Evening star., 1897-04-17
Chapter IICOntinued.
Continued from last Sturday)

tCOntfnueQ IfOHi iooA oso.NSS'
Barker. who was easily amused. had ex-
tracted certain amusement out OF stacy
memorandum, but he Strengthened himself
with a look Of eager confidence and saio:
Certainly; that's just what 1t 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's In your
branch at Marysville. / didn't want 10
say anything about 1t to you before But
Lord. you don't suppose I'd bank any
where else while you are In the business
checks. dividends. and all that. but In this
matter felt you knew. old chap. didn
want to talk to banker nor to bank, but
to Jim Stacy. my old partner.
Barker" said Stacy. curtly, "how much
money are you short Off
At this direct question Barker's always
quick color rose. but with en- equally quick
smile he said. Il don't know yet that I'm
short at ALL
Look here. Jim. why I'm just overloaded
with shares and stocks" said Barker, smil-
iEg.
Not one of which you could realize on
without sacrifice. Barker. three years ago
you had s30U.00O put to your account at
San Francisco
Yes said Barker, with a quiet reminls-
cent laugh. Il remember l wanted to draw
1t out in one check to see how il would
look
And you've drawn out all in three years,
and ii locks ID bad.
How did you know it?'' asked Barker,
his face beaming only with admiration OF
his companions omniscience.
How did 1 know it?' retorted Stacy.
Il know you. and 1 know the kind of peo-
pie who Fave unloaded TO you"
Come, Stacy" SAID Barker. i've only
invested in shares and stocks like every
body else. and then only on the best advice
l could get. Like Van Loo's. fer instance
that man who was here just now. the new
manager of the Empire Ditch Company
And Carter. my own kttty's father. And
when / was offered $4,000 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 so into it at his fig
ures.''
No." said Barker, with an eager smile
but you sold at his figures, for l. knew
that when | found that you my old part
ner, was in ii. don't you see, | preferred 10
buy it through your bank, and did, at 110.
OF course. You wouldn't have sold at that
figure ii it wasn't worth it then, and neith-
er / nor you are to blame if it dropped the
nt xt week to 81, don't you see?
Stacys eyes hardened for a moment as
he looked keenly into his former partner
bright gray ones. but there was no trace
of irony in Barker's. On the contrary
slight shade of sadness came over them.
w. Ue SdlI TeI1tctlSety. iOnr think
I've ever been foolish or followed out my
own ideas, except once and that was ex-
travagant | admit. That was my idea of
building kind of refuge. you know on
the site of our old cabin. where poor miners
and played-out prospectors waiting for
strike could stay without paying anything.
Well l sunk $4,000 in that and might
have lost more. only Carter-Kitty's father
persuaded inches an awful clever old
fellow-into turning it into kind of branch
hotel Of Boomville. 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 1t? and make the
hotel profit by it,
.'Well?'' said Stacy as Barker paused.
=, They asy.d didn't come q, said Barker But But,
were better than I had imagined. Only
The others did not come. either"
And you lost your s20.OO0.'' said Stacy
curtly.
Fifty thousand" said Barker, ''for. of
course, it had to be a larger hotel than the
other. And l think that Carter wouldn't
have gone into 1t except to save me from
losing money.
And yet made you lose 10000 instead of
$4,000 For 1 don't suppose he advanced
anything"
HE gave his time and experience" said
Barker simply.
Il don't think it worth $4,000" said
Stacy drily. But all this doesn't tell me
what your business is with me today"
no Sdiu Barker DliSnten.nR up. Out
II is business. you know. Something in the
old style-as between partner and partner
and that's why ! came to you, and not 10
the banker" And 1t all comes out of
something that Dernorest once told us. so
you'll see it's all three again. Well.
you know. of course. that the Excelsior
Ditch Company has abandoned the Bar and
Heavy Tree Hill. II didn't pay
Yes: does the company pay any
dividends now. You ought to know with
SJoo0 of their stock on your hands,"
Barker laughed But listen / found
that l could buy up their whole plant and
all the ditching along the Black Spur Range
for $1,000
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
Demorest told us. in the dear old days
that II cost nearly as much to make a
water ditch as railroad in the way of
surveying and engineering and levels. you
know And here's the plant for railroad
Don't you see2"
But railroad from Black Spur to
Heavy Tree Hill-what's the good of that %