Show Mistress of Mont Monterey r VIRGINIA STIVERS BARTLETT Stivers Silvers Bartlett Service I CHAPTER Continued 20 20 He took his seat scat beside La Gobernadora Gob- Gob ate drank and replied replie-d mindedly absent to all nIl who spoke It was only when he felt a light touch on his shoulder and looking up saw offering him a cup of wine that he roused for a moment moment moment mo mo- ment from his reveries She smiled at him reproachfully and moved away the wine nine jug poised on her shoulder After the feast one of the Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Gover Gover- nors nor's old Catalan soldiers clapped his hands for attention Senores y Senoras Seno Senoritas y Senoritas y amigos Padres Peones y Indios I will sing I will sing a song of our il illustrious illustrious il- il Gobernador el Senor Don Pedro Fages Viva Viva Vival shouted the crowd Someone pl placed a vine wreath on his head as the old soldier experimented experimented experimented with his guitar I will sing a 1 song of El Gobernador Goberna Goberna- dor concerning his prowess as a mighty m hunter and how he saved the Indians of San Luis Obispo from rom being eaten alive by bears How he hc saved his people from starving by giving them the bears to C eat cat and how a mission was founded because of all these Ulese doughty deeds Then he began to sing a long series series se se- ries of coplas Dozens ol ot verses sang the old soldier soldier soldier sol sol- sol sol- dier and at the end of each the audience howled ee Ay Don Pedro Pedro Pedrol Pe Pe- Pe- Pe dro drol The Governor sat with bowed head covered with confusion and listened r The singer went on telling of the frightened Indians rushing from rom their village afraid of the giant bears that were killing them one by one And of how Don Pedro faced the savage grizzly bear and killed him in a fight most fair and how the Indians feasted him a day and night praising him for his gre great might ee Ay Don Pedro Pedrol Hola Hol Viva el Gobernador Viva VivaI The party gathered in hi a circle around round him singing and shouting toasting him in tilting wine-cups wine more creating verses for forthe forthe forthe the endless song The Governor stood by quietly until until until un un- til the song was was finished but when the circle broke he slipped away alone to the tree on the hill and threw himself himsel down on the ground It was sunset and color rioted everywhere everywhere ev ev- on land and sea The 4 voices of the singers seemed to come from a great distance He closed his eyes Ay ee Don Pedro Pedrol someone said sa softly dropped on the ground beside him CHAPTER XIV After the and the harvest harvest har har- vest the winter se season son settled down upon the Royal Presidio of Monterey Monterey Monterey Monte Monte- rey and the Mission San C Carlos at Carmelo Winter meant rain days and md weeks and months of rain The Rio Carmelo flooded its banks as it filled and a hundred rills and streams sprang into being The trees sighed and dripped dismally and there was little life astir except except ex ex- ce t the screaming seagulls that driven from the ocean by storms came inland to seek food shrieking and wheeling in the gray skies In the Palacio of the Governor all was gloom Angustias grieved for Chichi and moved about like a gloomy wraith Since the departure of the French explorers La Gobernadora seemed frozen all except her somber eyes that burned resentfully from rom her white face Little lines appeared about her mouth and drew the corners corners corners cor cor- ners of her lips down in a perpetual expression of unhappiness that wrung Don Pedros Pedro's heart She spent hours days lying upon her bed staring at nothing doing nothing or huddled before the sputtering fire looking at the flames with a blank away tar expression that frightened the Governor with its hopelessness its despair She no longer spent hours over jer her er hair or the little C cares of her Toilet but wore the same gown day In and day out and even adopted the habit of wrapping her head bead in a scarf She shivered constantly inthe in inthe inthe the damp adobe house Sometimes she would look out on the parade- parade grounds churned to a muddy lake by the feet of horses and men and catch sight of the wife of a soldier a baby hugged close to her in n a shawl running from one house to another mother She almost envied these little soldiers soldiers soldiers' soldiers soldiers' sol sol- sol sol- diers diers' women with willi their endless chatter about nothing their contentment contentment contentment content content- ment with empty lives Sometimes she thought wildly of running out into the rain herse herself But if it she did where would she go So she only shivered and drew her manton closer clos clos- er about her Pedro Fages was profoundly dis Living In the small pal palacio pala- pala 1 r cio cia with the unhappy woman Eulalia Eulalia Eula- Eula lia IIa loving her sorrowing over her herand herr herf r f and unable to express one word of what he felt for he had never referred referred referred re re- re- re to the dreadful night when be had struck her and dra dragged ped her a. a back from rom running away depressed his bis days and saddened his nights His only comfort was In reading over and over again the few books he possessed Las de Es- Es Sancho Panza and the plays of Shakespeare Long hours he would read then Impatiently order order order or or- der his horse and ride for hours through mud and rain nowhere There was vas only ono one light one spot of warmth In his darkness and that was not the clear warmth of the sun or the pure cold ray of a star but buta a light like like a little fire shows from I Ithe the depths of some murky cave And that was Time and again he put the thought of the girl out of his mind only to have her tier walk into his brain and heart and through some witchcraft take possession of him And so the winter whiter pressed down on Monterey But from the south from Santa Barbara came letters from Fray Fermin Lasuen bubbling with a youthful enthusiasm that rose perennially perennially per per- enni in his old h heart art It was summer In the south of California he wrote The sun shone all day and the stars at night There had been some showers and the brown hills had turned green gr-een quickly The streams were full and it was already like spring And on the feast day of at Santa Barbara December fourth the Mission Mission Mission Mis Mis- sion Santa Barbara was to be found found- ed All was ready The people at atthe atthe atthe the presidio as well as the priests who were to found the mission were l sa 1 r if f. f i ra I i w I J Jt Jj j t- t I 1 She Is Sick the Sick the Baby Murmured Murmured Murmured Mur Mur- Eulalia Eulalla waiting impatiently that day and the arrival of his Excellency williLa with willi withLa withLa La Senora la Gobernadora The feast day arrived Santa Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara the Patroness sent fair er Cr The waters in the channel danced in a fresh breeze and the blue hills and mountains faintly tinged with green rose behind the th mission site like a beautiful c curtain Frey Fermin Lasuen and Sergeant Ortega from the presidio had been anxiously awaiting the Governor Ortega had sent messengers and n a-n an escort far north to to meet him but they had returned without the Gov Governor Gov Governor and without news of at him Fray Fermin was worried A great responsibility vl Was v s In hi his hands This was the first mission of his own founding carried out through the wishes of his beloved brother Juni- Juni pero Serra For over two years the Governor had been planning this day looking forward to it with great anticipation and anxiety and now with everything e in readiness the day already at its zenith there was no Governor And the mission could not be officially founded without his presence Fray Fermin scanned the distance as far north as his g gaze ze could reach then with a patient sigh sat down on th the ground where he could see seethe seethe seethe the little ramada beneath which the altar was erected and where two bells hung In readiness to ring outto outto out outto to all aU the world the good news of the founding of the Mission Santa Barbara A recumbent cross ross was wason wason wason on the ground near by waiting to tobe tobe tobe be erected on the spot where some someday day the mission church should arise The missionary looked lovingly atthe atthe at atthe the scene And as he looked a vision vision vision vi vi- sion came before his eyes Instead of the humble ramada and rough cress cr cross a a lovely temple rose to comfort comfort comfort com com- fort him Glowing pinkly its square towers and red tiled roofs rose majestically majestically majestically ma ma- against the mount mountains A great establishment stretched Use Itself across the landscape dormitories gardens workshops and wineries The little group of dirty Indians who Stood about with dumb curiosity became miraculously thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of cle clean m happy neophytes who worked and sang as they worked The handful of soldiers who lolled on their horses and eyed the Indian women became a n dashing company compa compa- ny of devout worshipers pressing Into the church filling it full of reverence reverence rev rev- and adoration Fray Fermin gazed at his dream Ah Padre he exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- ex- ex claimed gladly it has all been worth it it has It not Sing 0 O heavens heavens heavens ens and be Joyful 0 O earth and break forth Into singing 0 O mountains mountains mountains moun moun- for the Lord hath comforted his people Padre mio rolo I ISo So steeped was Lasuen in his i dream so real was the vision that at the sound of the voice he started really expecting to see the brown figure of his brother beside him But it was Sergeant Ortega who stood a worried frown rown on his brow his bis hat in his hand Padre mio mio- It grows late There is absolutely no sign of his Excel Excel- lency Soon the day of Our Holy Patroness will be past Cast What shall we better do Painfully Lasuen made his decision deci sion Lion We must go ahead with our ceremony he s said sadly And when his Excellency comes we will have a rededication There must be some good reason that he is is' is not here He rose painfully from the ground sighing It is a disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment but it is In Gods God's hands And so on December 4 1786 was founded rounded the Mission Santa Barbara The standard of Spain waved above I the humble altar and the sacred flags of the Church Marys Mary's blue banner and the bloody banner of ot Christ The bells rang prayers were said Incense rose in pale blue clouds Then it was over The Indians Indians Indi Indi- ans ret returned to their villages the soldiers returned to the presidio Fray Lasuen was left with three brothers and a few soldiers to guard the shrine dedicated to the Holy Patroness Patroness Pa Pa- of artillerymen Several days before Don Pedro planned to leave for the south for forthe forthe forthe the dedication of the Mission Santa Barbara he was riding the highlands high high- highlands lands back of Monterey and pondering pondering pondering ponder ponder- ing how bow best to approach La Gobernadora Gobernadora Gobernadora Gob Gob- on the matter of accompanying accompanying accompanying him As he drove toward the presidio the clouds lifted for a moment from rom the sea and it being sunset time a rich glow spread over the gray ocean ocean turning it for a few minutes i into molten gold and rosy silver The Governor paused and admired the scene for a moment A good om omen n he said with a adeep adeep adeep deep breath All will turn out well God willing As he cantered into the presidio grounds the thee guards at atthe atthe atthe the gate smiled at him respectfully noting the cheerful expression on his face that had for so long been unnaturally gloomy And as he approached approached approached ap ap- the palacio his heart lighted light light- ed again as he made out gleams of fire- fire and candle light stealing through the chinks of the closed shutters Hola Nola he cried heartily as he stamped into the sala sale And howare howare how howare are all In my household this evening evening evening eve eve- ning Did you notice the little bit of sunshine at sunset time A gloomy silence met him Huddled Huddled Huddled Hud Hud- near the fire sat Eulalia with the baby girl on her lap And leanIng leanIng leaning lean- lean Ing over over the fire looking like an old witch or Indian sorceress Angustias stewed some smelling evil-smelling mixture in a At Eul Eulalla's Eulalia's feet the Indian nurse crouched and looked fearfully at her charge What Is s the matter asked the Governor all his cheeriness fading In the gloomy atmosphere She Is sick sick the baby murmured murmured mur mur- E Eulalia lalia Ah Abl Don Pedro retired anxiously anxiously anxious anxious- ly to a corner and watched help helplessly helplessly lessly while the women doctored the tiny girl rubbing her little chest with unguents dosing her with the smelling evil mixture that as had brewed Tho The child fretted retted and cried but at last became quiet Her nurse carried her from rom the room and Angustias followed Don Pedro strode toward Eulalia and picked her up in his arms cuddled cuddled cuddled cud cud- her on his knee as though she were a child She did not respond did not struggle against him But she was slack In his embrace inert unresponsive Is the my little flower very ill 1111 he asked She h has a n bad cold This damphouse damphouse damp damphouse house She looked about her Oh a n little cold she has had them before Let us not worry about her Let us be happy Eulalia Eu Eu- lalia Let us be happy again I He turned her face toward him and lifted her chin on his finger There W was not a single answering gleam in the black eyes But he persisted Pack your jour traveling cantina with jewels pack a chest with your finest finest finest fin fin- est clothes and let us go south to the Presidio of Santa Barbara forthe forthe for forthe the founding of the mission It willbe willbe will willbe be a gre great affair There will be feasting at the presidio a baile and the Queen of ot California should be there And what is more we will find summer there Fray Fermin writes me for the sun shines on the southland and it ft is already spring Come with me Eulalia I With scarcely any change In her expression the lady shook her head Ah An come querida He held her closely and whispered Let us make a little moon of honey of the expedition a luna de midi Yes Eulalia pulled away from rom him her face settling in stern lines You should not ask me to go away from my sick child And I Ido Ido Ido do not think that you should go and leave her either Don Pedro loosened his arms That is nonsense of course She is not ot that ill and besides she is in very good hands bands with Angustias Nevertheless I shall have to go anyway any any- way for without me the founding of at atthe the mission is not legal He stood and she slipped off oft from his lap onto onto on onto to the floor gazing into the fire The Governor began pacing the length of the SalaYes salaYes salaYes sala Yes I should go no matter whether it were necessary or not The Mission Santa Barbara At last oh at long last It will vill be a happy day for me and a happy and sIgnificant significant significant cant day for California when that mission is founded When I think of all the talks and quarrels I had with my poor poOl Padre about it It I Iam Iam Iam am overjoyed to think that finally the mission is to be founded Yes I shall be there Eulalia Eulalla glanced obliquely at him from where she sat He was tugging tugging tugging tug tug- ging his beard and did not see her Serra Serral she thought bitterly Can he never never- be entirely entirely entire entire- ly at rest Is his spirit to follow tollow me always haunt and punish |