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
impatient face. "Only all business is serious, Barker boy, though you
don't seem to feel it so."
"I reckon you're right there," said Barker, with a chuckle. "People
always laugh, of course, when I talk business, so it might make it a
little livelier for you and more of a change if I chipped in now. Only I
don't know which you'll do. Hand me a pipe. Well," he continued, filling
the pipe Demorest shoved towards him, "you see, I was in Sacramento
yesterday, and I went into Van Loo's branch office, as I heard he was
there, and I wanted to find out something about Kitty's investments,
which I don't think he's managing exactly right. He wasn't there,
however, but as I was waiting I heard his clerks talk about a drop in
the Wheat Trust, and that there was a lot of it put upon the market.
They seemed to think that something had happened, and it was going down
still further.
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