Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-20
THE CALIFORNIANS,
BY JULES VERNE.
Copyright 1891 by the AuthOrs' Alliance.

gone to Browse island on the first ex- pedition-oh, yes, if we had only gone there!'
 Then, with a sudden change in her manner, and with that same hope full ring in her voice, she cried out: You found the remains of five of the castaways on Browse island, but what do you think has become of the nine others? for besides Capt. John and his mate, Harry Shelton, there were twelve ordinary seamen on board the Dread taught"
 Its mystery" replied Willis.
 But not for mev' exclaimed Molly. VI know, but I ask you what you think"
 "Perhaps they perished when the ship went to pieces on the reefs," said Capt. Willis.
 "You think then that only five of them reached the shore alive?"
 "Unfortunately, that seems to be the only explanation" answered Mir. Hollis ter.
 'T don't agree with you," came from Mrs. Allaire. "Why should not John, Shelton and the twelve men have been able to get safely ashore? Why should not nine of them have been able to leave the islandP"
 "But how, Mrs. Allaire?" asked Capt. Willis, eagerly.
 By putting off in a launch, built out of the remains of the wreck"
 "Mrs. Allaire," said Willis, Zach will bear me out in assuring you that from the condition in which we found the debris of the wreck the thing would have been impossible"
 ''But the ships boats"
 Admitting that they were not bat tered to pieces, they would not have been stanch enough to reach the Sunda islands or the Australian coast"
 And still" remarked Andrew Hollis ter, Eff nine of the castaways were able to get off the island, why should the other five have remained there?"
 "In my opinion" added Capt. Willis, eff they ever left the island in boat they either went to the bottom, or else only reached the coast to be slain by Australian savages."
 The brave woman didn't finch at these terrible words.
 "Zach," said she calmly, "what do you think of what Capt. Willis has said?"
 'I think" replied French, with a shake of the head, q think that if it was possible for things to turn out this way-it was possible for them to turn out in other ways"
 "And, therefore," said Molly, "my | position is that we really know nothing | of what has become of the nine men not found on the island. As for you and your crew, Capt. Willis, you have done | everything that brave and devoted men | could have done"
 'I wish that could have done more Mrs. Allaire!"
 'We are going to leave you now, my dear Molly" said Hollister, thinking that it was useless to prolong the inter view.
 '"Tis well, my dear friend" answered Molly, with sad smile. 'I desire to be alone for awhile; but whenever Capt. Willis wishes to confer with me concerning John end his companions, I shall be happy to see him."
 'I shall be at your command, Mrs. Allaire," replied Willis.
 "And you, Zach," adaed Molly, "bear in mind that my house is yours"
 "Mine?" repeated the seaman. But what's to become of the Molly's Hope9"
 "The Molly's Hope?" echoed Mrs. AL laire, as if astonished at the question.
 "Your intention no doubt is, my dear Molly" said Andrew Hollister, "that if an opportunity occurs to make good sale of"
 ''Whatl Sell the Molly's Hope?'' cried Mrs. Allaire. "No, MT. Hollister; never"
 Mrs. Allaire and French exchanged glances It was plain that they under stood each other.
 During 1888 nothing took place in any way qualified to draw public attention to the mystery of the Dreadnaught- Capt. Willis went to sea again in com mand of one of the Hollister fleet. The merchant and Zach were the only wis itors received at Prospect cottage. As for Mrs. Allaire her time was wholly de- voted to the children of the Walter home.
 The first six months of 1890 had gone by when one of the San Diego papers ir its issue of July 20 contained piece o1 news the effect of which was, it may be said, tremendous both in the old world and the new.
 The article in question had been taken from an Australian paper, the Morning Herald, of Sidney. It read a: follows:
 "It will be remembered that the last . attempt, made seven years ago by tho Molly's Hope, to discover what had be come of the survivors of the Dread naught ended in nothing, and the be lief was forced upon the world that they r had all perished, either before running 0 on Browse island or after leaving it The mystery still remains as great a ever, although one of the officers of tn ? Dreadnaught has just reached Sidney It is none other than Harry Shelton, tn = mate of the clipper ship. He was founc on the banks of the Paroo, one of tn branches of the Darling, almost on tn boundary line of New South Wales an , Queensland, and brought to Sidney But such is his weak and reduced COT dition that as yet he has been unable t give any account of himself, and tn physician in charge announces that hi | death may occur at my moment. Thi