Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-09

I Lets talk little business. That Other
| stuff will keep"
by all means" said Demorest with
smile, settling down into his chair little
wearly, however. II forgot business. Ant
| l forgot, my dear Jim to congratulate you
I've heard all about you, even In New York
You're the man who, according to everybody
now holds the finances of the Pacific slope il
his hands. --And,sT he added, leaning affec
| tionately toward his old partner. 81 dom
| know any one better equipped in honesty
straightforwardness and courage for such
| responsibility than you"
81 only wish" said Stacy, looking thought
| fully at Demorest, that didn't hold nearly
| S1,000,OO0 Of your money included in the
| finances of the Pacific slope"
| Why said the smiling Demorest "as Ions
| as / am satisfied"
Because I am not If you are satisfied
| I'm a wretcied idiot and not fit for my posi-
| tion Now, look here, Phil. When you wrote
me to sell out your shares in the Wheat Trust
was little staggered. l knew your gait
my boy, and l knew too, that, while yor
| didn't know enough to trust your own opin.
| ions or feeling, you knew too much to trust
| any ones opinion that wasn't first-class. Sc
| reckoned you had the straight tip, but
didn't see it. Now I ought not to have
| been staggered If l was fit for your conf.
! dence, Or If was staggered, / ought to have
had enough confidence in myself not to minG
you. See?"
II admit your logic, old man." said
Demorest, with amused face "but don't
see your premises. When did 1 tell you tc
sell out?'
1.-TWO days ago You wrote just after you
arrived"
81 have never written to you since ar
rived I only telegraphed to you to know
where we should meet. and received your
message to come here"
"You never wrote me from San Fran
cisco?"
Never"
Stacy looked concernedly at his friend.
Was he in his right mind? He had heard
of cases where melancholy brooding on a
fixed idea had affected the memory. He took
from his pocket a letter case, and, selecting
letter, handed it to Demorest without
speaking.
He glanced at it, turned it over, read it's
contents, and in a grave voice said There
is something wrong here. 1t is like my
handwriting, but l never wrote the letter,
nor has it been in my hand before"
Stacy sprang to his side Then it's a
forgery"
"Wait a moment" Demorest. who, al
though very grave, was the most collected
of the two, went to the writing desk Sc
lected a sheet of paper and took up a pen.
"Now" he said, dictate the letter to me-"
Stacy began, Demorest's pen rapidly fol-
lowing him:
+" Dear Jim
"'On receipt of this get rid of my Wheat
Trust shares at whatever figure you can.
From the way things pointed in New York"
stop" interrupted Demorest.
"Well?" said Stacy impatiently.
"Now my dear Jim," said Demorest plain
lively, when did you ever know me to
write such sentence as the way things
ponted?'"
Let me finish reading" said Stacy.
This literary sensitiveness at such a mo-
ment seemed little short of puerility to the
man of business.
"'From the way things pointed in New
York." continued Stacy 'and from pri-
vate advices received. this seems to be the
only prudent course before the feathers be-
gin to fly. Longing to see you again and the
dear old stamping ground at Heavy Tree.
Love Barker. Has the dear old boy been
at any fresh crank lately? Yours,
y" PHIL DEMOREST'
TO be continued.