Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-09-01
THE CALIFORNIANS,
By jugs VERNE.
Copyright 1891 by the Authors Alliance.
CHAPTER II.
SOME FAMILY MATTERS.

not seem out of place at this point to
fill in the mere outline sketch of Mrs.
John Allairc already made.
Molly was now twenty-one years Of
age. She was of American extraction,
but it would not have been necessary
to trace her ancestry back to a very re-
mote period to strike on the generation
which linked her to the Spanish or
rather Mexican race-a race from which
sprang the leading families of this sec
ton of the republic. Her mother had
been born in San Diego, and the city
was already in existence at the time
California still constituted q part of
Mexico.
This large harbor, discovered about
three and n half centuries ago by the
Spanish navigator, Juan Rodriguez
Cabrillo, had first been called San
Miguel. Its present name was given
to it in 1909. In 1916 this province ex-
changed it's tri-colored flag for the
stars and stripes of the union, at which
date it became one of the Sisterhood of
states.
OF medium height, n countenance
lighted up by large and expressive dark
eyes, warm olive complexion, n lux
uriant growth of very dark brown hair,
hands and feet n little larger than COM
mon with her race, n carriage full of
decision but not lacking in grace, a
strong face and yet one radiant with
lIindliness of hcart-such was Mrs.
John Allaire. She was one of those
women who force you to take n second
look at them, and before her marriage
Molly had justly been reputed as one of
San Diego's beautiful daughters-a gen.
uinc compliment, inasmuch as beauty
is no rare thing in this part of the
world.
She was nothing of n trifler; on the
contrary, rather deliberate, endowed
with good sense and n bright mind
moral qualities which marriage would
very certainly bring to greater develop
mont. Yes, under circumstances OF
what gravity soever, once Mrs. John
Allaire, Molly would never fail to do her
duty She had faced the problem OF
existence frankly and honestly; her
views were not the result of any decep-
tive prism. She was woman of lofty
soul and strong will. The love which
her husband would inspire in her would
only serve to increase her devotion to
her duty, and, if necessity demanded i
and this assertion as applied to Nj -
Allaire is something more than a mere
wordy commonplace,--she would lay
down her life for her husband, as he
would his for her, and they both would
theirs for their child. They worshiped
this infant son who had just learned to
lisp the word papa" at the moment
when the young captain was parting
with him and his mother, In feature
little Walt resembled his father very
strongly, but in his brilliant coloring
favored his mother. Robustly built,
there would be no cause to dread the
diseases of childhood. Besides would
not the most watchful care attend him
at every step?
With what dreams of happiness for
this little creature just budding into
life had the imaginations of these
parents already stored the future! AS
Suredly Mrs. Allaire would have been
the happicst of women if her husband
had been in n position to abandon q
calling whose greatest drawback was
that it kept them separated. But how
would it have been possible for her tC
interfere when the command of the
Drcadnaught was offered him? Was il
not imperative that he should provide
| for the necessities of his household, lay
up store for Il family which would be
| pretty sure to increase? AS for Molly's
little fortune, it only yielded her q com
| Portable allowance of pin money. Al
| this con uncture of circumstances it wa.
natural that Allaire's thoughts SHOULD
| turn to the fortune which his wife.
uncle would leave to her, for nothing
save the happening of something ex
| tremcly untoward and improbable
| would defeat this inheritance. Edward
Manson's age was three-score and Molly
was his only heir, for Molly's cousin
| Kate Barker, belonged to the materna
branch of the family and there was NJ
tie of consanguinity between her anC
Edward Manson.
Therefore was it safe to predict tina
Molly would be n rich woman, but ten
yes, twenty years might go by befor
her urcle's dccease would put her il
possession of this property. Hence tn
present condition of affairs, to sa,
nothing of the future, called upon Joh1
Allaire to bestir himself, and in tn
choce of employers none in his min
was entitled to precedence over Andrey
Hollister, especially as the house ha
guaranteed to Capt. Allaire an interes
in the ventures of the Dreadnaught
There was therefore good reason to as
sume-now that Allaire was enactin
the double role of seaman and trader
that his labors would result in amass
ing competence while he was waitin
for the last will and testament of Ed
ward Manson to become operative.
One word concerning this most Amer
D lean of Americans. He was brothe
of Molly's father, Thomas Manson, an
consequently the own uncle of tn
young girl, who had married job
Allaire. 1t was Mollys father-Ed
wards senior by five or six years-wh
had, SO to express it, raised him, TO
their parents had died young, and Man
son the younger had always sough
both by means of affection and graf
tude to repay this debt. Fortune ha
favored him and he had reached til
wishedfor goal, while the elder brotl
or had gone astray in the side path
While his successful speculations an