Show mistress of Ms monterey rh ay virginia stivers bartlett virginia stivers stiver service bartlett diett I 1 SYNOPSIS in spanish governed california of 0 1783 a conflict between church and state Is re represented presented by two friendly enemies arz rail old fray gunipero Juni pero serra franciscan missionary and don pedro fages civil governor after telling serra he Is sending to mexico tor for his wife and son whom he has not seen for eight years he refuses his aid toward founding the santa barbara mission in mexico city dona eulalla accompanied by her duenna augustias August las arrives at the embassy in response to a letter from her husband ID don on pedro she agrees to go to california ja don pedro sends for serra telling him that two priests are on their way from mexico with eulalla and young pedro and that he is leaving tor domeet neet them fages engages a young indian girl indi zuela as maid for eulalia eulalla eulalia sails from san bias it Is a desolate trip from the port of loreto a large cavalcade loaded with eulaliah Eul Eu alias lallas party starts out tor for the long overland trip eulalla eulalia accustomed to luxury and comfort bitterly regrets having been persuaded to come the two priests fray mariano and fray bartolomeo call on her and arouse her suspicions as to their genuineness As the cavalcade stops at various missions eulalia hears rumors of the approach of her husband while don pedro plans a great fiesta to welcome his wife eulalla eulalia plans her costume tume don pedro prepares the great fiesta and welcomes his beautiful wife and young son eulalia is toasted as the queen of the Cali fornias on the long journey to Mun monterey terey the reunited couple are royally royalla entertained at the presidio dlo at san diego eulalia disapproves of the democratic relations of don pedro and his people pleading weariness in the he t midst of the feast she leaves CHAPTER IX continued 7 the governor had risen to his feet his face congested with varied emotions across from him father lasuen stood and looked at him with a white face why your excellency ll 1 he stammered your excellency what means this are these men priests franciscans fages nodded shortly and looked at thie the table lasuen wrung his hands as the rest of the company sat silent looking at atthe the two but don pedro are those the two for whom holy father serra has prayed day and night for months if they are fray fermi lasuen it is satan and not heaven who has sent them with them came dispatches from the fer nandine college in mexico city saying they were being sent to california as a punishment tor for their sins and the report went on to say that they were the scandal of the college hid bad broken every rule committed every sin petty or grand even to scaling the walls of the dormitory and going abroad in the city at night scarcely on deeds of virtue bent my poor brother Juni perol grieved lasuen fages sighed heavily all the heartiness had fled from his manner 1 I find I 1 am too tired to discuss j this further tonight if you will excuse me I 1 will retire now perhaps a new sun will bring a new light to my problems buenas bienas nochell no chesl once in her quarters the control that had held la gobernadora in leash vanished she paced the narrow floor she wept angustias stood by helplessly help lessi Y did you hear him angustias how did he dare speak to me that way ordering me about as though I 1 were a slave an indian oh how I 1 can I 1 live oh Angust angustias las what shall I 1 do where shall I 1 go here I 1 am a helpless prisoner tied to a brute of a husband in this terrible place oh my god angustias say something I 1 cant stand this I 1 shall lose my mind she tell fell across the bed sobbing angustias went to her now nina now now come if don pedro scolded you it is only because he loves you so much you behave this way in the condition you are in 11 the lady whirled on her what do you know about my condition what do you mean there there I 1 know you are going to have a baby there there she was trying to loose her mistress hair at al ai de mil how did you know oh I 1 observe things my lady you are sad listless and you have circles beneath your eyes you are a little sallow too CHAPTER X the kings highway was a royal road indeed as the governors party traveled northward it wound from mission to mission around rolling hills along the sea or veered deeply inland to cross cie where willow bordered streams sped to the sea through groves of live oaks and sycamores amores la primavera the springtime flew before them strewing the way with such myriads of wild flowers that the fields and hills seemed aflame golden poppies purple lupin and hyacinth wild cyclamen lavender and white tiny wild blossoms splotched with gold and blue spread the earth like a rich carpet woven on a persian loom the soldiers slipped flowers beneath their hats over one ear pedro the younger decked the headstall of his burro with clusters that nodded like plumes on a knights charger often the governor himself would stop the whole cavalcade to gather a posy for la gobernadora lupin and wild roses or tiny yellow violets she would smile and tuck them in the bosom of her dress or in her hair eulalia had struggled against the spell that la primavera wove round her fought against succumbing to its drugging influence but gradually the sweetness the peace the sheer beauty overcame her and she found herself riding in a state of relaxed comfort not happiness not unhappiness sometimes at night at their sundown camping places they would share a spring with wild deer mountain lions would lie prone along the branches above them or great grizzly bears crash through the brush rear on startled hind legs and go clumsily and swiftly away this was blissful eden to the governor of california to him each day was a perfect jewel polished complete rich with every color of the rainbow sparkling radiant in setting of burnished golden sunshine every morning he breathed the fresh beauty and every night vowed that even if the sun should never rise again the beauty ot of the day that was passing had been sufficient for all time he grieved a little at each days passing for the next brought him a day nearer to the cares and worries that awaited hl him n at mont monterey the characters of fray mariano rubi and fray bartolome gill grew even less impressive as the journey continued and don pedro was forced to the conclusion that the founding of the mission santa barbara would have to be abandoned the inevitable conflict with juni pero serra troubled him deeply at each of the missions san juan capistrano and san gabriel arcangel where they had stopped he had been told that the padre presidente traveling alone except for the patient pio had made a visitation at san gabriel he had been grievously ill at deaths door but he had rallied and gone limping on his way this alarmed annoyed the governor he had issued an edict that the missionaries should not travel alone that they should have at least one soldier for escort this order the reverend father had evidently seen fit to overlook that would be another disagreeable problem to discuss with fray gunipero Juni pero pedro fages sighed and tugged at his beard as he apprehended the endless discussions evasions and bitterness he was bound to encounter ambling slowly along deep in cogitation the governor was startled when two members of his com pany dashed by him on their mutes mules and he be caught sight of their brown robes streaming in the breeze they made ai af those two he exclaimed and took after fray rubi and fray gili before he reached them they had dismounted by an indian maiden walking in the tall yellow mustard by the roadside she wore nothing at all but a big basket balanced on her shining black head and a a i tiny apron of rushes at sight of the two monks she giggled and made as though to slip away from them just as don pedro reached the spot the two were trying to detain her in a most manner the governor raised his whip and roared oh your excellency babbled the monks one after the other see she is naked poor little child Z Z 1 N I 1 lit 1 1 I shall lose my mind A naked heathen we wish to convert her baptize her here at once see she is naked 1 I see said the governor gravely the rest of the cavalcade approached pro ached and la gobernadora drew to her husbands side what is it she asked then catching sight of the girl gasped ali ah she breathed ali ah A ah she glanced swiftly at her husband he was looking at the girl smiling absently she is naked said eulalia quite naked exactly nearly as bare as my hand as far as I 1 can see pretty little savage she she eulalia broke out violently then she changed her course of a action c tion poor little thing she murmured don pedro turned to her in amazement poor little thing the lady repeated 1 I must give her something to wear pedro I 1 must have some of my trunks have them brought here to me please I 1 must clothe this poor wild child my duty to your people begins right here and now but my dear ex postulated the governor you can not do this foolish thing she does not need to be clothed her her well her nakedness is covered she is an all right as she is no she is not she must be clothed my chests eulalia if she needs clothes it if she needs clothes look at her 1 I 1 am looking at her it she wants clothes she can go to the mission become a christian and have raiment given her that is what the missions are tor for eulalia smiled sweetly perhaps but I 1 can not resist the temptation to grasp this opportunity to do an act of charity will you please have them bring up my chests or will I 1 have to have angustias do it very well I 1 will replied don pedro grimly but remember this in monterey there are no shops no mantua makers no places to buy clothes or materials no one to make them the supply ship comes twice a year with goods lor for the pre presidio sidia store stuff tor for the soldiers women cotton goods I 1 dont know what you call them but I 1 know you never wear them and there is no telling when it if ever you will get any new clothes when these are gone do you understand la gobernadora stared at him speechless no shops no silks nor satins gatins no shops 1 I do not believe youl you never told me this before you mean to say that in the capital of all the califern Cali fornias forn aas there is nothing to buy and nowhere to buy it in the capital her voice was rising dangerously bously and those about her moved away pretending elaborately not to hear when the governor spoke it was in a low but telling tone the indian girl still stood unconcernedly cern edly in the center of the group one hand band on a tawny hip the basket still balanced on her head and eyed the white man on the horse the two fraikes frailes leered at her avidly and whispered that is just what 1 I 1 do mean I 1 should think you would know that without my telling you if you still persist in giving away your raiment however you may but you will see that monterey i is S is monterey eulalia was thoroughly alarmed apprehensive but stubborn don pedro gave some brief orders soon the boxes were unloaded from the pack burros who rolled and snorted in the grasses and wild flowers when their burdens were removed the lady and Angust angustias las dismounted and began opening the boxes angustias gus face bristled with an expression of disgust but she forbore to make any remarks carefully she looked over the clothing handsome things of costly stuffs and rich colors but eulalia plied piled them on an the ground impatiently silently from among the bushes and trees other indians made their stealthy appearances and when eulalia glanced up she saw she was surrounded by a ring of girls and men in breech clouts clonts ugh hl she exclaimed angustias laughl taUg s look at them give them something quickly tor for the love of god nearer and nearer the tempting goods circled the natives one youth with a wild whoop snatched at a red velvet skirt and disappeared the others followed his example and all was confusion pedro stop them they will take anything cried the lady but the governor sat his horse laughing angustias was struggling with the screaming giggling girls when the governor cracked his riding whip with a curt phrase in indian dialect and the indians fled with their plunder the last one to fade out of sight with a derisive grimace and an indian phrase that made the governor chuckle chi ickle was the little original sin the indian maid who had caused the ado proudly she flourished her booty one string of beads don pedro dismounted and assisted his wife to her saddle with great gentleness her face was stony stany eulalia said he in a low voice eulalia my dear but the lady jady rode on in a significant silence A resolution was forming in tra mind once at monterey she sy escape when the supply ship reached the port she would go aboard and return to mexico she might have to wait this child might arrive before the ship but if nott not better to have the child born at sea than in this barbarous country better death from drowning or the pangs of seasickness than staying here if her husband would come with her well enough if not well she would go anyway making up her mind to this course she felt better stronger and was busy devising ways and means when the commandants Comm andante of presidio Pre sidia of santa barbara lieutenant ortega came thundering toward thern them with a party of soldiery the governor and don jose francisco ortega greeted each othe ethek with punctilio and the lady ahn aia V presented pre dented to her delight the diet dier stooped to her stirrup and taking her dusty foot in his hand kissed it then he looked up at her senora la Gobern gobernadora adoral he saluted her welcome a thousand times to california and the Pre presidio sidia of santa barbara you are as welcome as the spring that travels with you since it was known you were coming everything has changed chang edi you are needed lady in california we have been a land of men long enough we are all your servants humbly waiting for you to command us eulalia bowed deeply to him and offered her hand the comman dante kissed that do you desire dainties for your table he continued we will scour the mountains for the rarest game plumb the ocean for the finest fishes do you wish wild fruits or berries we win will find them do you wish skins and pelts for your house or yourself we will slay the finest fur bearing animals for you the finest horses are yours to ride he most docile indians are your serfs and we soldiers all a loyal bodyguard body guard eulalia beamed ah lieutenant ortega you flatter me mel no A thousand times nol no I 1 tell you Sen senora oralla la gobernadora I 1 am as happy as a king here but I 1 find it in my heart to envy one man and that man is pedro fages not because he is the governor of the Calit Cali fornias but because he is the husband of your excellency TO BE CONTINUED |