The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
THE THREE PARTNERS;
Or,
The Big Strike on Heavy Tree Hill.
BY BRET HARTE
Copyright. 1897. BY Bret Harte.
CHAPTER vII.-continued.

Douiders,' where no got q fast horse and gal
iopeu into San Felipe by 4. AS he descended the
last slope through tho Businesses OF pines toward
the little valley overlooked in it's rcmoteness
and purely pastoral simplicity by tho gold
seeking immigrants-its seclusion as ono Of the
furthcst north Californian missions still pro-
served through its insignincancc and the efforts
of the remaining brotherhood, who used It as an
infrmary and q school for the few remaining
spanish families-he remembered how no once
Numbered upon II with the boy while holly pur>
sued by n hue and cry from one OF tho larger
towns, and how he found sanctuary there. He
how. when the pursuit was over,
he had placed the boy there under the PADRES
charge. He Ind lied TO his wife regarding the
whereabouts of her son, but no had spoken truly
regarding his free expenditure for the boys
maintenance. and the good fathers had accepted,
equally for the child's sake as for the Church's
sake, the generous restitution which this
coarse. powerful. ruflanly looking father was
apparently seeking TO make.
He was quite aware Of it at the time, md had
equally accepted 1t with grim cynicism; but 1t
now came back to him with q new and smarting
Significance. Might they, too, not succeed In
weaving the boys affection from him, or II the
mother had interfered, would they not side with
her in claiming an equal right He had some
times laughed TO himself over the security Of
this hiding place, SO unknown and 30 unlikely
to be discovered by her, yet within easy reach
Of her friends and his enemies; he now ground
his teeth over the mistake which his doting de-
eirc to keep his son accessible to him had caused
him to make. He put spurs to his horse, dashed
down tho little, narrow. ill-paved street, through
the deserted plaza. and pulled up In a cloud Of
dust before the only remaining tower, with Its
cracked belfry of the half-ruined mission church.
A new dormitory and school building had been
extended from its walls, but In a subdued. har-
monious. modest way. quito unlike the usual
g!aring "whitepine" glories OF provincial
towns. Steptoe laughed to himself bitterly.
Some Of his money had gone in it.
lie seized the horsc-hair rope dangling from q
hell by tho wall and rang it sharply. A soft
footed priest appeared-Fr. Domenico. Eddy
Horncastlei All yes. Eddy, dear child, was
gone
Gone, I" shouted steptoe In q voice that
startled the padre. "wherei wheni With
whom T.
Pardon, senior. but for q time-only q pasear
10 the next village. 1t is his saints day-he has
a half holiday. He is o good boy. It Is n little
pleasure for him and for u.s."
'Oh - said Steptoe. softened into q rough
apology, e" forgot. All right. Has he had any
visitors lately-lady, for instance :"
Fr. Domenico cast a look half Of fright half of
reproval upon his guest.
"A lady hero
IN MS rcllGI SIcpIOo DursC lntO u COArs0 lhuBus
"Of course; you see / forgot that, too. I was
thinking of one of his woman folks-you know.
re~latives-aunts. Was there any other ~visitori"
Only one. Ahi we know tho seniors rules
regarding his son."
"one T. repeated Steptoe. who was itf'
-, quite a hidalgo-an old friend of the
child's-most polite, most accomplished, fluent
in Spanish. perfect in department. The Senior
Horncastlc surely could find nothing to object
A. II III. .--. --,,,A 18th hsp, rno
OF affairs, and yet u good Catholic, too. 1t was a
Senior Van Loo-Don Paul the boy called him.
and they talked of the boys studies In the old
days as if-indced. but for the stranger being a
caballero and man Of the world-as II he had
been his teacher"
1t was a proof of the intensity Of the fathers
feelings that they had passed beyond the power
of his usual coarse. brutal expression. and he
only stared at the priest with a dull. red face in
Presently he said, thickly;" When did he come r
"Atcw days ago"
To Browns Mills. scarcely a league away.
He will be here~-even now-on the instant: But
some of the old mission wine from the Catalan
grape. planted $50 years ago. until itl the dear
,""So. I'm in a hurry, viii % on and meet
him" He took of his hat m9oppssd his crisp
slow, impeded voice. more suggestive than the
outbnrst he restrained. said. And as long as
not : pass this gate. speak to, him. or even see
him; you GU. her u me ! See !G III 4, s You and a all the
u. clapped his hat on. the swollen Veins Of his
forehead Sno1SsS ;x turned shr GniGbklyyii pp passed ssehw out i wtth9 9Ss
Totd. and before the good priest could cross him:
belf or recover from his establishment the thud
OF at sa aef fen m h1Sls sf befo @Pq KS .h face sI resumed mead it's
usual color. But in that ten minutes, as II some
S e. th So stFug Was Of sMx hs Iidsr M hfS s psssSa tpto h ana
Q fear. For in that ten minutes, in this new imag.
%ination with which he was cursed. he had killed
both Van Loo and his son. and burned the refec-
tory over the heads OF the treacherous priests.
Then quite himself again. a voice came TO him
hail Of rather" He started quickly as a lad
OF IS or l6 came bounding down the hillside and
-" You passed me and ! called to you, but you
did not seem to hear" said the boy. breathlessly.
Then ! Tan after you. Have you been to the
stcptoe looked at him quite as breathlessly,
first sight, a handsome lad. glowing with youth
and the excitement of his run. and, as the father
mother in his ciiear.cpt features, and even a re,
ssm6lanSss to Soh himself in. in bis bias sqSH ,acs compact
5 Rlnn.. the Ss l RSsssy icy SH y H. l RssSSl oSsr III Hss c@% a SsSi
from him! They might plot; swindle. fawn.
cheat, lie. and steal away his affections, but
there he was, plain to all eyes, his own son, his
Come here" he said in a singplarh alf.weary
s stSnti hsI resCsnIsea Is EhG his accents @ais Of tas 6 toy in,
The boy hesitated as he stood on the edge Of
the road and pointed, with mingled mischief and
Righteousness. TO the depths OF impalpsble red
dust that Icy between him and the horseman.
holiday Ruisc. with white duck trousers and
patent leather shoes, and, after Tie Spanish
was a, bit OF a. dandy. as he had said. The
fathers whole face changed as he wheeled and
came before the lad. who lifted mp his arms ex-
pectantly; They had often ridden together on
the same horse.
no rides to-day 10 that toggsry.. Eddy" he
well go and sit somewhere under a, tree and
have some talk. I've got a bit Of a job that's
h~urrying me, and I can't waste time" =.
Not one OF your old Jobs. fatberi ] thought
you had quite given that upi"
Tho boy spoke more carelessly than reproach.
fully, or even wonderingly. yet as he djsmounted
and tethered, his. horse Steptoe answered
eyasively: Its q big thing, sonny; maybe wen
make our eternal fortune. and then wen light
where. Come along"
He took the boys gloved right hand in his own
powerful grasp, and together they clambered up
the steep hillside TO a rocky ledge on which q