The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-10

seven years they lived and loved. Then.
with the hot blood of youth still in his
veins, he went across the seas to wrest
fortune from the ground. His wife was
left behind, and, with her little child, a
girl, prayed long and often for the absent
one. Years passed. He gave no sign
that he remem bered. And, woman-like
she could not forget because because she
loved him. In that new country he
Joined the church and took upon him
vows that babe him forget he was NOR
tai and human. And in the first flush
of enthusiasm in the new way he forgot
his duty, his love of old. Veronica,
never doubling, waited. Then, finally,
in doubt and despair, she gave her hand
all willingly to death, to lead her to a life
of endless, though not earthly, love, first
giving her daughter, Bonita, to "A wealthy
Englishman and his wife, who were both
willing and eager to take the lovely girl
for their own.
The priests story ends here. He had
seen the resem blance to her mother. and
ms conscience had, after years of Sleep
ing, awakened TO his guilt; that he was
pardoned-so says his church-the one he
slnned against he now goes TO meet.
VIII she pardon? AYE, true love always
does, and doeth right"
Love, the great help that is the lever
of the world, the love that exalts, that
best in our own hearts,"
Father Gonna led Bonita to her faith
er's bedside, and As she kissed his lips, at
his request, he felt as If her mothers
spirit had pardoned him. The story told
10 Bonita brought sense of relief to
know she was not Felippe's daughter.
Then the following month, when at the
Brewster. Bonita met the Englishmau
who had adopted her, travelling for his
health here for season. He met and
admired Bonita, always with a struggle
IN his mind as If lie had seen somewhere
before some one she reminded him OF.
Finally one day he told her that it was
memory OF a little child just years old
he and his wife had adopted: how, when
travelling through Mexico. she had been
stolen, presumably, for a locket, set with
quartz crystals, that reseuibled diamonds;
how he and his wife grieved over their
loss, for they loved the child, and his
wife had tretted herself into an illness,
and finally death relieved her tortured
mind; tortured, because OF the fate of the
little one they had promised to cherish
as their own. AT this recital Bonita lett
his side hastily, but soon returned bring
ing with her the battered old locket, the
only trinket that had been hers when,
as girl of old Felipe Pardo's, she
roamed the island.
Now, in this favored cline, John Law
and joins, with Mr.. Carter, in admiration
OF her beauty, her goodness and worth.
Nero is still with them, and when
asked he will tell you all about de con-
tigeration dat burnt up de hous', and
about Mistah Feleep who was wunce in
his life gemplemau before he died, COS
he trowed up his life fer de Nlissis Carter
who was of more count"
The mountains of santa Catalina were
purple then, now they are blue; the sky
tints are orange and red. Under the
warm glow the land seems to stretch
itself, and finally settles down to sleep in
the warm sea-scented dusk of sum
mer's evening.
The beauty OF land and sea is unheeded
as ofyore by Felipe, for he sleeps on the
upland meath a cedar, around which
twines and twists glory OF roses, red and
yellow. The evening star looks as if
caught in the cedar's top like a jewel
typical, perhaps, of the one jewel in his
crown for the one deed in telippes life
when ne was known as Benita's father.