The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-09
CHAPTER I.

III WAS NJ OONcTNOI AlNdTduoS HouS6
in Monterey that Chonita first knew Of
Diego Estenega. had told him much
of her. but had never cared TO mention
the name Of Estenega in the presence of
an Iturbi y Moncada.
Chonita came 10 Monterey TO stand
godmother TO the child Of Alvarado and
of her friend. Dona Martina. his wife.
She arrived the morning before the
christening, and no one thought TO tell
her that Estenega was TO be godfather.
The house was full of girls, relatives of
the young mother, gathered for the core
mony and subsequent week of festivities
Benicia. my little one, was at the rancho
with Ysabel Herrera, and was staying
with the Alvarados. So many were the
guests that Chonita and slept together
We had not seen each other for year
and had so much TO say that we did not
sleep at all.
She was ten years younger than /, but
we were as close friends as she with her
alternate franlKness and reserve would
permit. But had spent several months
OF each year since childhood at hei
home in Santa Barbara. and | knew her
better than she knew herself. When.
later. read her journal. found little
in it to surprise me, but much to fiji and
cover with shapely form the skeleton of
the story which passed in greater part
before my eyes.
We were discussing the frivolous mys-
teries of dress, if | remember Alright.
when she laid her hand on my mouth
suddenly.
'Hushr' she said
A cabellero serenaded his lady at mid
night in Monterey.
The tinkling of guitar, the jinglihg
of spurs, fell among the strong tones of
a mans voice
Chonita had been serenaded until she
had fed TO the mountains for sleep but
she crept TO the foot of the bed and
knelt there, her hand at her throat. A
door opened, and one by one. out of the
black beyond, FIVE white robed forms
fitted into the room; they looked like
putfs of smoke from burning noon
The heavy wooden shutters were open
and the room was filed with cold light.
The girls waltzed on the bare floor,
grouped themselves in mock dramatic
postures; then, overcome by the strange
magnetism of the singer, fell into mo-
tionless attitudes, listening intently.
How well l remember that picture, al
though l have almost forgotten the
names of the girls.
In the middle of the room two slender
figures embraced each other, their black
hair falling loosely over their white
gowns. On the window step knelt tall
girl. her head pensively supported by her
hand, black shawl draped gracefully
about her; Mt her feet sat girl with head
bowed TO her knees. Between the two
groups was n solitary figure, kneeling
with hand pressed to the wall and face
uplifted.
When the voice ceased | struck a
match, and FIVE pairs of little hands ap-
plauded enthusiastically. He sang them
another song, then galloped away.
1T is Don Diego Estenega," said one
of the girls He rarely sings, but
have heard him before"
"An Estenegav exclaimed Chonita.
"Yes, of the north, thou knowest. His
excellency thinks there is no man in the
CALIFORNIA; like him--so bold and so
smart. Thou rememberest the books that
were burned by the priests when the gov
ernor was a boy, because he had dared to
read them. No? Well, when Diego Es-
tenega heard of that-he is the same age
with the governor-he made his father
send TO Boston and Mexico for those
books and many more, and took them up
TO his redwood forests in the north. far
away from the priests. And they say he
had read other books before, although
such a lad. His father had brought them
from Spain and never cared much for
the priests. And he has been 10 Mexico
and America and Europel God of my
soul, it is said that he knows more than
his excellency himself-that his mind
works faster. Aye, but there was time
when he was wild-when the mescal
burned his throat like hornets and the
aguardientc was like scorpions in his
brain; but that was long ago-before he
was twenty; now he is thirty-two. He
amuses himself sometimes with the girls
-valgame Dios, he has made hot tears
fiow-but / suppose we do not know
enough for him. for he marries none.
A lk.,N L.I Is,,- IL,