The morning call., 1891-06-28
CHAPTER III-CoNTINUED.
PROSPECT COTTAGE.

extreme Western State was under eultiya-
tim =, in fact. most Of it seemed only fit for
cattle-ralsiBg. Who. could have imagined
that such a brilliant destiny awaited the far
away region, whose only communication
p with the world was by wagon trains OF over
land routes and the single line OF coasters
touching at its principal seapOrts? And
vet. as far back as 1869 there was little
nucleus Of a town a few miles back from
the coast north Of the Bay Of San Diego.
Hence. the city Of that name may justly
claim the honor Of being the Oldest settle
meut on Californian soil. The bay OF san
Diego IS superb one twelve miles long by
tNo wide, it not only affords necessary
anchorage for merchantmen, but sufficient
accommodation for a squadron, the port
ranking as a naval station. Oyal,in fern,
and haYinga narrow entrance opening to
the west between Island Point and Iona,
OF Coronado Point, the haTOOr IS shut IL on
all sides. The off-c0ast gales don't reach 1t,
and heavy seas scarcely ripple Its surface.
There's no trouble getting out or in, there
being q minimum depth Of twenty-three
feet
hiss san Diego had a population of
1900: to-day 1t has 5000. Its first rail
fsad.Gales from Isl. Now the Atlantic and
Pacific, the Southern California and the
Sout ern Pacific roads make it part and
. parcel OF the great continental railway s9s-
tenn. while the Pacific Coast Steam ship
Company bring it IN frequent c0mmunica-
lion with san Francisco. 1t is q handsome
and agreeable city healthful in location ana
with climate ia praise Of which language
las already been exhausted.
Z ,r-a mast 5l11rfp4u cities DIEGO Ia
fnIi IF life and activity and very methodieal
vithal in the hurry burly Of its business
aasirs. If movement be Il manifestation Of
life ii exists here 20 an intense degree. The
. te~ Is hardly long enough for business
transactions But if this was the case with
those whose instincts and incliuations
ha-lrd them into this whirlpool, it did not
appIy II those lives which were drawn out
INTO iuternnable rounds Of leisure. When
things c0.He to a standstlll time becomes
great .aEgaTd.
And this was Mrs. Alaire'S experience
LATTER tile sailiugof the Dreadnaught Since
.hsr marriage her husbands lab0rS had en-
tered more OF less into her life. Even when
be was not absent on a trip Captain Johns
relations with the house Of HOLSTER & Co.
gent linn busy. Besides the part which he
had been commissioned TO watch the cor
>Fucton of tie clipper ship Of which he was
destined 30 be the commander With what
s-a.. YES. almost affection did lie supervise
the work even 10 its smallest details. L
was Ike the loving care Of the man who is
engaged in building home IN which e. end
LIs-CavS. But d was even more than this,
fcr "a Ship is not emily house, it is not only
g. san instrument Of fortune, II Is fabric Of
wood and iron 10 which precious human
lives are to be entrusted. Moreover. is it
q e. rs { reTe, . detached fragment Of ma
t.ye-s6i3. which is borne back home by
wind and wave only 70 be carried away
again and which In the end destiny uuf0T-
rladlelydoes not always permit 80 return to
1sp port out 81 y hich Il first dIIfted?
Molly lad very frequently accompanied
Captain John To tie sh.p-yard. These
rMb-r5 resting upon tho inclined keel,
these IIus SO Ike tine skeleton Of some vast
marine mammal, this panking already in
u.-Lt q, TINS huh with its complex out
lUes, tits deck pierced by the broad matches
for loading and unloading. these maSts lying
og the ground bijiaE their time to be placed
iu position, the interior arrangements, the
crews quarters, the quarterback anu its
saH.us-was net all this sufficient to interest
her? Was il not her husbands lie and the
life IT his mpaul0-S which the Dread
Iau-h, would shield from and defend
against tile gales OF tie Pacific? Hence
taere was nos a single plank which, in
N.-E's Imagination, Captain John IN ght
d 6 IN some emergency stand in need Of for
The safety OF his lie; nor did q blow Of a
hammer Tes0und AMID all the noise and tur-
ll..l 0f that ship-yard which did not find an
echo On her heart
John took pleasure in initiating her in the
mysteries Of the work, pointing out the
drstjuacionOf each piece of metal, explaining
2. her the vessels speed, as indicated by the
pan Of construction. Molly. learned TO
love this ship Of which her husband WAS to
be- The soul and next 10 God the master.
The house occupied by John AllaiTe stood
upon one Of the l0ftIcst terraces Of the
heights which shut in the north side Of the
bay. il was q sort Of Swiss cottage sur
rounded by garden containing orange and
olive trees and shut In by plain wooden
fence. \ ground floor with a veranda in
front. upon which opened the front door and
tie windows Of the parlOT and dlHng-rO0m,
q second story with balcony extending its
entire length and above this the gable end.
tie slipping rafteTS Of which were richly
caryed-sUch was This very simple, bat very
attractive bab.tatlOn. The parlOr and din
lag-TOOm, mGdesty furnished, occupied the
ground floor; above them were two rooms,
Mrs Allaire's and one devoted to the COM
Tort Of little Walt; in the rear there was a
small annex used for the kitchen and tie
servants. This was the home in which the
captain wife must GOw face the long hours
q dD>tlCc. i III BAUN NURSE anu Ole SCI
want were its only other occupants. Her
only other visitors were Mr.. and Mrs Bar
EeT, the husband rarely, the wife frequently.
Mr.. Andrew HOLSTER, as he had prom
isPd, often called TO see the young wife, be-
Ing anxious to carry her any news Of the
Dreadnaught which might reach him
directly or Indirectly. Before any letters
can reach their destination the maritime
journals contain lists OF vessels spoken,
Their touching at this port or that, or any
other happenings al sea which might be Of
interest to shippers. Molly would there
lore be kept well posted.
The first few days were specially heavy
and sad Molly could not bring herself to
leave the house. Kate Barker went daily
10 visit her, and the two women laYished
their attentions on little Walt and talked
about Captain John. Ordinarily when she
was alone Molly passed part of the day on
the balcony Of her cottage. Her gaze was
turned seawaTd over the bay and far be-
yoId the Coronado Islands. The line o. the
horizon did not limit her vision; she saw be-
VOID II, Tor had nat the DreadnaugHt passed
far beyond it? In thought she passed on
board the ship-she stood by her husband
de. At this moment vessel appeared in
tile OfIug and stood il toward the bay, and
Molly thought to herself how the Dread
naught would be sighted IN this way some
Gay and how she would loom mp as she
neared land and how John would be stand
ing by the ships side glass IN hand.
The time now came when little Waits
health might suffer from his being cooped
up too much indoors. The weather became
particularly fine the second week after Cap
tain Johns departure. and q cool breeze
tempered the Increasing heat Mrs. Aiaire
brought herself to emerge from her retire
meni, and en- these little excursions was ac-
cUmpanled by the nurse, carry ing the baby,
In this way, on one occasion, they made
an excursion TO Mob Hill, the site of many
villas. from which point one may look out
To sea far beyond the islands. At another
time they hetO0k themselves TO Coronado
Beach, where the sea rolls in angrily and
breaks on the shore with the noise of thun-
der, and here they visited the mussel beds,
where at high tide the spray covers the
beautiful rocky formations Of the coast at
this point. Molly set her foot in the way
Of a wave that crept bubbling and ripping
Up on thu beach; she touched this mysteri-