e of these fortunate individuals.'"

"No," said Barker, with a slight flush of innocent pleasure, "it can't
say that. How could it know?"

Stacy laughed, but Demorest coolly continued: "You didn't hear all.
Listen! 'We say WAS one of them; but having already sold his apparently
useless certificates to our popular druggist, Jones, for corn plasters,
at a reduced rate, he is unable to realize.'"

"You may laugh, boys," said Barker, with simple seriousness; "but I
really believe I have got 'em yet. Just wait. I'll see!" He rose and
began to drag out a well-worn valise from under his bunk. "You see," he
continued, "they were given to me by an old chap in return--"

"For saving his life by delaying the Stockton boat that afterward blew
up," returned Demorest briefly. "We know it all! His hair was white, and
his hand trembled slightly as he laid these shares in yours, saying, and
you never forgot the words, 'Take 'em, young man--and'--"

"For lending him two thousand dollars, then," continued Barker with
a simple ignoring of the interruption, as he quietly brought out the
valise.

"TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!" repeated Stacy. "When did YOU have two thousand
dollars?"

"When I first left Sacramento--three years ago," said Barker,
unstrapping the valise.

"How long did you have it?" said Demorest incredulously.

"At least two days, I think," returned Barker quietly. "Then I met that
man. He was hard-up, and I lent him my pile and took those shares. He
died afterward."

"Of course he did," said Demorest severely. "They always do. Nothing
kills a man more quickly than an action of that kind." Nevertheless
the two partners regarded Barker rummaging among some loose clothes
and papers with a kind of paternal toleration. "If you can't find them,
bring out your government bonds," suggested Stacy. But the next moment,
flushed and triumphant, Barker rose from his knees, and came toward them
carrying some papers in his hands. Demorest seized them from him, opened
them, spread them on the table, examined hurriedly the date, signatures,
and transfers, glanced again quickly at the newspaper paragraph, looked
wildly at Stacy and then at Barker, and gasped:

"By the living hookey! it is SO!"

"B'gosh! he HAS got 'em!" echoed Stacy.

"Twenty shares," continued Demorest breathlessly, "at ten thousand
dollars a share--even if it's only a foot--is two hundred thousand
dollars! Jerusalem!"

"Tell me, fair sir," said Stacy, with sparkl