Show Mistress of Monterey VIRGINIA SlIVERS STIVERS BARTLETT BARTLETTo o Virginia Slivers Bartlett y- y CHAPTER PTER Continued 22 22 The courier spoke timidly Excellency he murmured deprecatingly deprecatingly dep- dep unfortunately I must be beon beon beon on my way not being on a pleasure trip like yours yourself ell and and there Is a letter In there that the t I have on my my conscience I should have asked you about It before I 1 left the presidio It It does not bear your your frank 4 44 The Governor looked startled So And who has sent a letter out without my frank rank Her Excellency La Senora La Gobernadora Dona Eulalia EulaUn Ahl Ahi Let me have i It and I will attend to it The courier took the paper from rom among the rest and handed It to the Governor It was addressed to the Viceroy of Mexico The GovI Governor Governor Gov Gov- I shook his head and rubbed I his eyes ees The men watched him in amazement as he tore the letter open and read it it itA A womans woman's tongue is only three Inches long but it can kill a man manof manof manof of six feet You he said to the trembling courier get gel on your way at once I will keep this letter And the rest of f us will return at once to the presidio At the exclamation of disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment from his escort he laughed loudly But we will stay only a short while and before belore this sun has set we will be on our way again Our Is Interrupted not abandoned A little while later the presidio gates were again thrown open and to the surprise of everyone the Governors Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Gov Gov- party swept into the parade parade- ground in a cloud of dust and a clatter of hoofs From her window La Gobernadora Gobernadora Goberna Goberna- dora watched El EI Gobernador ride madly toward the palacio and before before be be- fore she could control the sudden trembling that seized her he strode into the room Behind him came two soldiers who had followed from the gate Senora Sonora thundered the Governor Gover nor I have come to place you under under un un- der arrest He motioned to the two soldiers who stepped smartly forward forward forward for for- ward and took their places one oneat oneat oneat at each side of Eulalia Their eyes goggled with amazement but they clanked the butts of their muskets muskets mus muse smartly on the floor and stood at attention What Is the meaning of this I Inquired Eulalia is it ita a drunken A prank For what am I to be placed 1 under arrest It is no drunken prank Woman you are under arrest for treason I and he Eulaila's Eulalia's Eulalia's Eula- Eula have here and here slapped lias lia's letter to the Viceroy on to the table table I I have here a document written by you containing treasonable treasonable treason treason- able utterances against the thc Governor Gover nor of tile the And any treason against the Governor of the is treason against his Most Catholic Majesty the King of Spain Ther Therefore fore I put you under arrest Eulalia grew white around the i lips and her voice shook treason T she stammered Yes you have said here that the Governor of California has been going slowly but surely Insane for forthe forthe forthe the past three years That all his acts are the acts of a madman a maniac That his governance here bere has bas been a long period of misrule That he rails falls to operate co-operate with the priests in their religious work That everyone Is afraid of him and dare not report his madness to the Viceroy That he has bas repeatedly threat threatened ned your life and the lives of others and that he neglects his duties to consort with Indian wom worn en Is that true Every word of It HI HII I mean Is it true that you have written this Yes I wrote It Very well then 1 arrest you Inthe In Inthe inthe the name of the King of Spain Eulalia wavered But you But but you can not do that What What What-what what are you going to do I with me You are to be incarcerated Inthe In Inthe inthe the the quarters of the Indian women at Mission Carmelo itil I return from my trip Then I r will consider your case In the I You can not do this to me mel I will not go gol You dare not degrade me disgrace me this way before the whole community I 1 will not go gol You do not hesitate to degrade and disgrace me before all California Califor Califor- nia ala Mexico and Spain Senora You shall go co to the and at once Prepare yourself No Nol No Nol I 1 will die first Angustias Angustias wa was cowering in a corner corner corner cor cor- ner watching the scene In terror At the doors and windows frightened servants listened and looked There is no use calling Angus Angus- tins I am nm through being ruled by women Angustias will remain here herewith herewith herewith with my children and you shall go At once I said he be thundered so suddenly that Eulalia jumped And if It you hesitate any longer you shall go without any preparation The matron at ot the will give you a robe such as the Indian girls wear Well are you not going to I get ready I am not I am not going Please Pedro do not do this to me please I am sorry I wrote Tote because I Iam Iam Iam am so unhappy it seemed seethed the only way Please my darling adored husband Please oh ob please do not do this to me mer Whimpering like a child she threw herself hersel at athIs athis athis his feet before the scandalized eyes of the watching soldiers and ants Angustias moved toward her but the Governor motioned her back His face was stern and drawn Get up woMan What a scene to tomake tomake tomake make before these people I A woman's womans womans woman's womans woman's wom wom- ans an's tears and a dogs dog's limping are not real Will you go now or shall shallI I be forced to make you Still she knelt on the No I No Nol I will not go you youcan youcan youcan can not make me mel Oh Pedro Oh Mother o of God Oh help me The Governor clutched his beard with one hand and gritted his teeth Pick her up he ordered the soldiers tie Ue her hands and put her heron heron heron on a horse Take her to the fathers a at t Carmel and tell them It is my orders she stay in the until tinUI until un un- til UI I return Under no circumstances is she to leave before then And if she misbehaves she Is to be beaten t 1 4 I T r I 1 Am Ain Retiring Said One Old Compadre like any recalcitrant Indian worn wom an Pedro Eulalia shrieked Pedro Pedro Pedro Pe dro not that Ai Al I Dios mb mio not that The Governor was was trembling trembling as much as the terrified woman at his feet Very well Not beaten But if she misbehaves she must be put in inthe inthe inthe the stocks Take her at once As the frightened soldiers lifted her from the floor she struggled like a cat writhing and sobbing Best tie her hands ord ordered red the Governor coldly Or you will be scratched He handed one a handkerchief handkerchief handkerchief hand hand- kerchief and watched grimly while her struggling hands were tied at ather ather ather her back She faced him with features fea tea tures distorted streaked with tears but her eyes fierce Cruel brutal mad Pedro Fages II she cried You will suffer suffer suf suf- fer for this She wrenched against the bonds that held her hands Oh jOh let me go gol Let me go gor Fages merely motioned to the soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers who dragged her out of the house Still screaming and struggling struggling gling one of them managed to throw h her r before him on his his' horse Angustias rushed from th the house hous wringing her hands hands' and weeping All the servants crowded out out-of- doors The soldier touched his spurs to the horse The shrieking writh writh- ing jag La Gobernadora and her escort started across the parade-ground parade toward towardS the presidio gate Angustias running lamenting b beside CHAPTER Forth on El EI Camino Carnino Real again rode the Governor of the Californi as The rhe royal road was now a well well- defined strip of yellow highway slowly but surely through pressure of many feet and h b hoof beats of many horses printing its itself U upon the pleasant soil of pf Califor California ia connecting connect connect- ing lug the Miss Mission n and Presidio of Upper Upper Up Up- p per r California with the ancient Mission Mis sion and time one capital Loreto in Lower California As he rode he remembered suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly that 20 years had passed since he had first traveled this way No road then that first party of pioneers pioneers pio pio- had pushed their way through virgin soil breaking a trail through I Ithe the wilderness marking It here and there with cairns of stone but of oftener often often- tener ten ten- er with crosses Twenty years He started at the thought Nearly half his life In twenty years more he would be sev sev- enty erity All those years for the siren California As he looked at the smiling smil smile ing spring sky the acres and acres of wild flowers the canons full of oaks live-oaks sycamores water alders willows and all nIl manner of trees and shrubs as he sniffed the wild roses and drank from the clear springs as he gazed at the mighty mountains or at the rolling restless surf of the Pacific he laughed My life for California I he said By God she is worth i it the jade jadel Each morning that found them on on the road he carefully stamped out the remains of the fire camp-fire often on a spot where he had built fires many times before And as he did this he wondered Out of these ashes on on one of ot these little mounds would a city rise some day He sighed at the thought but indulged in prophetic retrospection And at the missions he visited long longwith longwith longwith with the padres ate their g good od food drank their good wine admired their fat herds and sleek horses Then passed on to th the next mission I Passed through much rich country or wild land alive with herds of antelope and elk bear and mountain mountain moun moun- tam tain lions He killed the giant bear he had promised himself and carried car car- ried ned most of it to the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel There he rested for lor many days in the shade of the carefully tended trees with the music music mu mu- sic of a little stream in his ears cars And there he visited with some old old friends who had traveled with him on the first expedition I am retiring said one old corn com padre Don Sanchez long sergeant of the guard at the Mission Mis sion San Gabriel I am retiring Ithe It he repeated as Don Pedro sipped absently at his wine From what 7 1 questioned the Governor From the Kings King's Army The King has granted me many varas of land And I am choosing it well There are springs on it and meadow meadowland meadowland meadowland land for grazing and land to raise corn and grapes And I have already already al al- al ready chosen the knoll on which I 1 will build my house He stretched his legs l luxuriously before him and sighed with pleasurable tion Ah and what a life lile that will be bel But your wife wile asked Don Pe Pee dro Will she consent to come here and live with you Had you not heard My poor wife God rest her soul died last year in Mexico City She would never join me here And I could not leave here You understand Life was lonely for her I suppose suppose We had no children and so his He shrugged shoulders God took her home You are most fortunate Don Pedro in having baving Dona Eulalia Eulalla with you Most fortunate fortunate for for- And Yes muttered Fages what will you do with this great rancho and house you are going to build Will you live alone What will you do wi without wile wife or children children children chil chil- dren Don Epifanio stirred uneasily com compadre padre you Know how howit it is I have already chosen me a wife Just an Indian girl That is part Indian Her fa father ther was a Spanish Spanish Span Span- ish soldier though God only knows who he was But she is beautiful and very young and has been well educated here at Mission San GabrieL Gabri Gabri- el She can cook and sew She can even play the guitar And she is young Oh yes very young Fit Fit- teen But look you I am barely fifty So I will have many years ahead of me and God willing many children He laughed Who knows but we will start a new race in this new land Don Pedro was very quiet as the theother theother theother other dreamed of his future happiness happiness happi happl ness over his wine wineglass Yes mused the Governor to himself You will have a happy life An ideal life Ah An yes The other broke into his musings Why do you not retire Don Pedro Pe Pee dro You have given the best years of your life ille to your King Kine and this country The King would be more than willing to award you a great grent slice of this land that you have governed governed governed gov gov- so long Why not do it Let someone else be governor and have all the worries and anxieties while you retire and establish a grand hacienda enjoy your wife wile and children children chil chil- dren and let the Indians do the work Don Pedro was quiet a long time Idly twirling his beaker and watching watching watch watch- ing th the ruddy juice washing in little waves against the glass All unconsciously unconsciously unconsciously un un- un- un consciously his old friend In relating elating relate elat- ing his own hopes had laid bare the deepest desires of the Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Gover Gover- nors nor's heart A great estate of hi hii own I He could see him himself sell riding over the theland theland land could see the sleek herds the spirited horses he would raise could see the fields of corn and grain squashes beans and chiles he wandered wandered wandered wan wan- dered through his own orchards and vineyards Al Ai DIos Dlos that w was s what he wanted A great house where he could entertain a hundred guests and where a hundred servants would do his bidding where there would be music and flowers and md hospitality and at the end a host of strong sons to speed his departure Into that dark uncertain land But the vision did not hold Eulalia With a bitter laugh he gulped his wine Before God Don you are sent by Satan to tempt me rae mer That may be your life rue but it can never be mine I am sorry my friend For there are many of us who campaigned with you who are going to do this very thing of which I have spoken In fact many have sent for their wives and families to come from Mexico and as I said before those of us who have not wives will find them here Yes we will found a anew anew anew new civilization I think In this strange new land and you should be he one of the founders The Governor left San Gabriel visited the troublous little village of Los Angeles and left there shaking his he head d over the laziness laziness' and immorality immorality im ira- morality of Its inhabitants South then to the Mission San Juan Ca Ca- and at af last to the Presidio Presidio Pre Pre- sidio and Mission of San Diego the cradle of California Then h he turned north again to return to Monterey more restless more unhappy more more disturbed in mind than when he had bad started on his journey He had not left his anxieties behind They had traveled with him And to them was added the nagging certainty that he was at a crisis in his life He could not continue living as he had been He and Eulalia were killing each other He must resign as governor of the And after that what One of two Remain In the n province as an and fulfill ful fill his dearest dreams regardless of Eulalia Or return to Mexico perhaps to Spain He groaned in spirit and worried his grizzled beard as he considered that possibility The soft breath of California kissed his cheek as he rode north The very brambles and wild roses reached out and clutched him with clinging fing fingers rs and when he lay down at night the warm earth seemed to cradle him In loving arms that would not let him go When at last he rode through the gates of the Royal Presidio Monterey Monterey Monte Monte- rey two months after he |