| Show 0 Ss f ry rt r r T m n k ca san I 1 H fi lait l k S m aral s n s rt BY ALLIE copyright 1027 1927 warner bros broa pictures inc dolores costello in OLD SAN FRANCISCO Is a warner bros L of this novel CHAPTER II 11 continued at t this moment the young don hernandez gained the stable vaid his intense tury fury must have sli shown wn in his face because the sailors suddenly spurred their stolen horses and galloped a I 1 through the arch and away leaving stoner to face the coil cons of liis his own brutality I 1 stoner i realized lie had gone one too f r to retreat one look into the young g white face staring attim across tile bullet torn body was sufficient to aige action clumsily swinging into the saddle he headed for the open load cocked pistol in h hand and with only anin a few yards between them lie he fired at this last lema remaining ining son of the house oo of vasquez but his mount stumbled a and nd the deadly shot lodged in in tile the earth livid with fury young vasquez grabbed a lariat irom the belt ot oi a vaquero standing at his side and whirling it skillfully over head let it coil through the intervening space faster than a running horse until it settled around captain stoners Sto ners body immediately lie was jerked from the saddle and fell with a surprised thump to the ground I 1 anvor working ng laboriously vasquez pulled ill the body through the archway to his fallen biot bi others bers side and stood goold looking ng down upon the two men with his emotions torn tom beav between een love and hatred ba tred you have killed a vasquez it was no longer a boy bov speaking stoner closed his is eyes anti and shuddered at the cold cruel e on his captors face and a shiver of fear went through him when hen lie he note noted d florn under tinder half closed lids that youn vasquez bent over his brothers bleeding body and gent gently ly took the sword from his clenched fingers for a brief moment a of recognition came back into the lying dying mans eyes and a smile of understanding and love passed between the two brothels that last goodbye good bye gave the youth renewed courage his land hand tightened around the sword holding it up he read from the inscription A vasquez avenges avenge a va vasquez quez J me belonged to the breed of men who cannot alory in ill cowardly cowa idly revenge solemnly eyeing his bound adversary he cut the lariat with his swords tip I 1 surprised surprise at being released but not man enough to accept it honorably 1 stoner rolled over on his stor stomach and under cover of turning stealthily pulled his pistol leaping to liis his feet feer he whirled around and fired without warning blood appeared on don forehead and trickled slowly 1 down I 10 wil his cheeck with all the foro ferocity cit of f a wild animal disturbed in his lair i J he thrust out and drove his sword into captain stoners Sto ners cowardly body with nith fatal accuracy the captain staggered a as if tossed on a sooim washed deck his pistol fell from lifeless fingers and he sank to the ground vasquez watched the death tIl loeS coldly dispassionately then wiping I 1 off his blade crossed to his biot bi others bers inert form and knelt bowed in grief grieci with one hand pressed affectionately against his lifeless shoulder I 1 gone lie he sobbed and swallowed loed tears of grief I 1 be ne peons geons and vaquero who had been standing by in awed silence I 1 crossed themselves their masters soul had passed on oil to his ancestors one peon slipped away to tile the chapel and began fumbling with the bell ropes senora vasquez with head elect had watched the whole scene from the tha time her young son had whirled the lariat she knew that her first bom was dead she watched at ched with unflinching eyes while her last boy fought so valiantly to avenge their name when the fight was over she calmly joined her sons and laying a gently hand on the living boys lead head said bravely you have lone done well vell my son a vasquez avenges a vasquez through tear blurred eyes she looked beyond to their burial plot and saw the graves and crosses of other vas hezs who had gone before ah death did have a sting ani and I 1 lle her mothers heart felt its cruel tor torture 1 the little chapel bells rang mourn fully and guests on their way to the vasquez estate turned back or came on only to offer sympathy and all through the night ithe chapel bells tolled their sad news rt adventurous flom all pairs of lf the world began congregating congie gating in california to dig for their pot of gold and san francisco the tha peaceful little home ionic of the lo mantic spaniards bs be came a seething caldron of crazed ac houses looted acores were deserted and stoner was not the only captain to leave his ship men alen gambled ard and consumed liquor in the lough carefree care free spirit of min inq inc camp I 1 life ife in short tile the spanish village had become the mecca of a gold world the harbor was crowded with ships of all descriptions description and many nationalities and on the shores a myriad of tents appeared to shelter the shifting population frame shacks were elected over night and when not used as homes served as supply bases for tools and provisions A regular procession almost constantly passed by the vasquez estate and don hennandez Henian dez the new nev master of the house was wont to watch from the balcony with folded arnis arms and a frown upon his face but in his healt was a boyish restlessness that was difficult to suppress senora vasquez was always slightly contemptuous of the rabble and hated the rush because its lustful influence had ila been responsible for her sons death her ailsto aristocratic cratic breeding and love for beauty made hei senses ichel aebel against tile the sight of wagons loaded with camping outfits kitchen utensils uren sils P household furnishings all and unkempt red flannel shifted men as they passed her door and mined the beau ticul berenith beren ity of life to her it was obnoxious to be forced to see mexicans indians negroes splendid whig white men and chinks all pawning their lot together and going off to the fields like brotheim bro theis the senora could not understand why women would give up an easy pleasant life to follow their wandel ing husbands to the new gold terri doiy and she never ceased to be amazed at the sight of husbands and wives struggling ling along under the weight of heavy packs and dragging young children by the hands in their efforts to make speed vasquez and his mother were literally sitting on their doorstep watching the world go by A world peopled by creatures so i emote in ambitions ambition and desires from their own high minded and chivalrous instincts that there was no mutual ground of understanding for instance they saw a liard hard faced madam alive past with a bevy of painted gills reckless eckless It followers fol loers of the gold diggens sitting on chairs in the wagon bed one of them called waved and smirked to get the attention of two men on oil another wagons wagon who were straddling a board and playing cards while hile they jo bogged jogged ged along the game was held up to return the salute and while an especially smitten male lingered longer than necessary over the salutation his opponent stealthily reached across aaros grabbed a couple of gold francs horn the pot and drained the joint bottle of whiskey the amo amorous rou one turned back to the game just in time to realize that lie he had been cheated out came cam e his knife in an all instant anti and he leaped up with a volley of curses they clin clinched clied and staggered about the moving wagon until it hit a tut rut and chiew them sprawling into tha roadside still clinched they rollet rolled around until contact with a deep mud puddle brought them to their senses yelling at the driver they lan ian after the departing wagon amid tile the boisterous laughter and jeers jeer of the painted girls all life was not like that during the gold rush but unfortunately the Vasque zes secluded existence prevented their knowing about the biz big and lencious gen cious things that occurred the lomance of tile the california gold diggers was just as great in its way is as the lomance of own eaily explorations and settlement fifty eight deais had passed since that memorable lay day of as 48 which was the real beginning of san francisco Francis cos prosperity the city grew until it be became daffie the commercial capital of the west coast the lawla law lawless lc lays days of the gold rush had become only slightly more circumspect and at the beginning of the twentieth century it was v is a i joyous 0 pleasure plea suie loving city the bohemia oi america the paris of the pacific gambling was life iffe anti and glittering lance dance halls nourished flourished the barbary coast and the famous cocktail route were vere the rendezvous of notables and the haunt of convivial characters blazing electric signs threw out 0 ut their glow of welcome to all rich aich and poor alike the sinner and the saint Ca campis caesara caesars Cae sars saes neptune midway thalia pup fly kiwy and the poodle dog all paid their tribute in gold to a city government that was honeycombed Col libed with graft and just a few blocks away yet separated by centuries of creed anti and was chinatown the capital of california s fifty thousand chinese chi population all the lure of the east was with little that was good and much that was evil gambling rooms ro ollis opium dens stores that were legitimately business and houses whose bu business bubines sines was illegitimate all were centered in this section that out was under civil jurisdiction but actually not at all governed by its laws and ordinances but even as san francisco ever prospered and was well nell on the way to fulfill the brilliant de destiny s tiny that N was v as beffie her the glory of the ancient spanish sli founders grew dim their indolent lives the traditional love of comfort that had been handed down from one generation to another could not or would not compete with the active glowing civilization that was creeping upon them bioni the city below at the old vasquez ranch high in ll 11 i 1 the hills overlooking not only the encroaching cro aching city but the bay beyond and even the Faiia fanalon lon islands in tile the diStal distance lLe the latest male descendent of the illusto illustrious ious line held desperately to the ancestral acres don hennandez Heinan dez vasquez now in in his seventies had become a white haired aired dignified old aristocrat he was s till still eloquent in manner with all the pride of the old spanish nobility and to his sorrow had seen tile the lanches and traditions of his old P go one by one into the ail satiable insatiable man mail of the city As he stood on the hillside leaning on a gold topped cane gazing at the vast acreage that spread before him lie he shook his lead head sadly the end was inevitable the rancho was ati tul ful by comparison to its previous splendor the land was still there to be sure sura but what land over lun with chubby growth uncultivated wild it lay jay a tragic anti and silent monument odthe of the past ilis his wandering glance finally took in in tile the famous old ranch house that too was but a symbol of the decay that tha thad had been going on for more years than he liked to le member the walls were cracked and half covered with moss here and there huge gaps showed in the masonry masonn and over it all a 11 the vines had run riot not around it the had grown wild ile he walked slowly toward the house with a shrug of his aristocratic shoulders what was to be must be he was living in the present but not of it As he neared the patio his ax expression suddenly changed into one ne ot enthusiasm and anticipation here at lea least st was something that pleased him mightily the clinking of castanets beautifully timed to the soft thrumming of a guitar i cached his lii ear his eyes sparkled brightly and lie he leaned against the doorway watching the delightful scene that brought back a breath of the picturesque past deloies vasquez the granddaughter of the bancho was vas dancing lier her long full skirts cleared the flags of the patio batio and revealed daintily shod elect lect as she whirled her lovely head held proud and high nodded to the rhythm lier her beautiful eyes eves hashed fla glied merrily and her lips parted to lo famile ai at the faithful ol 01 old d peon who accompanied her on the guitar lounging lazily on a rustic bench gazing gating at it dolores through half closed eyes as lie ho puffed cale lessly on a cigarette bat don luis her very aident admirer don luis costanso was a twentieth century caballero dressed in the height of fashion fab hion but nevertheless adhering as closely as possible to his ancestral influence he sported a t small trimly waxed moustache which seemed a fitting climax to his high heeled boots elaborate silk scarf and broad brimmed hat altogether lie he was exceedingly good to look upon according to don luis why do you not smile at me do loies lie he objected as she continued to fling her entrancing smiles over her shoulder to the old peon who beamed on oil her with adoration as he strummed strummer strum med a gay spanish air dolores did not answer at once but continued lancing dancing toward her grandfather whom slie she had just noticed in the doorway As old hernandez watched the charming picture his heart swelled with pride here was a vasquez who was the fairest of them all and as for don luis well was he not the son of an old friend and a fitting mate for his beloved deloies Do loies but then she had a way with her and even b his Is experienced eliceo eyes eves could not determine anything ing but friendship for don luis in the actions of his granddaughter ile he wanted to see love it was not always so in his younger days the senoritas seno ritas litas did not behave so calmly in the presence of a suitor and once again his thoughts carried him back into the past back to the time when the very same patio echoed to the shouts and laughter of a dozen senoritas seno ritas and as many lashing dashing young spaniards some of them dancing as his own dolotes others on the balcony singing and applauding ali ah but it was hard to grow old in poverty As dolores finished the dance she blew a kiss hiss from her dainty fingertips and made a deep courtesy beffie him then a as he continued to smile sadly she laid her hand consolingly on his aim aar said dont worry dear some day we shall live again in the glory that has gone vasquez shook his head sadly no my dear the past is gone and the glory and fame of the vasquez have gone with it she looked at him pityingly for a nio moment ment then her face brightened with a happy idea laughing gaily she pirouetted before him saying see I 1 shall always lance dance and make you think of the great fiesta you love to speak of when you first met my grandmother Wrap wrapping Ting her mantilla about her she began bean an old fashioned spanish dance to be continued |
