The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-11-26

ly. "And oh. why did those two YES
sells fall in with each other? Had they
not done so, would not have gone on
board the Flying Cloud, and my baby"
A change came over Mrs. Allaire's face,
and the tears burst forth.
Molly, my dear Molly" pleaded Mr..
Hollister, don't weep. | beg of you
don't weep"
but presentiment comes over me ut
times. It's very strange. 1t seems as
if new misfortune-oh, I'm so worried
about John"
''You shouldn't be, Molly. There is
no reason for it!''
'Mr. Hollister, couldn't you send me
some of the shipping journals in which
there are marine reports; fwould like
to read"
Certainly, my dear Molly, I'll do SO.
However, if there were anything con-
cerning the Dreadnaught, either that
she had been spoken at sea or had safe
ly reached the Indies ! would be- the
first to know it and | would at once"
But it now became necessary to
change the conversation. In the end
Mrs. Allaire might have noticed a cer-
tain hesitation in the replies made by
Mr. Hollister. wLsose eyes could not bear
unflinchingly the steady honest look
fixed upon them. The merchant was
upon the point of broaching the subject
of Edward Manson's death and the
large fortune which he had left his
niece, when Molly put this question;
'They tell me that Kate and her hus-
band have gone travelling. Have they
been gone long?"
"No, two or three weeks"
"And they'll be back soon, / sup
pose"
81 can't say" answered Andrew Hol-
lister. 1--WE have not heard from
them"
| "Isn't it known where they went?"
mo, my dear Molly. Lew Barker was
engaged in some important schemes of
very speculative nature. 1t may have
been necessary for him to make a long
trip, very long"
"And Kate?"
Mrs. Barker was no doubt Obliged
to accompany her husband. can't
give you the facts of the case"
Poor Kate" said Mrs. Allaire, "I'm
very fond of her and shall be very
glad to see her again. She is the only
relative have now"
1t was evident that Molly had quite
forgotten Edward Manson, and the re.
lationship which existed between him
and,her.
"How comes it that Kate has never
written to me?" she asked.
my dear Molly, you were n very sicl
woman ut the time Mr.. and Mrs. Bur
ker left San Diego"
That's so, Mr.. Hollister, and what
was the use of writing when the letter
would be blank to the one receiving
it? Dear Kate, she is to be pitiedi Life
must have been hard for her. I've
always dreaded that Lew Barker would
become involved in some crooked trans
action. Maybe John thought SO, too.
"And yet" replied Hollister, mo one
was expecting such an unfortunate ter
mination-"
"Then 1t was the failure of one of hi.
schemes that forced Lew Barker tc
leave San Diego?" asked Molly, with
her gaze riveted upon Hollister, whose
constraint was only too evident. "Mr
Hollister," she added, "speak; don't con
ceal anything from me. Iwant to know
ALL"
"Well, Molly, don't want to conceal
from you an unfortunate affair which
will be sure to reach your ears. Yes
Barker's matters have of late been go
ing from bad to worse. He could not
meet his engagements, demands were
made upon him, and, with arrest star
ing him in the face, there was nothing
left him but flight"
"And Kate went with himT'
"No doubt he forced her to do so
You know she has no will as against
his"
"Poor Kate! Poor Kate!" murmured
Mrs. Allaire. "How pity her! Oh, i,
had only been in position to helI
heri'
''You could have done so," said Hol
lister. Eyes, you could have saved Lew
Barker, not for himself, for he has nc
claim upon your sympathy, but for hi'
wife's sake"
"Yes, and I'm sure John would have
approved of the use to which would
have thus put our modest little for
tune"
Andrew Ilollister took good care no
to add that Mrs. Allaire's property hat
been wasted by Lew Barker. 1t woul(
have been a confession that he had haG
some legal control over it, and sh,
might have asked how it was possibl,
for SO many things to happen in the
brief space of two months. Therefore
Mr.. Hollister merely replied, with .
smile:
Don't speak of your modest ittl'
fortune, my dear Molly. 1t is no Longer
such"
"What do you mean, Mr.. Hollister?'
she asked.
81 mean that you are rich woman
a very very rich woman"
"Your Uncle Edward Manson il
dead!'
Dead? Why, how long has he beer
dead?"
"Since-"
Hollister came near betraying him
self by giving the exact date of Man
sons death, then two years back, anC
this would have revealed the whole
truth. But Molly was completely
death of her uncle and the disappear
ance of her cousin left her entirely
without any relatives. And when sh,
realized that by the death of this rela
tive who really existed only in name
for her, and who both she and John ex
pected would live to green old age
she was now seized in her own right o.
n fortune of two millions, there aros,
in her mind deep and profound regre
that she should have missed the occa
sion of putting some of this money to
good use.
"Yes, Mr.. Hollister, | would hav,
helped poor Kate. | would have saved
her from shame and ruin. Where i.
she? Where can she have gone? Wha
Is going to become of her?''
Mr.. Hollister was obliged to admit
that all attempts to ascertain tn,
whereabouts of Barker had failed. Hat
he taken refuge in some one of the dis
tant territories of the United States ol
had he not left America entirely? Il
was all mere guess work.
"And yet if it's only few weeks
since he and Kate disappeared from Sar
Diego" said Mrs. Allaire, possibly VT
shall hear"
Are you reading our new serlalP 1t
a dandy, and no mistake.