The morning call., 1891-06-21

ten TO his niece, and was destined TO be the
last.
This communication, which VIII be lound
to be as concise in construction as it is
practical in Tone read as follows:
My dear Molly: Although you and /
live at great distance from each other, and
although l have never seen you, yet don't
forget that you are my niece-brother
Toms only child. If have never seen you
it is simply because Tom and / didn't meet
after he got married, and because [ live in
the extreme western portion of Tennessee
and you live in San Diego. Now, it's sew
eral thousand miles from Tennessee to Cal
ifornia, and it wouldn't be at all convenient
for me to make that journey. Therefore, it
it would be difficult matter for me to go 10
see you. it would be still more difficult
matter for you to come to see me, so pray
don't think of it.
1.-THE fact is, Molly. Pm an old bear of
an uncle; not one OF those North American
grizzlies which wear fur and claws, but a
human bear that iBds his pleasure in living
quite outside the pale Of what you call So
ciety.
But don't let this worry you, Molly; YOU
| may have an old bear Of an uncle, but he
hasn't a bears heart inside of him. He
doesn't forget what he owes to Tom Man
sen, and to you, as Toms daughter, shall
belong all the goods and chattels which /
NAV leave behind me.
81 think it's quite likely that it will be
worth your while to look after the goods
and chattes aforesaid. Under the hammer
TO-DAY they might bring, say 100000, and
they will increase in value, for my business
| looks very promising. If you want to sell
| things out after | am gone, don't hesitate to
do so.
POSSIBLY you NAV think that talk like
| a backwoOdsman. Well, that's just what l
am, Molly, and when | say thing | mean it,
Nov, there are two things that want to
| speak about:
First-I am a bachelor, and shall live
and die one. 1t is not likely, Molly, that a
! man of my age-G0-will be fool enough to
| commit the blunder OF youngster OF 20 or
! 80. Hence, there's not the slightest chance
| that anything VIII happen TO keep this prop
| erty from going to you or to your children
| no more than there is that the Father of
| Waters will stop emptying into the Gulf of
| Mexico.
Secondly intend TO do my level best
| TO keep this little fortune out of your hand
as long as possible. 1 expect to live
TO be hundred, anyway, and you mustn't
| be offended, Molly, at this Old mans ObSti-
macy, this determination to prOlong my
earthly career 10 such Il ridiculous extent.
Now don't take the trouble to answer
this. There is no pOstoffice within ten miles
of my wild lands, and we often go weeks
| and WEEKS without getting news from the
outside world. And l shall not write again
| either, except it is to say that I'm dead but
| some one else will look after that
Such was the strange epistle received by
| AIlaire There could be no room for doubt
| she would be the sole devisee and legatee
| Of her uncle Edward. 1t might he good
| way off, but some day she would find her
| self suddenly enriched-a half a mil ion.
! and it would keep on growing. too. Taxing
| her uncle at his word, and. from what her
! father had told her, he was as tenacious of
| purpose as an old Roman, her husband had
| done well in not res diving to give up the sea-
| His courage, his intelligence, his industry
oh i'm tYs ira
| competence long before her uncle Edward
would be ready to settle up his earthly
| accounts.
Such was the condition OF things in the
/ Allaire family at the time the Dreadnaught
! set sail for the far western Pacific, and the
reader now being in position to get a clear
| understanding of the facts Of this history, as
! they shall gradually come TO light IT would
seem to be advisable 10 give little more
than passing glance at the only relatives of
| the captains wife at San Diego, Mr. and
| Mrs Levi Barker.
1t had only been few years since Lew
| Barker, a native of one Of the Eastern
| States, now man Of about SO, had taken
MP his residence at San Diego. This New
| Highlander, with his hard features and cold
impassye physiOgnOmy and strongly built
frame, belonged 10 that class of men who
while full of decision and action are as
silent as SphinXes. and quite as engmatical.
! However, no damaging TumOr had ever
| IL
| tacitUrn man, whose marriage TO Kate had
made him the cousin Of John AllaiTe and it
is therefore not at all surprising that John,
not having any relatives himself, should
have intrusted his wife and child to the
| Barkers But, really, il was to Kate es-
pecally that he had commended his little
family, knowing, as he did, of the genuine
affection existing between the two women.
But John Allaire would have been very
careful not TO do what he did had he had a
& 4 ,
suspected the deceit which lay hidden be-
hind the impenetTable mask Of Bankers
impassivenesS had he known with what
Indifference this man looked upon the pro-
prieties of life, bow little respect he had for
| himself or for the rights of others. Pos
sessed of a certain physical attractiveness,
the man had from the start gained q
strange aScendency, amounting almost to
a fascination, over Kate, whom he
had married five years before in Boston,
where she was living with her mother, who
died n short time after this nnion, tue con-
sequences of which were destined 10 be so
distressing Kate's property would have
been quite sufficient to support them both If
Barker hadn't preferred the devious
to the straight paths. But such vas
not to be the case Having wasted goOtly
portion Of his wife's fortune, Lew Barker,
already in bad financial Odor, resolved to
leave the city of Boston. On the Pacific
slope, in an entirely new country whittier
| MS DUBIOUS reputation HOulu not ue lkely
to follow him, he hoped to fud chances
which were now denied him in the East.
Kate, who now had an inkling Of her hus-
bands true character, made haste t. agree
to this proposition, for she was anxious to
leave Boston, where invidous comments had
already become current, and she rejoiced
also at the proposal of meeting her only liv-
ing relative. Barker had now been a resi-
dent of San Diego for three years, and yet
so skillful had he been in Disgusting the
crooked nature of his transactions that not
a breath of suspicion had attached to him.
Such were the circumstances which Lad
brought about the reunion of the two
cousins at time when Molly had not yet
become Mrs. John Allare.
The closest intimacy sprang up between
the young wife and the young girl, and
although it would have seemed more natural