The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-10-25
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CHAPTER x-Continued

lay your honorable words before
Carmen and-I shall dare to say
Dona Maria spoke the words with
gracious charm-"I trust the mat
ter may have a happy ending. Car
men is going to Monterey tomorrow
to do some shopping. She means
to ask you to take her., It will be
best now to send Pedro with her.
So, senior, for two or three days
patience!"
Bowie remained with some of his
vaqueros along the river nearly all
that day. Then, to kill time through
the rancho supper hour, he rode
over to Santa Clara and visited with
Padre Martinez, who, poor man,
had more trouble to face than his
young visitor had-though it did
not so seem to Bowie.
"This government" exclaimed
the padre mildly, "they want to con-
fiscate- secularize, they call it-ev-
cry mission in California. What,
Senior Bowie, becomes of my poor
Indians?"
Bowie had little use for any Mex
lean government. "1t is too bad,
Padre. But no honest man ever
came in contact with that bunch of
grafters without getting robbed. l
only wish it were in my power to
help you. But am foreigner-an
Americana, they call me. l insist
am a Tejano."
He supped with the padre and
rode home later. He escaped seeing
Carmen in this way and next morn
ing took his saddle very early, after
giving Pedro particular instructions
for insuring the safety of his charge
for the trip to Monterey. In the end
Bowie told Pedro to take Sanchez
along with him.
"But I can't find Sanchez" said
Pedro. "He has been missing for
a day."
Missing? What do you mean?"
Pedro could offer no explanation.
''He rode into the hills yesterday
morning. He has not returned"
mo matter" said Bowie. "Take
one of the other boys. The Seno-
rita must be carefully escorted"
Of what had taken place at Quad
alupe the day before, Bowie knew
nothing, though its events concerned
him vitality.
Carmen was caught wholly by
surprise. She listened carefully, but
her cheeks mantled and her eyes
revealed that she was startled. She
caught her breath irnperceptibly.
For a moment she could not speak.
'tOf course, dearest, it is a sur
PRISE continued her mother.
Though not perhaps as great one
to us as it is to you."
As her first surprise died away
Garments expression grew grave.
''You no doubt will want time to
think this over, my child" her
mother went on. "Sleep over it
tonight"
ooh, my Mother" exclaimed Car
men, shat is not necessary"
mot necessary? Is your mind so
soon made up?"
The girls face set in a fixed re-
solve. ''What Senior Bowie asks is
quite impossible, Mother dear. I
will never under any circumstances
marry an Americana. I do not wish
to wound him unnecessarily. Say
to him that Carmen has no thought
of marriage; that she thanks him
for his offer; that she feels honored
by it, but as to marriage-no."
She spoke rapidly and as if de-
termined to brook no discussion, yet
her mother, who perhaps uncon-
sciously inclined toward the bronzed
frontiersman, persisted.
Ear be it from me, dearest, to
seek to influence your decision-yet
the ground of it does surprise me.
Such unions not infrequently occur
among u.s."
Perhaps it is so, and perhaps
they turn out WE'LL" admitted Car
men. "But with my feelings against
them as brutal interlopers; their
cold-blooded murder of the only man
Iwould have married had he lived
Oh, these people are intolerable!
Though I have nothing personally
against Senior Bowie, yet he, too, is
brutal. I saw it the other day where
he would have dragged that drunken
Fremont marauder to DEATH"
Dona Maria perceived it was use
less to argue. GAS you will, Car
men dear. It is your future and you
are well able to decide the ques-
ton. Kiss me good night"
In the morning Bowie was in the
saddle early. Carmen was on her
way to Monterey when he got back
to the ranch house. And Dona Ma
ria sent for him.
''Oh, Senior Bowie" she began,
Carmen will not think of marriage.
She insists she is too young. I re-
mind her that her mother was mar
ried younger than she. Where do
girls nowadays get their ideas?
can't understand it. But she seems
determined not to marry. Believe
me, dear Senior Bowie, did my
best, for both Don Ramon and