The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-17
CHAPT Err TX

lett tne mouse on tOOL.
Don Jaime led her down the main
aisle of the small church and
crossed with her over TO the or
gan which stood against the wall.
The choir sat on benches in the
rear of the organ and an uphol-
stored chair stood beside the or
gan seat.
For company" Don Jaime muir
INJURED. ADD indicated that Roberta
should occupy il.
The padre. in his vestments, en-
tered from the sacristy. and as he
advanced 10 the altar Don James
little organ crashed into n sono-
rOus prelude then his brown choir.
saking the cue from a vigorous nod
Of the masters raven head, sang:
Come. Holy Ghost. Creator blest.
And in our hearts take up thy rest.
The girl watched Don Jaime,
who knew not one note from an
other but who played amazingly
well by ear because God had Gre
ated him n troubadOur. His dark
face was aliglit with the delight he
CLEANED from his simple task; for
all his huge body. there was I'm his
attitude and in the luster of his
eyes something that proclaimed to
her again the odd. little-boy quality
In him. touching her as she had
never been touched before.
strange. strange man." the girl
reflected There he sits with a
look of exaltation on his face, and
yet ! know he prides himself on
being too stern and original a
thinker TO he an orthodox church
man. 10 accept the Scriptures as
literal, To have even the most re-
mote interest in the ultimate dis
posal of his immortal soul. He
killed my Uncle Tom and is too
honest 10 think of pretending TO
me that he regrets il. He's
strange mixture. yet there is moth
ine complex about him. He thinks
straight. talks straight. and acts
straight. He couldn't dlssemble IL
he wanted To. oh. dear. I'm afraid
! wish had never met him. He's
one of those terrible men one must
take seriously"
The service proceeded. Roberta
dreamed on. Don JaIme's
low voice reached her. Now. then.
Bobby. do your stuff"
She sang as she had never sung
before. See their eyes," Don
Jaime whispered as she sat down
THE poor devils They loved II.
Handels 'Where'er You Walk isn't
sung i'm our church. but who here
knows the difference. and who
cares? An encore. Bobby"
She sang IT, Then she sat
through sermon in Spanish. at
the conclusion of which the padre.
addressing Don Jaime. begged him
~ convey bis thanks and tha; of
Ills pobreclios Ia the American
sfAiOA tttt- tfoii 1ditAG
nis message. and Few minutes
later she saw him STOPPING over
the lap OF a girl and lifting there
from an infant She watched him
holding the stOlid infant while the
sacrament of baptism was admin
iStered; she marked the pride and
pleasure in the young mothers face
at this signal honor conferred
upon her and hers. when. the cere-
mony over. Don Jaime kissed the
infant and handed the mother the
customary largess. To the god
mother. too. he made gift of
money; then. with a paternal pat
on the shoulders of all concerned,
including the padre. he rejoined
Roberta and together they walked
back through the pueblo to the
hacienda.
Al the head of the single street
Don Jaime looked back. "A con-
tented people" he declared. Chill
peppers drying on every roof and
ample corn for the tortillas; a tiny
garden for onions and lettuce and
beans. labor exchanged for bright
calico and overalls and Bingham at
cost at the ranch commissary; no
debts. no rents. no lawsuits, free
dom from a puritanical code of
morals. Sometimes | could wish |,
too. were peOn. Boll-weevil and
the price of beef bothers them not
nor taxes nor notes at the bank"
Nor sheep" Roberta supple
mented.
Speaking of which," he contin-
ued. I'VE will ride out and visit the
woollies after luncheon. if you care
for a ride"
Crooked Bill was wondering why
his niece was such a poor CORE
spondent when Harms. the butler.
entered with the mail.
Crooked Bill bounced upon II.
Two envelopes. one slim and the
other fat. bore the return address
of the Rancho Vale Verde. so
Crooked Bill opened the slim one
and read:
My dear Mr.. Latham: