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第16章

the three partners-第16章

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them in to dinner as she leaned upon his guest's arm; chatting

confidentially。  He was only uneasy because her manner had a slight

ostentation。



The entrance of the little party produced a quick sensation

throughout the dining…room。  Whispers passed from table to table;

all heads were turned towards the great financier as towards a

magnet; a few guests even shamelessly faced round in their chairs

as he passed。  Mrs。 Barker was pink; pretty; and voluble with

excitement; Stacy had a slight mask of reserve; Barker was the only

one natural and unconscious。



As the dinner progressed Barker found that there was little chance

for him to invoke his old partner's memories of the past。  He

found; however; that Stacy had received a letter from Demorest; and

that he was coming home from Europe。  His letters were still sad;

they both agreed upon that。  And then for the first time that day

Stacy looked intently at Barker with the look that he had often

worn on Heavy Tree Hill。



〃Then you think it is the same old trouble that worries him?〃 said

Barker in an awed and sympathetic voice。



〃I believe it is;〃 said Stacy; with an equal feeling。  Mrs。 Barker

pricked up her pretty ears; her husband's ready sympathy was

familiar enough; but that this cold; practical Stacy should be

moved at anything piqued her curiosity。



〃And you believe that he has never got over it?〃 continued Barker。



〃He had one chance; but he threw it away;〃 said Stacy energetically。

〃If; instead of going off to Europe by himself to brood over it; he

had joined me in business; he'd have been another man。〃



〃But not Demorest;〃 said Barker quickly。



〃What dreadful secret is this about Demorest?〃 said Mrs。 Barker

petulantly。  〃Is he ill?〃



Both men were silent by their old common instinct。  But it was

Stacy who said 〃No〃 in a way that put any further questioning at an

end; and Barker was grateful and for the moment disloyal to his

Kitty。



It was with delight that Mrs。 Barker had seen that the attention of

the next table was directed to them; and that even Mrs。 Horncastle

had glanced from time to time at Stacy。  But she was not prepared

for the evident equal effect that Mrs。 Horncastle had created upon

Stacy。  His cold face warmed; his critical eye softened; he asked

her name。  Mrs。 Barker was voluble; prejudiced; and; it seemed;

misinformed。



〃I know it all;〃 said Stacy; with didactic emphasis。  〃Her husband

was as bad as they make them。  When her life had become intolerable

WITH HIM; he tried to make it shameful WITHOUT HIM by abandoning

her。  She could get a divorce a dozen times over; but she won't。〃



〃I suppose that's what makes her so very attractive to gentlemen;〃

said Mrs。 Barker ironically。



〃I have never seen her before;〃 continued Stacy; with business

precision; 〃although I and two other men are guardians of her

property; and have saved it from the clutches of her husband。  They

told me she was handsomeand so she is。〃



Pleased with the sudden human weakness of Stacy; Barker glanced at

his wife for sympathy。  But she was looking studiously another way;

and the young husband's eyes; still full of his gratification; fell

upon Mrs。 Horncastle's。  She looked away with a bright color。

Whereupon the sanguine Barkerperfectly convinced that she

returned Stacy's admirationwas seized with one of his old boyish

dreams of the future; and saw Stacy happily united to her; and was

only recalled to the dinner before him by its end。  Then Stacy duly

promenaded the great saloon with Mrs。 Barker on his arm; visited

the baby in her apartments; and took an easy leave。  But he grasped

Barker's hand before parting in quite his old fashion; and said;

〃Come to lunch with me at the bank any day; and we'll talk of Phil

Demorest;〃 and left Barker as happy as if the appointment were to

confer the favor he had that morning refused。  But Mrs。 Barker; who

had overheard; was more dubious。



〃You don't suppose he asks you to talk with you about Demorest and

his stupid secret; do you?〃 she said scornfully。



〃Perhaps not only about that;〃 said Barker; glad that she had not

demanded the secret。



〃Well;〃 returned Mrs。 Barker as she turned away; 〃he might just as

well lunch here and talk about HERand see her; too。〃



Meantime Stacy had dropped into his club; only a few squares

distant。  His appearance created the same interest that it had

produced at the hotel; but with less reserve among his fellow

members。



〃Have you heard the news?〃 said a dozen voices。  Stacy had not; he

had been dining out。



〃That infernal swindle of a Divide Railroad has passed the

legislature。〃



Stacy instantly remembered Barker's absurd belief in it and his

reasons。  He smiled and said carelessly; 〃Are you quite sure it's a

swindle?〃



There was a dead silence at the coolness of the man who had been

most outspoken against it。



〃But;〃 said a voice hesitatingly; 〃you know it goes nowhere and to

no purpose。〃



〃But that does not prevent it; now that it's a fact; from going

anywhere and to some purpose;〃 said Stacy; turning away。  He passed

into the reading…room quietly; but in an instant turned and quickly

descended by another staircase into the hall; hurriedly put on his

overcoat; and slipping out was a moment later re…entering the

hotel。  Here he hastily summoned Barker; who came down; flushed and

excited。  Laying his hand on Barker's arm in his old dominant way;

he said:



〃Don't delay a single hour; but get a written agreement for that

Ditch property。〃



Barker smiled。  〃But I have。  Got it this afternoon。〃



〃Then you know?〃 ejaculated Stacy in surprise。



〃I only know;〃 said Barker; coloring; 〃that you said I could back

out of it if it wasn't signed; and that's what Kitty said; too。

And I thought it looked awfully mean for me to hold a man to that

kind of a bargain。  And soyou won't be mad; old fellow; will

you?I thought I'd put it beyond any question of my own good faith

by having it in black and white。〃  He stopped; laughing and

blushing; but still earnest and sincere。  〃You don't think me a

fool; do you?〃 he said pathetically。



Stacy smiled grimly。  〃I think; Barker boy; that if you go to the

Branch you'll have no difficulty in paying for the Ditch property。

Good…night。〃



In a few moments he was back at the club again before any one knew

he had even left the building。  As he again re…entered the smoking…

room he found the members still in eager discussion about the new

railroad。  One was saying; 〃If they could get an extension; and

carry the road through Heavy Tree Hill to Boomville they'd be all

right。〃



〃I quite agree with you;〃 said Stacy。





CHAPTER III。





The swaying; creaking; Boomville coach had at last reached the

level ridge; and sank forward upon its springs with a sigh of

relief and the slow precipitation of the red dust which had hung in

clouds around it。  The whole coach; inside and out; was covered

with this impalpable powder; it had poured into the windows that

gaped widely in the insufferable heat; it lay thick upon the novel

read by the passenger who had for the third or fourth time during

the ascent made a gutter of the half…opened book and blown the dust

away in a single puff; like the smoke from a pistol。  It lay in

folds and creases over the yellow silk duster of the handsome woman

on the back seat; and when she endeavored to shake it off enveloped

her in a reddish nimbus。  It grimed the handkerchiefs of others;

and left sanguinary streaks on their mopped foreheads。  But as the

coach had slowly climbed the summit the sun was also sinking behind

the Black Spur Range; and with its ultimate disappearance a

delicious coolness spread itself like a wave across the ridge。  The

passengers drew a long breath; the reader closed his book; the lady

lifted the edge of her veil and delicately wiped her forehead; over

which a few damp 

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