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 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.  Now I knew it was your pet scheme, and that Phil had a lot of shares in it, too, so I just slipped out and went to a broker’s and told him to buy all he could of it.  And, by Jove!  I was a little taken aback when I found what I was in for, for everybody seemed to have unloaded, and I found I hadn’t money enough to pay margins, but I knew that Demorest was here, and I reckoned on his seeing me through.”  He stopped and colored, but added hopefully, “I reckon I’m safe, anyway, for just as the thing was over those same clerks of Van Loo’s came bounding into the office to buy up everything.  And offered to take it off my hands and pay the margins.”

“And you?” said both men eagerly, and in a breath.

Barker stared at them, and reddened and paled by turns.  “I held on,” he stammered.  “You see, boys”—­

Both men had caught him by the arms.  “How much have you got?” they said, shaking him as if to precipitate the answer.