The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-12-24

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graphic miniature now al,ncst faded
ont. She had given it to John on the
sailing of the DrcadEauGht. and it had
been found by Willis men il corner
of the cave upon Il second examination
of the place. If this silent witness tcs-
titled to the presence of Capt. John
among the survivors, vas not the con-
clusion inevitable that he had pcriShcd
with the others from want and cX-
posure?
''IIad we reached here q few years
sooner" said Capt. Willis, perhaps we
might have found John and his COM
panions-some of them still alive"
Eyes. perhaps" sighed Andrew. IIoi-
lister. Yes" he continued, 1t was
there that the Molly's Hope should
have been sent in the first place, but
who could ever have thought that the
DreadnaugEt had been wrecked on an
island of the Indian ocean?"
sNo one" replied Willis; "at least
not from the route he was to have fol-
lowed, and which he did in reality fol-
low, too, for the Dreadnaught was
sighted to the south of Celcbes island.
Capt. John, having lost control of his
vessel, must have been swept through
some strait into the Timor sea and
driven upon Browse island
'Yes, that must have been the way it
happened" added Zach.
Captain" said Mrs. Allaire, you
have only done what you should have
done in searching the Malaysian seas for
the Drcadnaught; but if we had only
gone to Browse island on the first ex-
pedition-oh, yes, if we had only gone
there!"
Then, with 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 seamcn on board the Dread.
naught."
Its u mystery" replied Willis.
but not for mel" exclaimed Molly.
~ know, but 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 Mr.. Hollis
ter.
II don't agree with YOU" came from
Mrs. Allaire. "Why should not John
Shelton and the twelve men have beer
able to get safely ashore? Why should
not nine of them have been able tc
leave the island?"
but how, Mrs Allaire?" asked Capt
Willis, eagerly.
by putting off in launch, built out
of the remains of the wreck"
"Mrs. Allairc," said Willis, "Zact
will bear me out in assuring you thai
from the condition in which we found
the debris of the wreck the thing woul6
have been impossible"
But the ships boats"
admitting that they We're not bat
tered to pieces, they would not have
been stanch enough to reach the Sundi
islands or the Australian coast"
And STILL" remarked Andrew Hollis
ter, "if nine of the castaways were able
to get off the island, why should the
Other Ive have remained therc?''
''In my opinion" added Capt. Willis
''if they ever left the island in u boa
they either went to the bottom, or elst
only reached the coast to be slain by
Australian savages."
The brave woman didn't finch al
these terrible words.
Zach" said she calmly, what dC
you think of what Capt. Willis ha.
said?"
Il think" replied French, with q
shake OF the head, ~ think that if il
was possible for things to turn out thi:
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 mer
could have done"
~ wish that could have done more
Mrs. Allaire!''
1--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. II desire to
be alone for awhile; but whenever
Capt. Willis wishes to confer with me
concerning John and his companions, !
shall be happy to see him."
''I shall be at your command, Mrs.
Allaire," replied Willis.
and You, Zaeh," added Molly, "bear
in mind that my house is yours %
"Mine?" repeated the seaman. "But
what's to become of the Molly's Hope?''
THE Molly's Hopper" echoed Mrs. AL
laire, as if astonished at the question.
Your intention no doubt is, my dear
Molly" said Andrew Hollister, that if
an opport ity occurs to make n good
tsf1lss -,''----.s-ss-
q is4aairsasap9 she. aolly's Hopeq''
~ 40 fleaaz liiIaftua ,aszajasfr. Hollister;
never. 4psm siistsa aaiA
- AiiIsaoe5 5aDiz z4fasS,rs,. exchanged
glances. IT was i,4ainafhet II
stood each other. ~
During 1888 nothing took
way qualified to draw pub
to the mystery of the /
Capt. Willis went to sea
mand of one of the Hollisi
merchant and Zach were (,