Evening star., 1936-03-09

so lavishly In entertainment must
surely end in a pauper's grave. The
size and n1agnif1cence of the enter
tainment was, to his New England
soul, little short of sinful.
"You do things on big scale here,
Don Ricardo" he remarked as he
descended from the gallery with his
host.
Don Ricardo brushed away the
compliment with facile hand. What
would you, my captain? California
is vast and magnificent land and
life is easy here. Because we haci-
endados dwell so far apart life be-
comes little dull unless we make 1t
otherwise"
Your people, mean your COM
mon people-seem extraordinarily
happy. And yet, am given to under
stand, they are paid no wages"
Don Ricardo laughed easily. "Never
having seen money, never having had
any necessity for money. they do not
miss It," he replied. 1T is my pride
and pleasure to furnish them with all
of their simple needs. Why should
they not be happy when they know
no want, no worry? Like the chill
dren of Israel who wandered with
their flocks, we, too, are children of
q pastoral land. Nature Is kind to
the Californianos."
Armstrong; glance swept the vast
plain-land so fat and fertile 1t
seemed, to him, a sacrilege that 1t
should be given over solely to the
raising Of cattle, the carcasses of
which, when slaughtered, were left
to decay, the hides and tallow alone
being saved.
How many cattle have you, Don
Ricardo?" he asked.
Il do not know, my captain. Per-
haps $4,000. If have luck with my
horses in the forthcoming race I will
have $4,000 when the fiesta ends. It
is nothing"
The Army officer stared at him
with thinly yelled contempt. For
prodigal people he could entertain
little sentiment save that Of disgust.
well" he said, "in time this will
change. My countrymen will emigrate
to California-and their ways are not
the ways of California"
so we have already discovered"
the don replied with slight touch
of bitterness. There are. perhaps,
1000 Americans in California now
and they do not hesitate to tell us
we are fools, because we are not
greedy, because we do not seek to pile !
up gains in greater volume than Ma
ture permits in her own lazy way. All, |
we'll! Other days, other customs. We
are conquered people and must make
the best of it,
Who" Armstrong demanded, sis
the caballero wandering around the
common people like a lord of Gre
ation?"
THAT fellow" chuckled Don Ricar-
do, "is today lord of creation, truly,
because, for today, I have made him |
one. That young man is named Joa-
quin Murietta. He is one of nv
peones, although he is. I am sure, a
pure-bred Spaniard. I know little of
him save that he found Sonora,
Mexico, too small and dull for man
OF his enterprise. He is a most COM
petent vaquero and a most excellent
troubadour. The handsome rascal
has broken the hearts of all the peon
girls at the rancho-all save one, and
her he marries today. He is as happy
as coyote unmolested in a flock of
turkeys"
Il thought he was the son of a rich
haciendado He has the airs of one"
Don Ricardo had an explanation
for that. II imagine there is good
blood in him, my captain, but even
those OF the best blood may fall to
lowly estate. Happy as he is today,
I have a suspicion that, while CRATE
full for the happiness I have provided
him by permitting him to marry Ro-
sta, he still yearns to provide his own
happiness"
Ambitious, eh? Well, he's the first |
Of his race I have met who has even |
been suspected of having it."
He stood watching Joaquin as the |
latter strolled gracefully and care
lesSly among the crowd, watched him |
chuck old women under the chin, toss
brown babies aloft and kiss them and
exchange witty and oft-times slightly
coarse badinage with other young
men, for such is the habit of primi-
tive people at wedding. Don Ricardo
called him over. looked at a gigantic
watch and said:
I'm half an hour, Joaquain, you
will be married. Be ready. The
march to the chapel will start from
your soon-to-be father-in-laws habi-
tation. A few more glasses of wine
and you will not be able to speak the
responses"
Il hear and obey, Don Ricardo"
Joaquin replied and smiled.
He loves the world today" the don
remarked to Armstrong.
II love even the piqs in the world