Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-04

pearls ha6, reached beyond Saint \avier The only
other white man there the soldier companion of the
priest, was still in ignorance OF his coming
HERRERA watched the silhouette of the Jesuit in the
soft half-ight he approached the church and
stopped to enter.
Now! What more easv?" A slight noise caused
HERRERA to glance his shoulder. The shadow of
the native servant passed the wall of the
No; not yeti" How many converts dwelt close to
the mission he did not know. 1t would be best to
wait hold his host in converse until all was quiet
Silently he glided back into the room and busted
himself with the buckles of his travelling bag.
THE padre soon returned Under his arm was a
small wooden box.
HERRERA looked up at him he set the casket
the table, wondering how any man could be fool
enough so to put himself into the hands of another
1t entered the priest head that he had aught
to fear from representative OF his own race and re-
ligion Alert to meet danger in the familiar form OF
aven, arrow snake bite, puma leap, he had
grown too unworldly to protect himself from the
treachery of his kind His simple heart and childlike
faith left him at the mercy of the adventurer.
Look he said, turning the key and throwing
back the lid
Hebrera's eyes g1istened and his fingers crooked
like talons. The bottom of the box was covered an
inch with lustrous pearls, large peas. But
they nothing compared with the three huge
globes of light large pigeon eggs that lay in sep
arate compartment. Ugarte smiled 1ndulgently at
the excitement of his companion.
Are they not worthy of Our Lady, he asked
proudly.
They are worthy of Queen!' exclaimed the
other in hushed voice With trembling fingers he
took one of the Jewels and laying it in the hollow of
his hand graded it from side to side lovingly.
= How marvellous is the perfection of Nature! OBJ
served the padre.
1T will be wondrous fine when set in gold' said
HERRERA
Our Lady on the Altar of poor little Saint Xavier
Mission will be adorned as are the holy relics in
Spain She will be altogether fair decked with these
pearls of gratitude
HERRERA shrugged his shoulders, his materialism
reused by the others exaltation. And to what
end'" he exclaimed. Why deck the images with
gems and gold? Why all this plate of the churches
and this parade of wealth that lies dead, 1t de-
lights nor feeds no one Would it not be better
thousand times that all this were converted into
money and turned again to productiveness! Look
vou what waste! And will your converts
ship more when they see AIiguels gift upon
the altar? Nay; truly they will think Miguel II
a fool
The PADRES face went white My
SON. sonl' he cried, aghast And
again NV soni (2.<11
HERRERA realized that he had gone
too far and fastened to interrupt, X
laughing uneasily Nay father; -,
| did but ask your thought. y
Such arguments / have heard
advanced among the heretics in
Mexico,-nay even among the
aithu, they make such cutlery, ~ J
but, say |, let the works of ~
God be shown, let them serve Syt1 re
as a reminder to all who see, -
that the intercessions of Our
Lady are heard!
Ugarte was notified He - =
lifted one of the giant pearls and XTSS2sF'
let it drop back into the box ESASA
His voice and smile took StA
singular sweetness. 1T is of SSSSN
value as the token of Miguers 1, ~
faith y He paused LII is the