortly.
The subordinate withdrew somewhat
abashed, but still curious, and returned
presently with a ledger. which he laid be-
fore his chief. Stacy ran his eyes over thp
list of Barker's securities. 1t seemed TO
him that all the wildcat schemes OF the past
year stared him In the face. His finger,
however, stopped on the Wild West extern
sion. "Mr. Barker will he waiting TO sell
some OF this stock. What Is II quoted at
now?"
sixty"
But | would prefer that Mr.. Barker should
not offer in the open morket at present. Give
him 20 for it-priyate sale; that will be S10,-
900 paid TO his credit. Advise the Branch