The San Francisco call., 1910-03-06

from the raid of "a large band of hostile
Indians by fastening the approach of q.
men. They had heard of the proposed
raid and We're even then on their way
to the rescue. Some mysterious pre-
monition warned the leader to quicken
their pace, and it was well for the
church that he needed the call
But the other chair, that OF San
Miguel, was more restricted in its
power Its occupant could wish for
only one thing, the winning of the
sweetheart of his choice The bottom
of this chair is entirely gone, and the
natural surmise of the interested be-
great numbers of persons who come to
seat themselves in it, The old saying
about all the world loving a lover is
true always, and of the two chairs this
is the one which most eXcites the in
terest of the tourist. 1t is the natural
inference that there will be many ro
mantle tales concerning it. many a
story of its benign influence over low
ers. In response to questions as to
any legends of it that may survive
this is what one learns: Ramon Va
lencia was the owner of a large rancho
near Ell Paso del Robles, and he was in
love with the daughter of the owner of
the adjoining rancho Her name was
Mercedes Escondillo. When he heard
of the wishing chair at San Miguel
he resolved to be the first to test its
powers, for his affaire de occur was not
going smoothly. In the first place he
had rival who he greatly feared occu-
pied a place quite as important as his
own in the heart of his lady love. And
then he never could know how he was
going to find her when he saw her.
Sometimes she was kind sometimes
cold and capricious. Beauty she had
and accomplishments enough to satisfy
the most exacting of suitors. Poor
Ramon was far from being exacting.
But, alas, she had tongue which was
at times sharp, more was the pity. A
hundred times had Ramon. smarting
under some quick sally of Mercedes,
ridden away with the vow that never
again would be trouble himself about
the senorita Escondi1lo. Yet always
would he return.
One warm moonlit night he rode up
the valley to serehade her. Surely, on
such a night as this, she could not be
other than kind; leaning from her case
ment, she would whisper to him only
words of love. SO he rode on with a
light heart, and paused not until he
stood beneath the Castilian roses climb
ing high at her window AS the first
notes of his soft tenor rose, there was
no sound. but he saw the curtains at
the open window move Some one
was watching. silently. He stood plain
ly revealed in the bright light. Then
Mercedes came to the sill and leaned
out, and as he saw her lovely face he
was stricken dumb with joy in the very
middle of his song.
''Ah, is it you, FeIipe?' she asked. in
the sweetest voice in the world. (Felipe
was Ramon's rivaL) Then she leaned
farther out, pretending to see moro
clearly. "Oh, it is you. is it?" she said
languidly. and with Indifference which,
If feigned, nevertheless cut as deeply
as if real Then slowly the window
closed.
Ramon was furious. He did not stop
to reflect that had Felipe been in his
place he would probably have been ac-
corded the same treatment. He rode
away, vowing that he would wed the
girl in spite of herself, and right soon
at that. He had had enough, and
more than enough, of this nonsense.
The very next day he rode TO the mis-
sion, and, as he sank back in the wide
embrace of the Wishing Chair, he
wished with all his heart that Mercedes
might be his. And, marvellous to re-
late, the next time he saw her, which