The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-06
CHAPTER n-Continned

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eastern states, now a man of about thir-
", had taken up his residence at San
Diego. This New Englander, with his
hard features and cold impassive physi-
ognomy and strongly-built frame, be-
1onged to that class of men who while
full of decision and action are as silent
as sphinxes and quite as enigmaticaL
However, no damaging rumor had ever
been current at San Diego concerning
this taciturn man. whose marriage to
Kate had made him the cousin of John
Allaire, and it is therefore not at all
surprising that John, not having any
relatives himself, should have intrusted
his wife and child 20 the Barkers But
really, IL was 10 Kate especially that he
had commended his little family, know
ing as he did of the genuine affection
existing between the two women.
But John, Allaire would have been
ne had glimmer of the true facts of
the case. had he suspected the deceit
which lay hidden behind the impene-
trable mask of Barkers impassiveness
had he known with what Indifference
this man looked upon the proprieties Of
life. how little respect he had for him
self or for the rights of others Pos
eessed of certain physical attractive
ness, the man had from the start gained
strange ascendency, amounting al
most to fascination, over Kate, whom
he had married five years before in Bos-
ton, where she was living with her
mother, who died q short time after
this union, the consequences of which
were destined TO be so distressing.
Kate's property would have been quite
sufficient to support them both II Bar
ker hadn't preferred the devious to the
straight paths. But such was not to be
the case. Having wasted goodly por-
tion of his wife's fortune, Lew Barker,
already In bad financial odor, resolved
TO leave the city of Boston. On the
Pacific slope. in an entirely new coun-
try whittier his dubious reputation
would not be likely to follow him, he
hoped to find chances which were now
denied him in the east
Kate, who now had an inirling of her
husbands true character, made haste to
agree TO this proposition, for she was
anxious to leave Boston, where invidi-
Gus comments had already become cur
rent, and she rejoiced also at the pro-
posal Of meeting her only living rela-
tive. ~
Barker had now become q resi-
lcnt of San Diego for three years, and
vet so shillful had he been In Disgusting
the crooked nature of his transactions
that not breath of suspicion had at
tached to him. Such were the circum-
stances which had brought about the
reunion of the two cousins at time
when Molly had not yet become Mira
John Allaire.
The closest intimacy sprang up be-
tween the young wife and the young
girl. and although it would have seemed
more natural for Kate to exercise an
ascendency over Molly, yet it was the
contrary that took place. Molly was
resolute, Kate was weak, and the young
girl soon became the strong prop of the
married woman. Kate rejoiced greatly
at the projected marriage of her cousin
70 the young captain-a marriage
which gave no promise of ever resem-
bling her own, and what sweet conso-
lation and comfort could Kate not have
drawn from the sympathy of the young
couple, could she have brought herself
20 uncover her hidden sorrowl
As for Lew Barker. his position be-
came moro and more complicated. A
crisis was at hand The last scrap Of
his wife's fortune which he had hasti-
ly collected upon leaving Boston would
soon be exhausted. This man, by
nature . gambler. or rather q reckless
speculator. was one of those who re-
gard chance as their only dependence
and who are always ready to risk every
ching on a single throw. Such a pro-
pensity-absolutely uncontrolled by
the dictates of reason, could not do
otherwise than lead. and did lead. to do
plorable results.
Upon reaching San Diego Barker had
opened an Office in Fleet street, one of
those bureaus which II were more ap-
propriate to call dens, in which any
scheme, good or bad, becomes the start
fng point of a fraud. Very sldllful In
depicting the possibilities Of combina-
tion. utterly unscrupulous as 10 the
means resorted TO, an adept in the art
of persuasion. with very shadowy no.
tions of meum ct tuum, he plunged
headlong into twenty speculations, all
of which went TO pieces; but the bitter
himself did not escape unbitten, for he
now found himself literally on the
street, almost without the necessarics
Of life. Still. as his operations had
been entirely secret, he had some little
credit left and made use Of II TO launch
new schemes and secure new victims.
This condition Of affairs, however,
0ould not last Any moment there
might be an outburst, and the schem-
ing Yankee who had transported his
peculiar business methods to the Pacific
slope might find himself obliged 20
leave San Diego as he had left Boston.
And yet. In an intelligent community,
. genuine center Of commercial activity
whose importance increased from year
20 year. any man OF honesty and in
tegrity would have found many ave-
MUGS of success open 10 him. But there
were needful something's which Lew
Barker didn't have--moral rectitude.