Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-10-28

: don't weep"
"Ah, Mr. Hollister, l don't know
but q presentiment comes over me at
times It's very strange. 1t seems as
il a new misfortune-oh, I'm so worried
about John!"
you shouldn't be, Molly. There is
no reason for itI''
'Mr. Hollister, couldn't you send me
some of the shipping journals in which
there are marine reports; would like
to read"
Certainly, my dear Molly, I'll do 50.
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 n GER
tain hesitation in the replies made by
Mr.. Hollister, whose eyes could not bear
unfinchingly 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?"
mo, two or three weeks"
"And they'll be back soon, l sup
pose"
II 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
a 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 I can't
give you the facts of the case"
Poor Kate" said Mrs. Allaire, I'm
very fond of her and 1 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 mep" she asked
"My dear Molly, you were a very sick
woman at the time Mr.. and Mrs. Bar
ker left San Diego"
That's 80, 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 it was the failure of one Of his
schemes that forced Lew Barker to
leave San Diego?" asked Molly, with
her gaze riveted upon Hollister, whose
constraint was only too evident "Mr.
HOLSTER" 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 30.
You know she has no will as against
his"
"Poor Katel Poor Katew murmured
Mrs Allaire. How pity her! Oh, if
l had only been in position to help
her!"
"You could have done so," said Hol-
lister. Eyes, you could have saved Lew
Barker, not for himself, for he has no
claim upon your sympathy, but for his
wife's sake
Eyes, and I'm sure John would have
approved of the use to which would
have thus put our modest little for
tune"
Andrew Hollister took good care not
to add that Mrs. Allaire's property had
been wasted by Lew Barker. 1t would
have been confession that he had had
some legal control over it, and she
might have asked how it was possible
for so many things to happen in the
brief space of two months. Therefore,
Mr.. Hollister merely replied, with a
smile:
Don't speak of your modest little
fortune, my dear Molly. 1t is no longer
such"
"What do you mean, Mr.. Hollister9"
she asked.
81 mean that you are rich woman
very rich woman"
ZIP"
"Your Uncle Edward Manson is
dead!'
dead? Why, how long has he been
dead?"
"Since-"
Hollister came near betraying him
self by giving the exact date of Man
sons death, then two years back, and
this would have revealed the whole
truth. But Molly was completely
absorbed with the thought that the
death of her uncle and the disappear
ance of her cousin left her entirely
without any relatives. And when she
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 n green old age,
She was now seized in her own right of
a fortune of two millions, there arose
in her mind deep and profound regret
that she should have missed the occa-
sion of putting some of this money to q
good use.
"Yes, Mr.. Holister, I would have
helped poor Kate. l would have saved
her from shame and ruin. Where is
she? Where can she have gone? What
is going to become of her?"
Mr.. Hollister was obliged to admit
that all attempts to ascertain the
whereabouts of Barker had failed. Had
he taken refuge in some one Of the dis
tant territories of the United States or
had he not left America entirelyp 1t
was all mere guess work.
"And yet if it's only few weeks
since he and Kate disappeared from San
Diego" said Mrs Allaire, possibly we
shall hear"
Eyes, only few weeks" Mr.. Hollis
ter made haste to reply.
Fortunately another thought now
took complete possession of Molly's
mind. 1t was this: Thanks to this
fortune willed to her by Edward Man
son, there would be no necessity Of
John following the sea any longer. She
would never again be left alone! This