The San Francisco call., 1905-04-30
DENIED BY FATHER.

r
True to bis. pledge, old Mark Con
zales looked the boy up on his fif-
teenth birthday. and told him ali about
his sparehtage and the whole pitiful
story of his mothers betrayal and suf-
fering. Apparently it only strength.
ened Bibiano In his purpose to devote
himself to a religious life. He made
no attempt at the. time to communf-
cate with his father, but pursued his
theological studies with increased zeal.
When Is years old, released from
the seminary where he had completed
his studies, Bjbiano went to Madrid
and called on Senior Gil, to whom the
intervening years had brought great
increase in riches and of appreciation
for his distinguished civic virtues.
The banker received him with some
show of kindness; admitted that he
was his father; regretted that his posi-
ton and reputation would not permit
him to openly acknowledge their re-
latonship; commended his resolution
to become a religious ministrant. and
dismissed him as poor in pocket as
when he entered the house. He had
wasted no money on the mother and
evidently he did not intend to waste
any on the son. 5-8
Accepting poverty as his lot, Bibiano
Joined an order of mendicant friars. He
Travelled on foot through SPAIN visiting
Its most famous sanctuaries, and jour
neyed far in foreign lands, obeying the
scriptuTal injunction with respect to
money, subsisting entirely on aims,
preaching the Gospel, ministering to
the sick and afflicted as be found op-
portunity and sharing his food with
any beggar who might claim a por-
tion. After q pilgrimage to the Holy /
Land he went to Rome, having mean
while become a member of the Fran
ciscan order.
BIBIANO'S AMBITION.
His piety, humility and unworldliness
had attracted attention in high places
Pope Leo XIII appointed him custo-
dian of the celebrated shrine dedicated
to the Holy Virgin Mary Della Quer-
cia" tof the oak treel, and there he re-.
NAMED for some years. His heart
yearned for g fathers affection, and he
paid several visits to the Madrid bank
er but the latter nersistently refused
to acknowledge him openly as his son.
age, however, appeared to
exercise some softening influence on
the stern old Elap, and perhaps he felt
some pssonfptings of remorse for his
cruel treatment of poor Josephine.
When the young friar bade him fare
well on the last of these visits Senior
Gil kissed him for the first time and
told him that in his will he would
recognize him as his son and bequeath
him all his fortune; but while he lived
he would cling to his money, and his
1t was oaternal love and not wealth
that Bfbiano had sought, but the pros
pect of having "a large. fortune at his
disposal filed him with joy, for. it
would enable him to realize an ambi-
ton he had long cherished-the found
ing of an asylum for illegitimate and
children. He returned to
Italy and again became a wanderer. 1t
was in March, 1904, when he chanced
to be again in Rome, that he received
a letter from priest telling him that
Senior Gil had died in December of the
previous year intestate and his sister.
Donna Jane, and his two nephews, Don
Melton and Benedict Gil, had taken
of his fortune.
On foot Bibiano journey to Madrid.
The loss of the fortune meant the loss
Of the home for poor, dishonored waits
which he had intended to establish.
and for them he was resolved to make
a fight. Senior Gips relatives mean
while had bought magnificent man