Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-11-04
Zach French's home Is in San Di,

think he has any relatives, either in San
Diego or elsewhere"
Then he was not a married man?"
NO, madam"
There was no reason for doubling the
correctness of the replies made bv this
man to whom Zach French was so well
known So for the present there was
nothing to be done, since the man had
no family, except for Mrs. Allaire to
await the return Of the Golden Gate to
| America.
"Could you tell me how long Zach
f>rench's voyage will be likely to last?"
asked Molly.
81 could not, madam. The Golden
Gate was chartered for long cruise"
81 am greatly obliged to you, sir"
said Mrs. Allaire. 81 should have liked
very much to see Zach French, but it
viii no doubt be long while"
Yes, madam
However, isn't 1t possible that there
may be news of the Golden Gate In q
few months, few weeks?'
'News?" repeated the employees NO
doubt the San Francisco house to which
the vessel belongs has received news
from her several times already"
'Already?"
Yes, madam"
Several times?"
AS she repeated these words, Mira
Allaire had risen and stood looking the
man in the face as il his words had
! been unintelligible to her.
/ Here, madam" said the employe,
holding out journal Here's a copy
of the Shipping Gazette. 1t contains
an announcement that the Golden Gate
/ left Liverpool week ago."
"a week agoI" mur1nured Mrs. AL
laire, taking the paper in her trembling
hand. How long has Zach French
been gomez" she asked In a voice SO lit
tie above whisper that the man could
scarcely catch it
about eighteen months"
Eighteen months?"
Molly was obliged to support herself
by leaning against the wall Her heart
had ceased to beat, and there was look
of terror in her eyes as they suddenly
fell upon poster on which was printed
the arrivals and departures of the steam
launches for the summer season At
the head Of this notice stood the date.
| March, 1879
March, 1871 They had deceived her. II
was four years since her child had been
drowned; four years since John had set
sail for the Indies. She had therefore
/ be. 81 f her mind for these four long
| ye-~s' nd If Mr.. Hollister and DR..
/ / hal al 60 hal;
thai s.-e had only been deranged for
the short space of two months it must
have been for the purpose of conceal
! ing the truth about the Dreadnaught-
it must be that for four years they had
no tidings of either Capt John or his
ship
To the CONSERVATION of the employe,
Mrs. Allaire seemed about to succumh
to some sudden ailment; but with a SUI
! perhumau effort she recovered posses
sion OF herself, and, dashing out of the
Office, hurried along from one street to
another.
Those who met this woman with her
| wild eyes and pallid face could not do
| otherwise than regard her as an escaped
| luDatic.
And if she was not what they thought
her to be would 1t not be a mere ques-
ton of time? Whittier was she hurry
| ing? 1t was in the direction of the Of
fees of Hollister s. Co., where she ar
| rived in few minutes without know
| ing how. She crossed the outside Office,
| fitting by the astonished clerks who
| had no chance to detain her, and pushed
open the door of the shipping merchants
| private office.
Andrew HOLSTERS astonishment at
seeing Mrs. Allaire quickly gave place
to dismay upon glancing at her drawn
features, her deadly pallor
81 know ALL I know allr' she ex-
claimed, wildly, before he could find
| time to utter q syllablss "You have de-
ceived me. I've been out of my mind
for four years -"
MY dear Molly-calm yourself -"
Tell me-about the Dreadnaught-
| isn't j. four years since she sailed?"
Andrew Hollister bowed his head.
"You have had no news of her for
four years-for four years?"
The merchants lips still remained
closed
"You look upon the Dreadnaught as
lost-and every one on board of her?
| And John will never come back to me
again?"
Andrew HOLSTERS eyes filed with
tears-they were his only response.
Mrs. Allaire's hands flew to her head,
| she reeled and would have fallen had
| not the merchant hastened to her side.
He laid her tenderly upon the sofa.
| She had lost consciousness. The jani-
tors wife was called in to care for her
and messengers were dispatched in
search of DIR. Bromley.
Upon his arrival Mr.. Hollister in
few words explained the situation to
him. Accidentally or through some
lack of precaution Mrs. Allaire had
learned everything. Whether IL had
been at Prospect cottage or in the
streets of San Diego it made little diff
| ference. The whole truth was known
to her now. She knew that four years
had gone by since little Waits death,
| that during these four years she had
been out of her mind, and that for four
wears no tidings had been received from
the Dreadnaught-
1t was only with the greatest difficulty
that DIR. Bromley succeeded in restoring
| poor Molly to consciousness, and the
question which he now put to himself
was whether her mind would not be
shattered by this last and most terrible
of blows that had been rained upon it.
When Mrs. Allaire came to herself,
| she did SO with full consciousness of
what had happened. She had come
back to life again with unclouded rea-
son. Her eyes were bent inquiringly
upon Andrew Hollister, who sat by her
side with her hands clasped in his.
speak, oh speak, Mr.. HOLSTER"
she murmured, and then her voice died
away.
The merchant obeyed, speaking slow
| ly and tenderly but plainly and firmly.
He told her of their Grst anxiety con-
cerning the Dreadnaught-how letters
and dispatches had been sent to Singa-
pore and to the Indies where the ship
| had never arrived, ho--Search had been
made all along the course traversed
by Capt. John and how no sign or trace
of the shipwrecked vessel had come to
| light.
With parted and rigid lips, with
| fixed stare, Mrs. Allaire listened, and
when Andrew Hollister had finished, a
half rroan. half sob escaped her, and
then like wall came the words:
| NV child dead-1ny husband dead
Oh, why did not Zach French let me
dia2"