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The Three Partners by Bret Harte
page 48 of 222 (21%)
"Barker," said Stacy curtly, "how much money are you short of?"

At this direct question Barker's always quick color rose, but, with an
equally quick smile, he said, "I don't know yet that I'm short at all."

"But I do!"

"Look here, Jim: why, I'm just overloaded with shares and stocks," said
Barker, smiling.

"Not one of which you could realize on without sacrifice. Barker, three
years ago you had three hundred thousand dollars put to your account at
San Francisco."

"Yes," said Barker, with a quiet reminiscent laugh. "I remember I wanted
to draw it out in one check to see how it would look."

"And you've drawn out all in three years, and it looks d----d bad."

"How did you know it?" asked Barker, his face beaming only with
admiration of his companion's omniscience.

"How did I know it?" retorted Stacy. "I know YOU, and I know the kind of
people who have unloaded to you."

"Come, Stacy," said Barker, "I've only invested in shares and stocks
like everybody else, and then only on the best advice I could get:
like Van Loo's, for instance,--that man who was here just now, the
new manager of the Empire Ditch Company; and Carter's, my own Kitty's
father. And when I was offered fifty thousand Wide West Extensions,
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