The diamond drill., 1921-06-04

heSSan0fot ldthcr Wcuiu uot tct utiI
remain permanently on the ranch.
"Senorita I" he cried. "tears have
come into your eyes. Then you win
hot be angry IL I say that love you'll"
II know, Alessandro; am glad OF
L.: love you"
"Oh, senorita. do you mean that you
win 20 with me2 You cannot mean
thatp
"Yes. I win 60 with you"
And then, as they stood locked in
each others arms. the sonora dIscoy-
cred them
shameful creaturei" she cried.
shifting Ramona's protesting lips. She
hustled the girl to her room and locked
her In.
Alessandro, watching sadly all that
night. heard two wood doves calling.
Lover" 'Here." Lover "Here."
my Ramona is like the gentle wood
dove.' thought he; III she is my wifo
my people viii call her MaJel, the
Wood Dove"
In vain Felipe tried to persuade his
mother. In vain she coaxed and
threatened Ramona. The jewels which
were TO be Ramona's dowry. II she
married worthily, were no temptation.
When the sonora scornfully declared,
"Your mother was an Indian: q low,
common Indian" the girl was truly
glad.
"Why do you object to my marrying
Alessandrof" she demanded; ~ am
Of his people. The Jewels You can
give TO the church. shall marry Ales-
sandro."
Felipe sent Alessandro home to Te-
mecula until the storm should blow
over. But the long-dreaded Ameri-
cans In their search for more land had
Just taken possession of that peaceful
village. Dragged out OF his own honse
by force, Pablo died Of grief. Ales-
sandro buried him. and then In utter
misery came back TO bid Ramona fare
well.
Dearest senorltal have no
home" he faltered; "my father is
dead, my people driven out of their
village. I am only beggar now"
But Ramona felt no fear OF priva-
lions. "Take me with you" she
cried. After long pleading she over
ruled his wiser arguments, and that
night they slipped away, with Baba,
Ramona's own horse.
No trace Of the lovers was found,
for those Indians who knew Alessan-
dro's whereabouts purposely misled In
quirers; and at San Diego. where they
were married. Ramona had given Ales-
sandro's pet name. "Majella," TO be en-
tered on the register.
Their first home was near Alessan-
dro's cousin in San Pasquale, where
the Indians received Ramona gladly.
She was very happy In her new life
under the sky" She accepted tiny
brush hut as cheerfully as the COM
Portable adobe which Alessandro soon
built and which she beautifled beyond
belief. Gleefully she led Baba when
he plowed the first burrows In their
ields.
But Alessandro's anxiety rarely left
him. When he heard that the Mexi-
can pueblo paper Of San Pasquale was
worthless, that all the village lands
belonged TO the Americans I'm Wash
Ington, he lost hope. 'T think shall
go mad" he said. When American
ranchers appeared, he sold house and
crop and moved 10 Saboba, seeking a
place the Americans did not want.
On the way 10 Saboba they nearly
perished In snowstorm, but were
saved by an easy-golng Tennesseean
family. the Hyers, with whom they
became friends. Already Ramona's
heart had been wrung Mt hearing OF
Father Salvierderra's death. Now
came a new grief; she feared for Ales-
sandro's reason. Could he bear an
other blowf "Eyes-of-the-Sky," their
baby girl, never recovered from her
exposure. and died on the way TO the
agency doctor. who would not come TO
her. White men began TO encroach
and 10 be insulting.
I'VE win hide forever" declared Az
essandro. Leaving horses and wagon
I'm San Bernardino with the Hyers for
the winter, they went TO n tiny valley,
htihool iHh1ttcclDitt lOlutu ulkH oH
Mount San Jacinto's slopes. "Here
we are safei" exulted Ramona.
"'Pears like she's gone klar out 'er
this yer world inter another" mused
Aunt RI Hyer. as she sat weaving car
pets and gazing up at the shining
mountain In the southern horizon.
When Alessandro saw the brown
eyes Of his second daughter he sighed,
ut is an Ill gift TO have the eyes of
Alessandro; they look ever on woe"
Now began attacks OF mental dis
tress-wild flights from imaginary
white pursuers. Sometimes he tried
to drive flocks he fancied were his
own. One fatal day ne galloped home
on a strange horse. taken by mistake
during one Of his "sIcknesses.n
"SenOr. / will explain-" But Far