Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09

ter was informed of this piece Of new
which had been telegraphed to San Diego
he hastened to Prospect Cottage, whert
Zach French happened to be. When th'
news was made known to Mrs. Allaire he
sole reply was: 81 leave for Sydney Al
once"
''For sydney?" repeated Hollister.
| "Yes," said Molly. "Will you go with
me, Zach?" she added, turning to the boat
| swain.
''To the ends of the world, Mrs. Allaire "
IT'S the Molly's Hope ready for sea?"
"No," replied Hollister; "it would take
three weeks to get her ready ~"
Before three weeks are up must be in
| Sydney" exclaimed Molly. "When does
| the next steamer sail for Australia"
''The Oregon leaves San Francisco to-
night
"zach and will be in San Francisco this
evening""
May God bring you and John together,
my dear Nollyp' cried Andrew Hollister.
''He will do it p was her reply.
That evening a special train, gotten ready
at her request, landed Mrs. Allaire and Zach
French in the capital city of the State. At
l o'clock in the morning the Oregon steamed
slowly through the Golden Gate.
The steamer Oregon had averaged about
II knots on this trip, which had been
favored by superb weather. Zach had an
idea that the steamer was doing her very
best on Mrs. Allaire's account. 1t need
hardly be said that passengers, officers and
crew manifested the greatest sympathy for
this brave lady, whose rare courage in bear
ing up under her misfortunes made her
richly deserving of it. On August Is, after
a voyage off, 900 miles, the Oregon entered
the bay of Port Jackson through its lofty
gateway of schistous cliffs. To the customs
agent, who was the first person to board the
steamer, Mrs. Allaire turned with the
anxious inquiry:
"Harry Shelton7''
"He is still alive" replied the agent, who
had guessed who the lady was, for did not
the whole city of Sydney know that she had
taken passage on the Oregon, and was she
not awaited with the greatest impatience?"
"Where is he?" she inquired.
cat the Marine Hospital
Mrs. Allaire, followed by Zach French,
landed at once. The crowd received her
with that Difference which had always been
shown her at San Diego, and which would
have been shown her anywhere.
A carriage conveyed them to the Marine
Hospital, where they were received by the
physician in charge.
''Has Harry Shelton been able to speak
YETI" she asked. elias he recovered con-
sciousness?"
mo, madam" replied the physician,
"the poor man has not recovered the use of
his faculties. He seems to be unable to
articulate a syllable. Death may carry him
off at any moment"
"Shelton must not dier' exclaimed Molly.
''He alone knows whether Captain John is
alive, whether any of his crew still sur
vive He alone can tell where they are. 1
have come to see him, to hear what he has
to say
''Madam, I'll take you to him at once"
replied the physician.
In few moments Mrs. Allaire and Zach
French stood by Shelton's bedside.
Six weeks prior to this time band of
trappers who had crossed New South Wales
and penetrated into the southern portion of
Queensland, while camped upon the left
banks ofthe Paroo, had come upon human
being in the bush. The mans clothes were
reduced to the merest shreds, and so near
deaths door was he through hunger and ex-
posure that he had lost consciousness. But
his enlistment papers as an
officer in the American merchant marine
his finders who he was, namely,
Harry Shelton, the mate of the clipper ship
Dreadnaught. Where did he come from?
From what distant and unknown portion of |
the Australian continent had he made his
way here? For how long time had he !
about in the awful solitudes of this |
central desert? Had he been a prisoner
among the natives, and had he succeeded in |
making his escape? Where had he left his
if any of them were still alive? |
Could it be that he was the last survivor of |
the ill-fated ship wrecked IA years ago3 Up |
to this moment not one of these questions /
had received an answer
There did not cease to be, however, a
great desire everywhere manifested as to !
where Harry Shelton had come from, what |