Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-21

T.,
he hasn't bears heart inside of him. He
doesn't forget what he owes to Tom Man.
son, and to you, as Toms daughter, shall
belong all the goods and chatteIs which I
may leave behind me-
/ II think it's quite likely that it will be
worth your while to look after the goods
and chattels aforesaid. Under the hammer
to-day they might bring, say $500, 200, 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 may think that talk like
a backwoodsman. Well, that's Just what I
am, Molly, and when say a thing mean
it. Now, there are two things that want
to speak about:
"First-1 am bachelor and shall live
and die one 1t is not at all likely, Molly,
that man of my age-60-will be fool
enough to commit the blunder of young
ster of 20 or 80. Hence, there's not the
slightest chance that anything will happen
to keep this property 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-I intend to do my level best
to keep this little fortune out of your hands
as long as possible. expect to live to be
100, anyway, and you mustn't be offended,
Molly, at this old mans obstinacy, this de-
termination to prolong my earthly career to
such ridiculous extent.
"Now, don't take the trouble to answer
this. There is no postofice within ten
mile. of my wild lands, and we often go
weeks and weeks without getting news from
the outside world. And 1 shalt 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
Mrs. Allaire There could now be no room
for doubt, she would be the sole devisee and
legatee of her uncle Edward. 1t might be
a long way off, but some day she would find
herself suddenly enriched-a half a million
and it would keep on growing, too. TAX
ing 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 resolving to give up
the sea. His courage, his intelligence, his
industry would no doubt enable him to
acquire 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
understanding of the facts of this history, as
they shall gradually come to light, it would
seem to be advisable to give little more
than passing glance at the only relatives of
the captains wife at San Diego, Mr.. and
Mrs. Lewis Barker.
1t had only been few years since Lewis
Barker, native of one of the Eastern
States, now a man of thirty, had taken up
his residence at San Diego. This New
with bis hard features and cold,
impassive physiognomy and strongly built |
frame, belonged to that class of men who |
while full of decision and action are as |
silent as sphinxes and quite as enigmatical |
However, no damaging rumor had ever
been current at San Diego concerning this |
taciturn man, whose marriage to Kate had |
made him the cousin of John Allaire, and |
it is therefore not at all surprising that |
John, not having any relatives himself, |
should have entrusted his wife and child to |
'he Barkers. But, really, it was to Kate
especially that he had commended his lit
lie family, knowing as he did of the
genuine affection existing between the two
women.
But John Allaire would have been very
,areful not to do what he did had he glim-
ner of the true facts of the case, had he
the deceit which lay hidden be-
lind the impenetrable mask of Barker's i'm
oassiveness, had he known with what in
Inference this man looked upon the propri-
tiles of life, how little respect he had for
himself or for the rights of others. Pos
essed of a certain physical attractiveness,
he man had from the start gained strange
lscendancy, amounting almost to fascina-
ion, over Kate, whom he had married five
'ears before in Boston, where she was living
With her mother, who died short time after
his union, the consequences of which were
destined to be SO distressing. Kate's prop
,erty would have been quite sufficient to
upport them both if Barker hadn't pre-
erred the devious to the straight paths.
But such was not to be the case. Having
wasted goodly portion of his wife's for
une, Lew Barker, already in bad financial
dor, resolved to leave the city of Boston.
IN the Pacific slope, in an entirely new
would net be likely to follow him, he hoped
o find chances which were now denied him
n the East.
Kate, who now had an 1nkling of her hus-
'and's true character, made haste to agree
o this proposition, for she was anxious to
cave Boston, where invidious comments
ad already become current, and she re-
DICED also at the proposal of meeting her
My living relative. Barker had now been
resident of San Diego for three years, and
ct so skillful had he been in Disgusting the
rocked nature of his transactions that not
breath of suspicion had attached to him.
uch were the circumstances which had
rought about the reunion of the two |
ousins at time when Molly had not yet
ecome Mrs. John Allaire. The closest in
macy sprang up between the young wife
nd the young girl, and although it would
ave seemed more natural for Kate to exer-
Ise an ascendency over Molly, yet it was
he contrary that took place. Molly was
esolute, Kate was weak, and the young
irl soon became the strong prop Of the
larried woman. Kate rejoiced greatly at |
,e projected marriage of her cousin to the ,
oung Captain-a marriage which gave no
romise Of ever resembling her own, and
hat sweet consolation and comfort could
late not have drawn from the sympathy of
erself to uncover her hidden sorrow?
As for Lew Barker, his position became ,
ore and more complicated. A crisis was
t hand. The last scrap of his wifc's fortune j
hich he had hastily collected upon leav- :
lg Boston would soon be exhausted. This J
AN, by nature a gambler. or, rather, ;
,ckless speculat0r, was one of those who !
gard chance as their only dependence and :
no are always ready to risk everything on
single throw. Such a propensity-abso-
Itely uncontrolled by the dictates of rea-
not do otherwise than lead, and 7
d lead, to deplorable results
Upon reaching San Diego, Barker had
'ened an Office in Fleet street, one of those
lreaus which it were more appropriate to Z
IL dens, in which any scheme good or bad 4
ecomes the starting point Of fraud. Very r
illfuls i'm depicting the possibilities Of :
mbination, utterly unscrupulous as to the /