the three partners-第21章

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last　ceased；　there　was　the　noise　of　the　shutting　of　heavy　doors

below；　and　Barker　rose。



〃You'll　excuse　me；　boys；　but　I　must　go　and　say　good…night　to　little

Sta；　and　see　that　he's　all　right。　　I　haven't　seen　him　since　I　got

back。　　But〃to　Demorest〃you'll　see　him　to…morrow；　when　Kitty

comes。　　It　is　as　much　as　my　life　is　worth　to　show　him　before　she

certifies　him　as　being　presentable。〃　　He　paused；　and　then　added：

〃Don't　wait　up；　you　fellows；　for　me；　sometimes　the　little　chap

won't　let　me　go。　　It's　as　if　he　thought；　now　Kitty's　away；　I　was

all　he　had。　　But　I'll　be　up　early　in　the　morning　and　see　you。　　I

dare　say　you　and　Stacy　have　a　heap　to　say　to　each　other　on

business；　and　you　won't　miss　me。　　So　I'll　say　good…night。〃　　He

laughed　lightly；　pressed　the　hands　of　his　partners　in　his　usual

hearty　fashion；　and　went　out　of　the　room；　leaving　the　gloom　a

little　deeper　than　before。　　It　was　so　unusual　for　Barker　to　be　the

first　to　leave　anybody　or　anything　in　trouble　that　they　both

noticed　it。　　〃But　for　that；〃　said　Demorest；　turning　to　Stacy　as　the

door　closed；　〃I　should　say　the　dear　fellow　was　absolutely

unchanged。　　But　he　seemed　a　little　anxious　to…night。〃



〃I　shouldn't　wonder。　　He's　got　two　women　on　his　mind；as　if　one

was　not　enough。〃



〃I　don't　understand。　　You　say　his　wife　is　foolish；　and　this　other〃



〃Never　mind　that　now；〃　interrupted　Stacy；　getting　up　and　putting

down　his　pipe。　　〃Let's　talk　a　little　business。　　That　other　stuff

will　keep。〃



〃By　all　means；〃　said　Demorest；　with　a　smile；　settling　down　into　his

chair　a　little　wearily；　however。　　〃I　forgot　business。　　And　I

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　in　his　hands。　　And；〃　he

added；　leaning　affectionately　towards　his　old　partner；　〃I　don't

know　any　one　better　equipped　in　honesty；　straightforwardness；　and

courage　for　such　a　responsibility　than　you。〃



〃I　only　wish；〃　said　Stacy；　looking　thoughtfully　at　Demorest；　〃that

I　didn't　hold　nearly　a　million　of　your　money　included　in　the

finances　of　the　Pacific　Slope。〃



〃Why；〃　said　the　smiling　Demorest；　〃as　long　as　I　am　satisfied？〃



〃Because　I　am　not。　　If　you're　satisfied；　I'm　a　wretched　idiot　and

not　fit　for　my　position。　　Now；　look　here；　Phil。　　When　you　wrote　me

to　sell　out　your　shares　in　the　Wheat　Trust　I　was　a　little

staggered。　　I　knew　your　gait；　my　boy；　and　I　knew；　too；　that；　while

you　didn't　know　enough　to　trust　your　own　opinions　or　feeling；　you

knew　too　much　to　trust　any　one's　opinion　that　wasn't　first…class。

So　I　reckoned　you　had　the　straight　tip；　but　I　didn't　see　it。　　Now；

I　ought　not　to　have　been　staggered　if　I　was　fit　for　your　confidence；

or；　if　I　was　staggered；　I　ought　to　have　had　enough　confidence　in

myself　not　to　mind　you。　　See？〃



〃I　admit　your　logic；　old　man；〃　said　Demorest；　with　an　amused　face；

〃but　I　don't　see　your　premises。　　WHEN　did　I　tell　you　to　sell　out？〃



〃Two　days　ago。　　You　wrote　just　after　you　arrived。〃



〃I　have　never　written　to　you　since　I　arrived。　　I　only　telegraphed

to　you　to　know　where　we　should　meet；　and　received　your　message　to

come　here。〃



〃You　never　wrote　me　from　San　Francisco？〃



〃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　a　letter　handed　it　to　Demorest　without　speaking。



Demorest　glanced　at　it；　turned　it　over；　read　its　contents；　and　in　a

grave　voice　said；　〃There　is　something　wrong　here。　　It　is　like　my

handwriting；　but　I　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；　although　very　grave；　was　the　more

collected　of　the　two；　went　to　a　writing…desk；　selected　a　sheet　of

paper；　and　took　up　a　pen。　　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃dictate　that　letter　to

me。〃



Stacy　began；　Demorest's　pen　rapidly　following　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　plaintively；　〃when　did　you　ever

know　me　to　write　such　a　sentence　as　'the　way　things　pointed'？〃



〃Let　me　finish　reading；〃　said　Stacy。　　This　literary　sensitiveness

at　such　a　moment　seemed　little　short　of　puerility　to　the　man　of

business。



〃From　the　way　things　pointed　in　New　York；〃　continued　Stacy；　〃and

from　private　advices　received；　this　seems　to　be　the　only　prudent

course　before　the　feathers　begin　to　fly。　　Longing　to　see　you　again

and　the　dear　old　stamping…ground　at　Heavy　Tree。　　Love　to　Barker。

Has　the　dear　old　boy　been　at　any　fresh　crank　lately？



〃Yours；　PHIL　DEMOREST。〃



The　dictation　and　copy　finished　together。　　Demorest　laid　the

freshly　written　sheet　beside　the　letter　Stacy　had　produced。　　They

were　very　much　alike　and　yet　quite　distinct　from　each　other。　　Only

the　signature　seemed　identical。



〃That's　the　invariable　mistake　with　the　forger；〃　said　Demorest；　〃he

always　forgets　that　signatures　ought　to　be　identical　with　the　text

rather　than　with　each　other。〃



But　Stacy　did　not　seem　to　hear　this　or　require　further　proof。　　His

face　was　quite　gray　and　his　lips　compressed　until　lost　in　his

closely　set　beard　as　he　gazed　fixedly　out　of　the　window。　　For　the

first　time；　really　concerned　and　touched；　Demorest　laid　his　hand

gently　on　his　shoulder。



〃Tell　me；　Jim；　how　much　does　this　mean　to　you　apart　from　me？　　Don't

think　of　me。〃



〃I　don't　know　yet；〃　said　Stacy　slowly。　　〃That's　the　trouble。　　And　I

won't　know　until　I　know　who's　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　Does　anybody

know　of　your　affairs　with　me？〃



〃No　one。〃



〃No　confidential　friend；　eh？〃



〃None。〃



〃No　one　who　has　access　to　your　secrets？　　Nonowoman？　　Excuse　me；

Phil；〃　he　said；　as　a　peculiar　look　passed　over　Demorest's　face；

〃but　this　is　business。〃



〃No；〃　he　returned；　with　that　gentleness　that　used　to　frighten　them

in　the　old　days；　〃it's　ignorance。　　You　fellows　always　say　'Cherchez

la　femme'　when　you　can't　say　anything　else。　　Come　now；〃　he　went　on

more　brightly；　〃look　at　the　letter。　　Here's　a　man；　commercially

educated；　for　he　has　used　the　usual　business　formulas；　'on　receipt

of　this；'　and　'advices　received；'　which　I　won't　merely　say　I　don't

use；　but　which　few　but　commercial　men　use。　　Next；　here's　a　man　who

uses　slang；　not　only　ineptly；　but　artificially；　to　give　the　letter

the　easy；　familiar　turn　it　hasn't　from　beginning　to　end。　　I　need

only　say；　my　dear　Stacy；　that　I　don't　write　slang　to　you；　but　that

nobody　who　understands　slang　ever　writes　it　in　that　way。　　And　then

the　knowledge　of　my　opinion　of　Barker　is　such　as　might　be　gained

from　the　reading　of　my　letters　by　a　person　who　couldn't　comprehend

my　feelings。　　Now；　let　me　play　inquisitor　for　a　few　moments。　　Has

anybody　access　to　my　letters　to　YOU？〃



〃No　one。　　I　keep　them　locked　up　in　a　cabinet。　　I　only　make

memorandums　of　your　instructions；　which　I　give　to　my　clerks；　but

never　your　letters。〃



〃But　your　clerks　sometimes　see　you　make　memorandums　from　them？〃



〃Yes；　but　none　of　them　have　the　ability　to　do　this　sort　of　thing；

nor　the　opportunity　of　profiting　by　it。〃



〃Has　any　womannow　this　is　not　retaliation；　my　dear　Jim；　for　I

fancy　I　detect　a　woman's　cleverness　and　a　woman's　stupidity　in　this

forgeryany　access　to　your　secrets　or　my　letters？　　A　woman's

villainy　is　always　effective　for　the　moment；　but　always　defective

when　probed。〃



The　look　of　scorn　which　passed　over　Stacy's　face　was　quite　as

distinct　as　Demorest's　previous　protest；　as　he　said　contemptuously；

〃I'm　not　such　a　fool　as　to　mix　up　petticoats　with　my　business；

whatever　I　do。〃



〃Well；　one　thing　more。　　I　have　told　you　that　in　my　opinion　the

forger　has　a　commercial　education　or　style；　that　he　doesn't　know　me

nor　Barker；　and　don't　understand　slang。　　Now；　I　have　to　add　what

must　have　occurred　to　you；　Jim；　that　the　forger　is　either　a　coward；

or　his　object　is　not　altogether　mercenary：　for　the　same　ability

displayed　in　this　letter　would　on　the　signature　alonehad　it　been

on　a　check　or　drafthave　drawn　from　your　bank　twenty　times　the

amount　concerned。　　Now；　what　is　the　actual　loss　by　this　forgery？〃



〃Very　little；　for　you've　got　a　good　price　for　your　stocks；

considering　the　depreciation　in　realizing　suddenly　on　so　large　an

amount。　　I　told　my　broker　to　sell　slowly　and　in　small　quantities　to

avoid　a　panic。　　But　the　real　loss　is　the　control　of　the　stock。〃



〃But　the　amount　I　had　was　not　enough　to　affect　that；〃　said　Demorest。



〃No；　but　I　was　carrying　a　large　amount　myself；　and　together　we

controlled　the　market；　and　now　I　have　unloaded；　too。〃



〃You　sold　out！　and　with　your　doubts？〃　said　Demorest。



〃That's　just　it；〃　said　Stacy；　looking　steadily　at　his　companion's

face；　〃because　I　HAD　doubts；　and　it　won't　do　for　me　to　have　them。

I　ought　either　to　have　disobeyed　your　letter　and　kept　your　stock

and　my　own；　or　have　done　just　what　I　did。　　I　might　have　hedged　on

my　own　stock；　but　I　don't　believe　in　hedging。　　There　is　no　middle

course　to　a　man　in　my　business　if　he　wants　to　keep　at　the　top。　　No

great　success；　no　great　power；　was　ever　created　by　it。〃



Demorest　smiled。　　〃Yet　you　accept　the　alternative　also；　which　is

ruin？〃



〃Precisely；〃　said　Stacy。　　〃When　you　returned　the　other　day　you　were

bound　to　find　me　what　I　was　or　a　beggar。　　But　nothing　between。

However；〃　he　added；　〃this　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　forgery；　or；〃

he　smiled　grimly；　〃everything　to　do　with　it。　　Hush！　　Barker　is

coming。〃



There　was　a　quick　step　along　the　corridor　approaching　the　room。

The　next　moment　the　door　flew　open　to　the　bounding　step　and

laughing　face　of　Barker。　　Whatever　of　thoughtfulness　or　despondency

he　had　carried　from　the　room　with　him　was　completely　gone。　　With

his　amazing　buoyancy　and　power　of　reaction　he　was　there　again　in

his　usual　frank；　cheerful　simplicity。



〃I　thought　I'd　come　in　and　say　goodnight；〃　he　began；　with　a　laugh。

〃I　got　Sta　asleep　after　some　high　jinks　we　had　together；　and　then　I

reckoned　it　wasn't　the　square　thing　to　leave　just　you　two　together；

the　first　night　you　came。　　And　I　remembered　I　had　some　business　to

talk　over；　too；　so　I　thought　I'd　chip　in　again　and　take　a　hand。

It's　only　the　shank　of　the　evening　yet；〃　he　continued　gayly；　〃and

we　ought　to　sit　up　at　least　long　enough　to　see　the　old　snow…line

vanish；　as　we　did　in　old　times。　　But　I　say；〃　he　added　suddenly；　as

he　glanced　from　the　one　to　the　other；　〃you've　been　having　it　pretty

strong　already。　　Why；　you　both　look　as　you　did　that　night　the

backwater　of　the　South　Fork　came　into　our　cabin。　　What's　up？〃



〃Nothing；〃　said　Demorest　hastily；　as　he　caught　a　glance　of　Stacy's