Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-10-07
CHAPTER ".

Allaire and the nurse, who was carry
ing little Walt, left Prospect cottage.
She passed quickly through the broad
avenues OF the upper city, bordered
with villas having gardens inclosed by
ornamental fences, and soon reached
the narrow and more built-up streets
of the business portion It was in Fleet
street that Lewis Barker resided, not far
from the wharf belonging to the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company. AL in all,
itwas a pretty long walk, and it was
nine o'clock when Kate opened the door
for Mrs. Allaire.
1t was a residence plain almost to
windows were almost always closed, as
Lew Barker received only business ac-
| quaintances and maintained no friend
ly relations with his neighbors Peo-
pie knew the man very slightly, even
In Fleet street, rs his business affairs
kept him away from the house from
morning till night Besides he was out
of town a great deal, going most fire.
| quently to San Francisco in pursuit of
schemes of which he said nothing 10 his
vita
This particular morning he was not
| in his Office when Mrs Al1aire reached
the house. Kate made excuses for her
husbands not being able to accompany
them on board the Flying CLOUD, adding
that he would cOtainly Join them at
luncheon.
"Im ready, my dear Molly" said she,
after having kissed the baby; but
don't you want to rest for q moment?"
I'm not tired" replied Mrs. Allaire-
"You don't need anything?"
Nothing, Kate Ilong TO meet Capt.
Willis. Pray let's start at once
Mrs. Barker's only servant was an old
mulattress, whom her husband had
brought from New York with him.
This woman, whose name was Nanny,
had been Barker's ngr5e Never hav-
ing served IN any other family except
ing his, she was completely devoted TO
him and still called him by his first
name as she had done when he was o
child. This creature, gruff and dicta-
torial, was the only one who ever
seemed to exercise any influence over
Lew Barker, and he intrusted her abso-
lptelY with the management Of his
house. How often had Kate been made
TO feel the weight of this domineering
sway, which was pushed at times to
disrespect. But she bowed to this
tyranny on Nanny's part as she did to
that exercised by her husband. In her
resignation, which was but another
name for weakness, she let things 60 as
they might, and Nanny took no counsel
with her in relation to the management
Of house affairs.
As Kate turned to leave the house the
mulattress epioiued upon her the ne
cessity Of reaching home before midday,
as Lew would soon return, and II would
not do to keep him waiting. Besides.
there was an important matter of
which he wished 10 speak to Mrs. Al
laire.
What does she refer top asked
Molly of her cousin.
"How should knowsn replied Mrs.
Barker, :'eome. Molly, let's be off,"
There was no time to be lost. Mrs.
Allaire and Kate Barker, accompanied
by the nurse and child, turned their steps
toward the wharf which they reached
In less than ten minutes
The Flying Cloud which had now,
passed through the formalities Of quar-
aAtine, had not yet been docked, but lay
at anchor at the farther end of the bay,
q cables length inside Oh Iona point.
It would, therefore, be necessary to
cross the bay to go on board the vessel,
which would not be hauled up to the
dock until lateN II was about two
miles across and the passage was effect
ed by means of steam launches, which
made half-hourly trips.
Molly Allaire and Kate Barker took
seats in the steam launch along with
dozen other passengers Most Of them
were friends or relatives Of the crew Of
the Flying Cloud, who wished to avail
themselves Of the first opportunity Of
| fered to visit the ship. The launch cast
| OF its lines, gotclear of the wharf, and,
under the action of its screw, took an
oblique course across the bay, putting
steam at every stroke of its piston.
With it's placid surface mirroring the
fieecy clouds and blue sky, the bay was
| now visible it's entire length, with the
houses of San Diego rising amphithea-
ter like up the heights, and the old city
at the bottom OF the narrows lying be-
tween Island point and Point Iona;
the huge Coronado hotel standing out
boldly with its palace-like architecture,
and the lighthouse whose lantern sheds
its broad glow over the sea after night
| fall.
There were u number of vessels an
ohored here and there, of which the
launch skillfully steered clear, as she
did of the boats coming towards her,
| - Qeh,-,~
hugging the wind to lengthen their
tack.
Mrs. Allaire, with her cousin next her,
was seated on one of the deck benches
while on the other side of her sat the
nurse holding little Walt, who, under
the influence Of the fresh sea air, was
in the best of spirits, and followed
with wondering eyes the movements of
the sea gulls as they sailed over his
head, uttering their shrin cries. His
mother was delighted with the look of
perfect health stamped upon that sweet
little face, and bent over several times
to kiss it, being each time rewarded
with n smile.
But Molly's attention was soon at
tracted by catching sight of the Flying
Cloud Lying somewhat away from
the other vessels, the threemaster
looned up in full view at the other end
of the bay with her colors radiant in
the morning sunlight. She was swing
ing with the tide, her head turned to
the westward, and the subsiding waves
of the ocean swell were breaking against
her faulty stretched chain.
Molly's whole soul went out in that
long, silent look. She was thinking Of
John, who had been borne away on a
ship which one might say was the
brother of this one, so much did they
resemble each other. Were they not
the children of the same house of Hol-
lister? Was not their home port the
same? Had their keels not been laid in
the same ship yard?
Yielding to the fascination of an illu-
sion, which her imagination under the
stimulus of recollection conjured up
for her, Molly was about to meet her
husband, he was there on board, await
ing her, he would wave his hand to her
the moment he caught sight of her and
she would throw herself into his arms
With this, his name trembled on her
lips, she called him, he replied, repeat
ing her name again and again.
A slight outcry from her child broke
the spell, and she looked to see that it