After a pause he asked, "Did anybody ever see that letter, Barker ?" "No one but myself and Kitty." "And would she be likely to talk of it ?" continued Stacy.
"Of course not.

Why should she?
Whom could she talk to ?" Yet he stopped suddenly, and then with his characteristic reaction added, with a laugh, "Why no, certainly not." "Of course, everybody knew that you had bought the shares at Sacramento ?" "Yes.

Why, you know I told you the Van Loo clerks came to me and wanted to take it off my hands." "Yes, I remember; the Van Loo clerks; they knew it, of course," said Stacy with a grim smile.

"Well, boys," he said, with sudden alacrity, "I'm going to turn in, for by sun-up to-morrow I must be on my way to catch the first train at the Divide for 'Frisco.

We'll hunt this thing down together, for I reckon we're all concerned in it," he added, looking at the others, "and once more we're partners as in the old times.