Watsonville High School - Manzanita Yearbook (Watsonville, CA)

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The Little White Cross The old building is in ruins now. and the Sacred Heart Convent has been removed to the more prosperous town of Hollister, eight miles distant. Nothing is left today but the ruins of the nunnery and an old unkempt graveyard- Under a straggly olive tree in one corner isia small but beautiful tombstone, just a cross of pure white marble with a white rosary carved on it. This rosary appears to be flung over the cross. That is all: and this the story that explains the grave and the beautiful white cross. One morning in the years when California was under the rule of Spain, a party of four riders were standing at the gate of the con- vent-a girl, her father, and two Indian servants. The day is so fair. said the girl. Senorita Somavia, as she settled herself in the saddle. Be not too joyous, little Rita, eaid Sister Marie, who was bidding the girl that had been placed in her care ten years before. goodbye. Fair days sometimes end in clouds and harsh winds. The nun watched the riders disappear around the corner of the Plaza hostelry and gave a last look at the valley lying pleasant and green under the sun of a truly beautiful spring day, and returned to her duties. Meanwhile the Senorita and her companions passed out of the main street of the lazy little town of San Juan Bautista to follow the curving mountainous climb of the El Camino Real over into the broad. wind-swept valley of the Salinas River. She had ridden over the same road ten years before, unhappy. motherless child of eight, to be reared under the guidance of the sisters of the Sacred Heart Nunnery. Now she was returning to her fatheris home, joyous and filled with the anticiptaion of the pleas- ures of being mistress of her father's rancho and some day-but that was only a vague thought. As our party descended into the foot hills on the western side of the mountains, they stopped at an adobe ranch house for food and an exchange of news, and then rode on. It was the hospitable house of Senor Andreas at which they had stopped- The Senor is a rich man, said Rita to her father. Yes, all these cattle are his, returned the Senor -i Som- avia. pointing to large herds grazing on the plain. A shrewd man at business. too. After riding for perhaps a half-mile in silence the man spoke again. I owe him much money. The drought of last year has caused my cattle to dwindle to small herds. A man cannot play without a chance of loss. and I lost. The Senor paused and looked rather keenly at his daughter. l29l

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VVhat will you do? VVill he not wait? ,She knew that her father had a rich grant of many hundred acres, but in those days land could be had in California for the taking. No, but he is a widowerf' Rita saw where her father was leading. Through her the debt would be settled- What were her feelings? I do not know. Spanish girls were used to the betrothals being arranged by the parents. The Senor Louis Andreas was a rich rancher, gallant and well-spoken of. To be sure he loved good wine and gambled, but all early Cali- fornians did. I say I do not know what her thoughts were. Perhaps she had a vague half-formed dream of a more youthful lover-all girls, no matter of what land. have such dreams. It would be a long time before the Senor would demand her, so she forgot, in the joy of her home coming, about the arrangement, or thought of it only now and then. A year passed and more. It was late summer in the valley. The grass was dry. Only the trees along the river and surrounding the ranch houses were green. Usually it was the quiet lazy time of the year, but something unusual was to happen. A new governor was coming to Monterey. Plans fort a rodeo, a barbecue, athree-day festival with a grand ball at the close of the third. to welcome the new official. were talked of in all the ranch houses- It would be a time of pelasure long to be remembered, for who knew so well as the Spanish of early California how to enjoy the feast and the festival? It seemed that only one person was sad. Rita, only, was unable to partake of the pleasures with a happy. untroubled heart. Until recently she had been happy in the pleasures and duties of her home. Some day she would marry the Senor Louis Andreas. He would make a good husband. Why worry? It would be a long time off. thought the girl. But now it was different, for Senor An- dreas was growing impatient and urged a speedy betrothal. Senorita Somavia loved another. Senor De Garcia was the nephew of the owner of the grant next to that of Senor Somavia. A true Spaniard of proud Castilian blood and traditions was he. True to the characteristics of many of his fellow countrymen, he possessed a nature jealous and impetuous, but withmany loveable tra'ts as well- At the rodeo he would carry off many honors. A regular demon on a horse was the senor. A bull had never been found who could throw him. The Senorita had met him often. many times at her home, and a great many times, I am afraid secretly. She loved him and he, her. Senor Andreas was becoming impatient, as I have said before. He was also becoming suspicious of the attention the young Castilian paid the Senorita. This suspicion he communicated to the girl's father. The last night of the festival had come, the night of the grand ball. Senorita, you are beautiful tonight, cried the old Mexican woman who was waiting on her, f'Do vou think so? answered the g'rl. You may go now. VVhen the woman was gone, Rita, with a flushed, happy face. l30l