Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-19

with the thought to -Jing this bell, to sound one last peal of despair rather than hope, and had fallen in his tracks never to rise again. After giving orders to the two seamen to dig grave for the bones of this last survivor, Capt. Willis made Q sign to Zach to follow him in the direction of the bell.
 Engrayen upon it and still perfectly legible were this word and this date: "Dreadnaught, 1S75."
 CHAPTER KY.
 LIFE AT LAST.
 Two letters had been received from Capt. Willis since the sailing of the Molly's Hope. The first reported their fruitless search among the passages of the Torres strait and as far as the outer edge of the Arafoora sea. The second made known the fact that Mel vile and Bathurst islands had yielded up no trace of the Dreadnaught. There upon, Mrs. Allaire had been notified that the steamer would follow the Tim or sea and so reach the western coast of Australia, where the search woulL be continued among the different archi- pelagoes adjacent to that coast, after which the Molly's Hope would sail for home, but not, however, until she had ransacl1ed the smaller islands and ex- hausted every hope of finding some new evidence of the life or death of Capt. John and his companions.
 By the end of February, however, MT. Hollister began to be of the opinion that the second expedition was being greatly prolonged. Every day people could be on fhaiI. xuau fn leland roOint In hopes the steamer would make her ap- pearance in the of1ng. As far as they could see her, with out waiting for her to display her number, the sailors of San Diego would recognize her by the cut of her jib, just as one can tell Frenchman from a German, or even an American from an Englishman. Finally, on March 27, the Molly's Hope hove in sight about nine miles out, steaming along under full headway before a fresh north wester. Before one o'clock she had | inside the bay. The news had spread rapidly through the city, and crowds of people had gathered at different points, some on the wharfs, some off Island point and some on Loma point. Mrs. Allaire and Andrew Hollister, together with several friends, in their haste to communicate with the steamer, had taken a tug and were already under way. A strange presentimenth had come upon the crowd, and as the tug steamed by not a cry went up. They seemed to have concluded that if Capt. Willis had succeeded upon this second expedition the news of his success would have been known everywhere by this time. Twenty minutes later, the tug bear ing Mrs. Allaire, MT. Hollister and their friends came up along side the steamer. In a moment or so they had learned the results of the expedition. It was in the western part of Timor sea on Browse island that the Dreadnaught had gone to pieces. There it was that the sur vivors of the wreck had taken refuge and there it was that they had met | the T death.
 "All?" whispered Mrs. Allaire.
 "An," said Capt Willis.
 A terrible feeling of sorrow and de- spair came upon the people as the Molly's Hope, with her colors draped with crape, steamed slowly in nearer the city. During the few moments that Mrs. Allaire and AndrAv Hollister re- mained on board, Capt. Willis had brief | ly made known to them the facts of the wreck of the Dreadnaught on Browse island. It was decided to delay a report of the expedition until later. After pressing Willis and French's hands, Molly had walked toward the stern of the steamer and sat down lost in Thought, but in spite of these incontro- vertible proofs, not giving herself over to despair, still unwilling to consider herself the widow of John Allaire.
 When the Molly's Hope had taken up her position nearer the city Mrs. Alaire reappeared amidship and ap- preaching Capt. Willis begged him and MT. Hollister and also Zach French to meet her at her home that same day, at a later hour. A little before three the men made their appearance at Prospect cottage and were received by Mrs. Allaire in the parlor on the ground floor.
 "Capt. Willis," said she, after they had taken their places around a table upon which was unrolled a map of northern Australia, ''be pleased to make report of the expedition"
 Mrs. Allaire listened with the deepest interest, uttering no word of comment, with her clear and hopeful eyes riveted upon the speaker. As the captain in his report entered upon the portion re- latiug to Browse island she insisted upon the greatest particularity.
 Capt. Willis, drawing from his pocket a medallion tarnished by dampness, placed it in her outstretched hand. It contained portrait of Molly, photo
 graphic miniature now almost faded
 out. She had given it to John on the
 sailing of the Dreadnaught, and 1t had
 been found by Willis men in a corner
 of the cave upon 8 second examination
 of the place. If this silent witness tes-
 tifed to the presence of Capt. John
 among the survivors, was not the con-
 clusion inevitable that he had perished
 with the others from want and ex.
 posture?
 "Had we reached here a few years
 sooner" said Capt. Willis, perhaps we | mi0ht have fOuOd JOhn and hia ooun,