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.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93