The Helena independent., 1889-11-03
THE GOLDEN WATERFALL.

window of the vine-clad mission IN san
Felipe. From without came the drowsy
hum Of bees in the PADRES garden and the
rustic of the orange trees in the grove. Al
intervals the soft south wind carried with
il the distant sound of falling waters that
came from the white-crested jan Juanita
mountains beyond and poured in narrow
stream of silver into the river of gold be-
low. The music seemed strangely in SYM
pathy with these varied sounds. 1t told a
story-a story Of tempest and calm-ot
a torrent dashing madly over rocks and
stones. Then the melody changed. The
torrent became n brook that rippled gently
over the rock and fell upon the pool below
"Very like a WATERFALL" repeated the old
Padre when Angela had left the room.
"Why should it not bef 1t is the song of
the golden Falls that Angela played. OldY
Not very. | remember when 1t first was
heard. Has il "A storyl Listen and will
tell YOU. There were two boys, Manuel and
Pablo. born in valley beyond those noun
tains yonder How long ago ! cannot tell
without reckoning up the years In look
ing back, time never Is as II seems TO be.
Some ks are years in length TO the mem
ory, and some years slip 10y like hours. Ii
was long before you were born. though.
that these two lads came into the world.
Manuel's father raised herds of sheep ON
the Mejian hills. The father of Pablo had
avneyard in the valley. The two men were
kinsmen. and the boys grew up Ike brothers.
Manuel WIS the oder ana stronger. IL
was he who made the arrows and bent the
bow that Pablo used in hunting over the
hills, and when Pablo WAS fDOtsOre and
weary it was Manuel who helped him over
the rough places, aud once when the fields
were blighted by the drought and they had
wandered over the mountains in search of
stream that lgnacio, the garrulous old In
dian herder had told them ola stream
that was fed by the mountain snow, and
never ran dry-Pablo broke his leg, and
Manuel carried him home TO the valley,
three miles, on his back.
Manuel was tall. His shoulders were
broad and his back was as straight as yon-
der stone wall. He was dark in the face
and his eyes we're black. Pablo was slender
and fair. His hair was the color of corn
silk when the sun shone on IL, and his eyes
were blue as the silver lake at midday. He
was gentle in his manner. Yet, with this
dissimilarity in their characteristics the
two boys were knit together by ties that
were stronger than blood. Riding on their
ponies, hunting with their arrows and
traps, studying in the mission school at the
knees of an old Padre, and on Sunday
dressed in their white cassocks, carrying
lighted candies to mass in the little chapel,
they we're always together. Thus, side by
side without quarrel, they grew almost to
manhood.
When Manuel was nearly the age of
twenty, and Pablo was two years younger,
came their first trouble in the form of n
woman. Angela was her name. She was
the PADRES niece, and with her widowed
mother made her home in the mission and
busted herself caring for the village sick,
comforting the afflicted. watching with the
dead and singing in the chapel choir. But
that was not all her life. On fete days
Angela led the dance, and in all the village
there was not one among the maidens so
light of foot bright of eyes, and merry Of
face as she. Was il TO he wondered at that
both of these lads should love herr And
vet there were two who would have pom
dered deeply over IL and been panied had
they known it. Manuel had known Angela
since they we're children. He had watched
her grow from babyhood TO fair young girl
hood, and now that she had become a
woman he had learned To love her. and his
happiest dreams were of her and the little
home they would have when he had herd
OF his own and had asked her to be his wife.
Pablo knew nothing of his friends love.
Why should he? Manuel had not spoken of
il, and Pablo's life was 10 filled with the
bright sunlight of the valley, with his work
in the vineyard, and its purple harvest, that
he had little thought for aught else. Be
sides, the youth himself loved Angela.
II was one Sunday late in the summer.
No fain had fallen for weeks. Day after
day the sun had hung III the sky great ball
of fire, slowly drying the streams and
parching the earth The sheep raised clouds
of dust as they tramped over the meadows
clouds that rose little in the air and set
tied down again TO cover the struggling
blades of grass with cont Of brown. The
trees drooped and leaves ratified like parch-
ment in the evening wind. The vines hung
limp on their treillses and the green grapes
shriyeled and wrinkled like walnut shells.
The valley was slowly dying in the awful
heat, and the old men gathered together in
little knots in the evening and shook their
head ominously, and the women wept as
they looked over their gardens and SAW the
killing blight
Manuel had stopped after the service was
ended with the Padre in the dressing-room
back of the sacristan, while the, father hung
his vestments on the pegs back of the door
and waited until the villagers had left the
church. The Padre walked with him 10 the
door.
80 you are going tomorrow, my son9"
he said.
ayes, father"
"But the way is longI''
II know it. father"
"And dangerous. too. There will be no
water."
Enough for Pablo and for me-"
''But you may not find the miner
"May notY'
"The Indian spoke fairly, and pointed
ont the way plainly, ms one who told the
truth. But he may have been mistaken,
my SON"
''But the nugget. father. Saw you not
thatr'
"True, | did see 1t. Gold, virgin gold,
and heavy too. There may have been no
more of them. though. Perhaps that was
the only one. Have You thought II over
grayelyI"
"Gravely, father, and my mind is set upon
the trial. We will start with the sun to-
morrow"
And SO the twain parted, Manuel kneeling
by the door while tfh old Padre gave him
his blessing, and with light heart the young
man walked through the grove To rejoin his
companion.
"Ahi Pablo"
Througha turn in the path between the
high rocks over the spring he saw his friend.
de was about TO call again, but the words
died ON his lips. He pressed his hand 10
HIS head and sank down q moment az the
foot Of the oak, AS though he were suddenly
weary. Pablo was sitting on the moss by
the shrine, and the nurmur of his voice was
carried 70 him 10y the breeze. Angela was
by his side and her hand was clasped IN his
She was shedding tears. and Pablo, with
gentle care was tenderly drying them as
they fell, and was soothing her as best he
could.
Must you go, Pabloi" be heard the
maiden say.
q