Show Mistress of Monterey VIRGINIA STIVERS SlIVERS BARTLETT 9 Virginia Slivers rs Bartlett WN Service mo CHAPTER Continued Continued IS 18 18 And while she was toying g ner nervously nervous nervous- ous ly with her quill her ber husband and young oung Pedro PedrD were sitting astride their horses in Don Pedros Pedro's beloved orchard The trees were full o of Indians gathering the luscious fruit that hung In rich clusters bright in the autumn sunshine early pears and a apples late peaches and ates Little naked Boys ran through the orchard with rattles and miniature bows and arrows frightening away the clouds of birds that had assembled to tD steal the ripe fruit As fast as the fruit was picked it was panniers on mules and carried to the shore where boa boats ts were piled high and oared to the Astrolabe and the a princely offering from rom the Spanish Governor to the expedition of the i Count de La Perouse The Governor and his son watched the scene with pleasure The movement movement movement move move- ment and life the color and th the clamor of many voices was yas plea pleasant t t Jo 10 o them They looked at each other nd md smiled completely at harmony together An Indian passed them them- carrying a basket strapped to his ba back k and supported from his pis brow with thongs It was filled to the rim with purple grapes The Governor stopped him and made a note on a alist alist alist list he carried in his bIs hand Twenty baskets of grapes he said Hum to the Indian th that i will be enough grapes No more today to to- day daJ Th The Indian plodded on Yes continued the Governor following the basket bask t of grapes with his eyes that will have to be enough We must have enough left for the vintage But I have already sent them barrels of wine so I do donot donot donot not think I am nm selfish Do you no nol cried the boy And too we would not have any grapes for the fiesta the And we must have mustn't we And wont won't it be soon Yes I I think it w will be soon Yes we must have a great fiesta this year just f for r ourselves It has been nice to have the Franceses here but it will be nice to have a party just for ourselves I think there is s a little bull that Is Is ready to tD meet a torero and nd th there re is a an another other that will ma make e a barbecue And we will have some horse races horse races E and some fights cock-fights and some of the Indian boys will wrestle and there will be music and dancing Ai de mi ml what a i It w will willbe willbe be And Mother will sit on a throne with grapes and leaves Ie-aves on her head head for lor a crown and be ie queen of the fiesta fiestal Yes yes and again yes Jes Look they hurry down to the beach to see who comes It was an Indian messenger from the camp of La P Per Perouse use asking that something As they reached t the e beach they could see a cloud ol ot smoke and a strange activity going on on On coming coming com com- ing closer they discovered La Gobernadora Gobernadora Gob Gob- with An Ani Angustias and almost almost al most all of the pe people of the presidio io lo who had evidently been summoned summoned sum sum- um hastily by a a messenger from La Perouse The Frenchman came came hurrying to Pedro Fages J i I had a thought at t the last min minute min ute he be said hurri hurriedly You have been so wonderful to me a all l of your our people have that I wanted to give an occasion special for you We Weare Weare are to have a balloon ascension I Balloon ascension exclaimed the Governor I have heard of balloons balloons bal bal- loons but never seen one Regard then s said id La Perouse dramatically there ther is a balloon which was given us to take on our voyage around the world Why I Ido Ido Ido do not know unless unless' it was to impress impress im press people around the globe that Frenchmen now make balloons What good they can ever be I can cannot can cannot an annot not see but hut they say some day they will be made strong strong enough enough to carry men j J p. p There will never be one strong 3 r- r enough to carry me laughed Fages He and young Pedro dismounted dismounted dismounted dis mounted and hurried on foot after La Perouse to where the great muslin muslin mus mus- lin bag was slowly filling with smoke its rounding sides showing strange designs and pictures We have had It up once before belore on this this' trip explained La Perouse That was in Lima I hope it will ascend now he said anxiously And at nt last it did Slowly it staggered stag stag- Into the air Everyone regarded It with amaze amaze- ment Some of the Indians muttered muttered mut and several old women prostrated prostrated pros pros- themselves on the ground Accompanied with a chorus of incredulous incredulous in in- credulous ejaculations it rose the full fuU length of the cord that tethered it then as a n. fresh late afternoon breeze puffed pulled In from the sea and threatened it was brought down again Por Par Dlos exclaimed the Governor Gov Governor I of ol California greatly pleased and amazed Mil gracias to you Senor el Conde for such a miracle A balloon raised from the shore of California It will never happen again and will be something to remember remember re re- re member all aU our lives And it will be something for me meto meto meto to remember all my life that I have visited your Jour California More I can cannot cannot cannot not say And now And now ow replied the Governor with a slight formality which he assumed assumed as as- IS to cover his real feelings and now my friend I r suppose the time has come for us to say as you Jou French put it adieu Your Spanish word adios is the same Monsieur 1 r le Ie Gouverneur Both speed the parting guest In the care of God Yes we must say those words For we must not hinder your departure departure depar depar- ture with our curiosity and there are things I must attend to at the presidio But be sure Senor el Conde that at whatever hour you sail we shall be here on shore watching you as far as we can see And wherever you shall sail you will be In our hearts Thank you for visiting us The two me men gripped hands La LaPerouse LaPerouse LaPerouse Perouse was frankly moved Thank you for everything The friendliness the e courtesy the hospitality hospitality hos hos- and your gi gilts gifts ts of fruit and wine We will appreciate those surely And even for the goat and the cl chickens and Mon Dieu S tT tai i i 1 y il i if t t 5 al r q t s C c i t yi u V tr Certainly Your Excellency She Said at Last I can not say more My feelings moi He turned to Eulalia who who was wa's standing quietly beside her her husband her eyes on And to you ma Reine de Californie Californie Cali Cali- fornie my respects for your fortitude fortitude fortitude forti forti- tude and loyalty in being such a wonderful woman in the midst of 01 such a remote coun country ry Eulalia's lips moved but her remarks remarks re re- re marks were were ina Inaudible dible as the Count kissed her kissed her 1 hand nd There were other farewells then the Governor followed followed fol fol- lowed by his soldiers and Indian bearers his wife on one hand and and his son at the other moved away from the camp on the beach As th they y rode the Governor and his wife were each very silent busy with their own thoughts Young Pe Pei Pedro dro prattled beside them hem The Count had given him a silver medal which had been struck off on onby by the French Government to commemorate commemorate commemorate com com- the great expedition of La Perouse around the world On one side was an effigy of Louis XVI and on the other two olive branches tied with a ribbon and a scroll I which read Los Les du roi rot de France la In la I et ct command command- ees par Mm de la Perouse ie le de deLangle deLangle Langle parties du de Brest en Juin 1785 The child rapturously polished the bright coin on his jacket and asked his mother to translate it for him She did lifelessly The Governor sighed spoke At dawn o on on the tid tide th they y sail for all the seven seas And I he chuckled suddenly I 1 will escort you home my Lady then ride over overto overto overto to the Mission Carrr Carmelo lo to talk with Fray L Lasuen suen about this new Mission Mission Mis Mis- sion Santa Barbara For that is the next great thing Jo to happen to our California j Ah I Ah Ah Sq you will not be home this evening evening evening- vi b t J JNo No my love I shall sup with the good lathers fathers but will wm return early You will pardon me For a long moment she looked at him intently then gazed straight ahead Certainly your Excellency she said at last When at the great gate to the presidio young Pedro elected to go with his father she seemed In a n strange mood Go with your father my son she said but mt kiss me adios The boy looked startled but pecked his mother hurriedly on the check cheek Eulalia watched them until their figures and that of the servant who i followed were lost around a curving hill Wll Then she spurred her horse and rode rapidly across the parade ground to the palacio Late that evening the Count de dc deLa deLa La Perouse working with some of his scientists in their rude laboratory labora laboratory laboratory labora labora- tory on the beach was amazed when an attendant told him that a woman with a baby In her arms wished to see him And when the companion of La Gobernadora strode In unabashed he be was still more surprised With no preamble she told her story And here he is she said finally My baby my Chichi You will take him will you not where he willbe will willbe willbe be well and live But of course Madame exclaimed ex ex- exclaimed claimed the Frenchman his eyes bright with amusement I will see seetha that tha t he has the best of care and andI I will loose him in the most beautiful ful jungle I can cnn find I assure you He was astounded to see sec the womans woman's womans womans woman's wom wom- ans an's harsh face begin working with emotion Here sho squeaked here Is a little bundle of clothes I m made de him H He has needed them here where e it has been cold and before he hc reaches his jungle See ee perhaps he will need th them m again she she explained holding out a tiny pair of trousers and poking her herringer finger ringer through a n hole see his dear little tail goes through here La Perouse had taken the monkey in his arms but Angustias reached for him strained him passionately to h her r breast The little animal put out a tiny paw and md stroked her face with queer little noises She held him Kim away vay away from rom her and stared into the worried human eyes then thrust him him back at the startled Frenchman Take him quickly she gasped Be good to him he is my all my baby Before La Perouse could say another another an In other word she stumbled o out t of the tent into the dark Nom du nom du vieu singe roared La Perouse Here Dage Dage- age let you Jou seem moony and pied I give you this animal to keep keepin in in your charge and to watch and ward and put his dear little tail through the hole in his pantaloons until w we the land on a tropical isle Mon Dieu queUe femme picked up the monkey dolefully And you think I have nothing to todo todo todo do he muttered He walked away from the tent carrying the monkey and his bundle of clothes to a spot where a boat was moored and an oarsman sat as though waiting for someone Take this barked I will return Angustias blinded with her tears staggered through the sand until she she firmer ground i ithen then she made her way toward the presidio sobbing and talking to I herself bersel Chichi Chich my baby she grieved holding her empty arms to her breast my baby by my baby When she was quite near the presidio pre sidio gate she noticed a figure moving moving ing hurriedly In the direction of the beach It seemed to be the figure of a n. woman Angustias slipped behind a tree and watched The woman came closer and Angustias could see a large bundle balanced I Ion on he her head Every few feet she i turned around and looked back toward toward to to- ward the presidio gasped Angustias What is she doing Ah the vixen she is running away with some French sailor Ill I'll be bound Well we cant can't have that Ive I've always had my suspicions of that t one Que la doncella honrada la pierna quebrada quebra quebra- da y en casa The virtuous male and the broken leg must stay at nt home she muttered She took a few steps toward the girl then slopped stopped If the hussy was Intent on joining some French lover she would use violence rather than let Angustias stop her she reflected She needed a n man to help her As she hesitated her eye eJe still on the flying girl who was zigzagging through the sand she heard the sound o of horses She ran toward them as they came in view Then she saw It was the Governor She stopped She must not let him see her She had disobeyed him He would reprimand her she Angustias whom he had always called a good soldier She started to tD step behind her tree again but was too late The Governor had seen her So she took matters in her own hands and ran toward him Your Excellency she gasped look see that woman running toward toward to to- ward the beach I With the bundle on her head It Is She Is running away to join some French lover on the ships Pedro Fages looked after the figure figure fig fig- ure that Angustias pointed out She Shedid he hc did indeed seem to be fleeing her hererra erra erratic tIc course took her ber now from one tree to another and she was avoiding the open spaces spaces Very well Angustias you return return re reo re- re turn with Pedro to the mansion I Ivill will vill attend to this Go with them he ordered the servant He spurred his horse lightly and cantered toward the girl As he drew near he saw rhe the had staggered and dropped the great bundle from her head She was leaning over It sobbing sob bing burg with exertion when he caught up with her As he jumped from his horse she turned away from him and tried to cover her face with the that swathed her head Fages spoke very gently Mi 1 chiquita he said my poor little one Why are you running away from rom us all and from your home and those who are arc concerned in your welfare Did you not say you loved the Governor and were grateful for all he had done for you And now you run away I IThe The girl suddenly became dynamo ic She straightened and faced the Governor boldly tearing the from her head So she screamed It is In In- you love Is it whom you follow after in the starlight starlight starlight star star- light is it jo Pedro Fages put his hand to his beard then brushed his eyes as though he doubted his sight Eulalia I he said Eulalia You were running awa away She stooped over her bundle and tugged at it Of course I am running running run run- ning away a And you can not stop me is not leaving you she panted so you will be happy She lifted U the e bundle and staggered a few steps Don Pedro watched her as though he were viewing an incident in a adream adream adream dream with drugged senses that could not react I r am leaving everything behind that you love she said through her teeth the children and your Jour California For ever Then he strode to tD her side and wrested her burden from her Come he said no non non- sense She struggled with him No wildly No Nol Let nie me me go You can not hold me here any longer longer long long- er er Let me me But he slung the bundle over his saddle and taking her around the shoulders that writhed and tried to slip from his his grasp he put one hand firmly over her mouth and tried to move her toward the horse She dug her heels in the sand he could feel her maledictions and imprecations imprecations im im- sputtering against his hand TO BE CONTINUED |