Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-11-04
CHAPTER TX

] Mr.. Hollister and DIR. Bromley hac
been careful to direct the exclusion oi
all papers and letters from the cottage.
But Molly was now quite strong enough
to leave the house, and although the
doctor had not authorized her TO do SO,
might she not leave Prospect cottage
without giving any warning? Hence
1t would not do to put off the matter
any longer. ALI arrangements were
therefore made. Molly would soon be
told that she must never expect to see
Capt John again. But it seems that
after her interview with Mr.. Hollister,
Molly had resolved to leave the house
without the knowledge of the attend
! ants, who naturally would have done
\ everything TO dissuade her. Yet, even
IL this leaving the house might not be
/ in any way dangerous, considering the
present state of her health, yet 1t might
be followed by deplorable results should
she accidentally learn the truth without
being in the least prepared for it. Mrs.
Allaire's intention in leaving Prospect
cottage was to begin action with regard
to Zach French. Since she had learned
his name, but one train Of thought had
/ filed her mind.
Eyes, possibly, they did do something
for him." she said to herself. They
gave him little money, but was not
there to attend to 1t. And now Zach Is
away on cruise, he has been gone five
or six weeks; but no doubt he has a
| family, wife and children, and they
are poor people, you may depend It's
my duty to go and find them out, to look
after their wants, TO make it comfort
able for them Yes, / must see them.
must look after themf"
And evenif Mrs. Allaire had consulted
Andrew Hollister on this subject, how
could he have brought himself to advise
her against this deed of gratitude, this
act of charity?
On the morning of June 81, towards
nine o'clock, Molly left the house with
out anyone seeing her. She was
dressed in mourning for her child
whose death in her mind dated back
only two short months. She was hur-
rying in the direction of the docks when
she conceived the notion of passing in
front of Lew Barker's house. 1t would
only add a little to the distance.
FOOT nate. Sne IuuTIuuTed.
AS she reached the spot where the
Barkers' house had stood, she looked
about her in a half-dazed and bewil-
dered manner. 1t was nowhere to be
seenl An exclamation of surprise es-
capped her, and her heart was oppressed
with vague and indefinable solicitude.
In the place of the narrow, somber
building which she remer Acred there,
was a large and imposing br ding sew
eral stories in height with .ty grated
windows on the ground { On the
top of the structure there rs lantern
tower from which waved -1g bearing
the initials Fl. w. Over the door there
was sign lettered in gold as follows:
Harris Waddington & Co."
Molly thought she must be mistaken.
She glanced to the right and to the left.
No, this was the spot, on the corner of
Fleet street, where she had come to see
Kate Barker. She passed her hand over
her eyes. A strange and mysterious
presentiment flashed upon her. She
was powerless to explain her own feel
ings. The offices Of Hollister & Co.
were close at hand. A few steps farther
brought them plainly in view. Her
first thought was to go there. But no,
she would stop on her way back, after
she mad had the interview with Zscn
French's family. Her intention was to
get the sailors address at the Office of
the steam launches near the landing
With throbbing heart, bewildered
mind and restless eyes Molly hurried
along. She now began to scan the
faces of the people she met, and an al
most irresistible inclination came over
her to accost some of them, to question,
to ask them-what? They would have
taken her for lunatic. And in fact
was she quite sure that her reason had
not fled for second time? Could it be
that there were gaps in her memory?
A few steps farther and Molly had
reached the Office of the steam launches,
one of which was just casting off and
heading for Point Iona. Molly fol-
lowed it with her eyes, listening to the
steam escaping in puffs from the black
smokestack-
What sad recollections rose in her
mind, recollections of her child, whose
little body the waters had been unwill-
ing to surrender These waters drew
her towards them with a strange fasci-
nation. 1t grew dark before her eyes.
the ground seemed to yield beneath her
feet. A vertigo seized her, she was
upon the point of falling Making a
great effort she turned and entered the
Office.
Upon catching sight of this woman
with the blanched face and contracted
features the man in charge who was
sitting at a table rose quickly and
placed chair for her
Are you i'll, madam?'' he inquired
"Oh, no, it's nothing, SIR" replied
Molly, "a momentary weakness. I'm
better now"
BE kind enough to take seat. It
will be ten minutes before the next boat
leaves"
Thanks" answered Mrs. Allaire II
have only come to ask for some infor-