Show Mistress of q Montele Virginia Slivers Stivers Bartlett aa H sA H ea Virginia T SMa Ba I OJ SYNOPSIS I I in ov rued California of If 1783 ITU a conflict between Church and State Stat li is represented by two friendly enemies fray frail old Fray Serra Franciscan Francis Francis- can ean missionary and Don Pedro Pages Faces civil governor After Un telling Serra ha he It JI sending to Mexico for his hi wile wife and son on whom be he has baa not seen een for eight years ear he be refuses his I aid toward founding the Santa Barbara Mission n. In Mexico City Dona Eulalia Eulalla accompanied by her duenna duenn An An- I ue arrives at from the embassy her In tn re r. response to a letter Jetter from her ber husband Don Pedro She agrees to go 0 to Call Can Don Pedro sends endl for Serra Sena tell ten ln ing him that two priests are on their way wy from Mexico with Eulalla Eulalia and young oun Pedro and that tha he be Is U leaving leaVin to meet them Pages Fae engages a young oun Indian girl trl as a. maid for Eulalla Eulalia Eufalla Eu Eu- falla lalla sails satis from San Bias Bill It Is I. a desolate dean deso late Ite trip From the port of Loreto a large Jarge cavalcade loaded with Eulalia party starts out for the ton Ion long o overland and trip Eulalla Eulalia accustomed to luxury and comfort bitterly regrets renett haVin having been persuaded to come The two priests Fr Fray Mariano and end Fray Bartolomeo call on her ber and arouse arousa her suspicions as a. to their genuineness As AI the caval cavalcade code cade stops top at various missions Eulalla Eulalia hears heau rumors rumor of the approach of her ber husband CHAPTER Continued Vl But my Lady all w me me- me Keep your ybur y ur hands handl off me tirl Ir I will not move But Senora tee see It is II night We must go on We must progress progress' Progress I have done nothing but progress for weeks months weeks months I And I arrive nowhere Now I will go no farther The Capitan gripped his hands I But we have no water here no 10 food food no no provisions for the night We can not stay here Up Senora come come I This Is 1 serious Eulalla Eulalia settled herself firmly on the ground Serious I should say it was se se- se- se rious No water water water-no no food Is I. that my fault Is it my duty to see the skins and casks are filled Did I I send the provisions ahead so that we should be without food I She tossed her hair out of her eyes eye and glared at him Look at me met me Look at me met me DIsheveled Disheveled Di Dl- dirty hungry thirsty weary and no place to lay my head And it is 11 your fault Ah wait walt until I tell teU his Excellency the Governor Governor Gov Gov- how you have treated met mel Leading me Into this and offering no relief except riding more more and more miles mUes to some ome spring which no doubt will turn out to be a dry dr- one onel You are responsible Canete's dignity ty was touched Senora it was certainly not I that suggested this trip It Is 11 s no pleasure Jaunt to me I assure youIt you It was only at the earnest solicitations dons of ot the Viceroy himself in behalf behalf behalf be be- half of my friendship with your husband husband hus band the Governor that I undertook it Nevertheless you are responsible ble you and the Viceroy Viceroy and and the King himself She clenched her hands and beat them on her breast I wish his Excellency the Viceroy Vice roy ray Mayorga and his bl Majesty the King of Spain could be here in my place If U they're so 0 anxious to tomake tomake tomake make California a colony why dont don't they come here themselves Let them have the dirt and heat beat and thirst and cactus and rattlesnakes I Would they want it then Would they call caU California the brightest jewel in the diadem of Spain She stamped her feet Not Nol No Not They would say lay as I Ido do My God is III this California Let the Indians have It it or England or whoever wants HI ti That's That what they would say say And yet they let me a poor defenseless woman sacrifice herself to make California a crown jewell Jewel Her voice reached a hysterical pitch California Spain's Spain brightest Jewell jewell jewell Jew jew- ell Her ch possession she he mimicked ironically Then her voice broke Spain rotten egg egl she he screamed creamed and leaned sobbing against her saddle addle B By this time tune the whole cavalcade was wa milling around the spot poL stepped into the breach She smoothed her mistress mistress' hair arranged arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged a scarf carf over It patted the heaving shoulders and whispered meaningless affectionate comfort comfort- comforting ing fag words word Then she he turned to Ca Ca- nete nets I think you can help my lady to mount now she said sad As M the Capitan Captan stooped to take the ladys lady's foot in his hand he noticed the moonlight play a strange trick with face It almost seemed that she winked To make sure ure he gave the duena a lift into her own saddle addle Thank you sir air she he said grim grim- ly Then You are a gentleman sir Ir but you need a firmer Armer hand Some time later they rode Into the camp at Santa Martita and found it in a great state tate of excitement excite excite- ment Far far below elow them a pillar of fire Are blazed against the dark night blazed and faltered and blued blazed again Young Pedro riding before Ca Ca- nete nets as the burro had bad not Dot been found shivered Indians be he asked Bad Indi Indi- Indians ant anal ans Then they heard beard running feet I Three Indians dlana naked except for clouts breech panting and shining entered the camp and stood tood before the fire El EI Capitan which Is U he het they asked I am he be What II Is your TOur message message mes mes- sage aget Senor El Gobernador Don Pedro Padro Pe Pa- dro Fages Pages is 11 camped a days day's JourneT Journey Jour Jour- journey ney neT from here heres His Hi smoke moke is II yonder in the valley He sent ent us UI to find you TOU and bid you hasten huten Capitan Canete heaved a great reat sigh of ot relief relict Praise God he be murmured de de- de- de Then he detailed three other other other oth oth- er Indians from his hi train to make all aU haste to the Governors Governor's campTell campTell camp Tell him we Ye will be with him by nightfall tomorrow he said He lie looked around at the drawn face of ot the Governors Governor's lady And tell teU him all aU in my expedition are well wen happy and enjoying the trip he added CHAPTER VII VU Pedro Fages listened to the report report report re re- re- re port of Capitan Canete's Canete Indians and dismissed them that they might eat and rest after their night all-night jour jour- ney Striding to the spring the Governor Gover Cover nor splashed face and head smoothed his hair with his fingers and wrung his hIl beard Then cupping cupping cupping cup cup- ping both hands to mouth he be whooped until the silent nent morning rang and echoed Rise my children Rise and greet the sun aunt Rise and say lay your prayers and hear the tidings tidings' To- To 1 r he 1 it itt itE t E t r Indians Were Dispatched Into the Canons for Deer n night there will arrive here the alcade of Capitan Canete Rise beggars vagabonds vagabonds' Curiosity overcame laziness and aneS soon oon the camp was buzzing with anticipatory anticipatory an an- preparations The arrival of Canete meant news new from home letters messages message from Spain and Mexico It meant a fiesta for there were women in the Capitan's Capitan train surely the Governors Governor's lady would bring Don Pedro moved with d energy Ills His eyes glowed his bIJ step was light his hIl energy boundless and his orders legion Indians Indian were dispatched into the th canons for deer quail rabbit ante ante- lope Others Other gathered wood and piled a mighty pyre on the beach At last lut the Governor having baving assigned assigned as as- signed to each his task turned toone to toone toone one be he would entrust only to him bun self A large round tent which had remained remained re re- re- re roU rolled d and packed on the I journey bad had been pitched some distance distance dis dis- dis tance away from the camp He entered entered entered en en- It it and almost fell over a tiny I Indian boy naked as a. a rabbit brown as a berry with wild bright eyes Ah Al Lazy little one and ond eat thy tortillas sleep all aU day dayt The child chUd scampered toward the cooking fire and the Governor went to work with the happy expression ofa of ofa ofa a man performing a labor of ot love He began opening bundles that had been a mystery on the trip as they had never been opened and had taxed the pack animals to the ears There were bright blankets of Indian Indian In In- dian weave supple serapes In gay colors skins of ot mountain lion wildcat wildcat wild wild- cat and be bear r robes of otter and rabbit These he be spread pread on the ground round until It was wu covered arranging arranging arranging ar ar- ar- ar ranging and rearranging until their disposal suited his bl fancy And as a. ashe ashe he worked he sang sanga a little soldiers soldier's tong song b beneath neath his hIJ breath Eulalla Eulalia had seen teen a painting of a alady alady alady lady of the French court dressed Ina in ina ina a green velvet riding habit with voluminous draped skirt tight fitting fitting fitting fit- fit ting basque trimmed in rich cream lace on her bead head a saucy velvet hat with a nodding sweeping plume A clever Parisian ma ma- in Mexico City had bad copied the costume for Eulalla But she he had bad been hustled awa away into exile and one of her ber regrets at leaving was wu that she he bad had never worn the green reen velvet habit habitt Nevertheless less lell It was wa packed In a leather trunk which Angustia had bad marked with a green cross in a circle And when th the Governor of California greeted his lad lady wife he be would see not a bedraggled travel stained pilgrim pil pU- grim in dusty black her head COy cow cowered covered ered with a like Uke a Mexican peasant woman but a real lady of high degree her velvets green Ireen against a white jennet her ber proud head high with nodding plumes And Jeweled jeweled- Ah yes Teal yest She would wear wen her ber emeralds emeralds em of ot course coure The heavy gold gold- set et necklace the long earrings earring the massive matve ring on her ber first Arat finger Yes Ye the green was wu a happy happ thought green reen velvet and gems gem set nt setoff setoff of off a skin kin that is II white and dazzling daze daz Capitan Canete rode ahead his hi perspiring brow furrowed with ans lety By all aU the saints this was the worst day of the entire Journey I A narrow trail zigzagged down the side lide of a mountain which seemed to bulge over the sea thousands thousand of feet below a tortuous treacherous trail trall so 0 narrow it was wu necessary for the cavalcade to travel in single file and so 0 winding the animals had almost almost al al- al most to bend themselves double at some turns turn When his thoughts permitted him bun he admired the Governors Governor's lady riding riding rid rid- ing so calmly behind him bun with never never never nev nev- er an outcry or even a gasp of fear as 81 her trembling horse avoided the ever present winder sidewinder rattlesnakes rattle snakes and picked its way among rolling pebbles where a misstep would send end horse and rider plunging to death down the mountainside into the ocean lapping hungrily be bee low What a woman And after that scene cene of last night But the ladys lady's head was wu full of other things the green reen velvet habit the jewels that lay dark in the little case strapped to her Jennet only waiting a gleam ot of light to make them leap and glow like Uke green reen flames against her white skin Tonight she he would see lee her husband again Would he be be the same Would he look the same lamet She could picture him in armor and plumed helmet like the great conquistador Cortez or In rich velvets like Uke the gentlemen of the court or as the Governor of the surrounded stir sur rounded by bowing attendants But no extension of her imagination tion could show Pedro Fages as 81 he actually was a bluff blut soldado de Early in the California campaigns campaigns cam cam- campaigns he and his tough little company com com- company pany of volunteers had adopted cuirasses of hide and had immediately been dubbed the l leather ather jackets Jackets soldados de And Don Pedro though he be had risen from a humble lieutenant o of the Cat Cat- volunteers to the governorship governor ship of the Californian was wu still sun only a soldado de and wore his cuirass on all aU expeditions His HikIn skin was tanned to the color of his hi jacket jacket jack jack- et his hie beard grizzled his hll face lined Poor lady How flow could her imagination imagination nation stretch to such imaging As An evening approached the trail twisted between two great arms arm of the mountain that opened to the Vermillion sea a and led gradually into an arroyo After Alter a consultation with the Indian In dian guides Capitan Canete turned to the lady It lilt Is II only several everal hours hour from here to the camp of his hll Excellency and U It you OU wish to stop top and refresh yourself before going farther I will withdraw and send the bearers ahead I J win will gladly avail avaU myself of the opportunity You are very kind said ald Eulalla EulaU with w a smile mUe that wiped out all aU the calumnies of the night before So kind that I J will ask you TOU to get me one chest from my belongings a large studded iron chest chea marked chest marked with a green cross crol crossIn crossIn In m a circle Canete looked at the chests cheta and boxes box strapped trapped on the weary bur bur- burros burros ros ro and opened his bl mouth But EulaUs Eulalla Eu Eu- lalla laUs smiled again The captain approached the ani animals male mal searched carefully then called an Indian who carried the trunk to the lady Then the train moved on out ot of sight down the can can- yon Ton on Eulalla and Angustias unfastened the great lock with little laughing cries ues of anticipation Slowly Angus AngUl has lifted out a garment and shook it t. t It was wu not velvet and it was not green reen Eulalla gasped I Grimly the duena began throwing things out of ot the chest on to the ground round until it was wu strewn with gar gar- meats ments But the riding habit was wu not among them And the pack pack pack-ani malt male were out of sight and sound Angustias looked fearfully at her mistress whose lip Up trembled What shall I do dot Oh Ob Angustias what shall Ihan I do dot I had set et my heart on that green velvets velvet braced herself She could cope with the situation when her ber lady wept It was only the cold tearless storms torms that baffled her She turned to the scattered garments AI M God be praised Nina look This is 11 perfect here is II the little Maja costume The sweetest prettiest prettiest pret pret- most becoming thing you ever had I I haven't laid eyes on it since I 1 left Spain Spain God God bless bIen the place i Let me see lee that dress Angus Angul Ua The woman held it up Yes Ye it is 11 charming I 1 suppose there 1 is II nothing else to do da But how you could make such a mistake in the chests chest Angustias I dont don't know And I had set let my heart on the the the- Ah An this thil is II better Much better The green reen would not be so 0 becom become becoming ing lag to you now since you Tou have grown so 0 tanned tanned tanned-so so bonny and brown brownl she he amended hastily as BI she he heard beard a snort nort from the lady Yes yes Jes it is II all aU here even the little mUe buckled shoes and the redecilla rede cilia cilla Come nina let us get this ori on on you before it grows too loo dark to see ee what we are doing Eulalla Eulalia permitted herself to be dressed at first Art submitting in sulky silence then growing interested and at last Iut enthusiastic |