"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 so--you 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.
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