Watsonville High School - Manzanita Yearbook (Watsonville, CA)

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her eyes bright with' excitement and daring. opened a small case and took out a beautiful carved white rosary- It was the gift of the Senor Garcia. and it was to be the pledge and token between Rita and her young lover. Juan. the faithful old servant, had brought it to her with a message. The gist of the message was as follows: The ship which had brought the governor was to start on its return trip at midnight. If the Senorita would wish to go, they would meet at the corner of the arcade of the ballroom. Then they would go aboard the ship just at its leaving. The Senor Andreas would never see his promised bride again. That was all of the message except extrava- gant. but sincere exclamations of love and trust. and the request that if the Senorita wuold go. she should wear the rosary of his mother as a token. i Woiilcl she do it. She raised the string of beads toher lips. and then-slipped them over her head. Love dares anything. Her thoughts were interrupted by her father's calling her name. She came out into the hall and was met by her father and Louis Andreas. In the Senor's hand was a beautiful heavy rope of pearls. I-Iere. Senorita. they are for you, soon to be my bride, said the man- They are beautiful. murmured the girl without enthusiasm. as he slipped them around her neck. She drew back and raised her hand to her throat. but paused. She had hardly emerged from the thoughts which were suggested by the rosary and the message. The famil- liarities of Senor Andreas made her feel as if she were betraying the trust of her lover. and the presence of the heavy rope of pearls lying beside the exquisite little rosary seemed a sacrilege. lf I refuse them. thought the girl, they will both become suspicious. and l will be closely watched or kept at home. I must wear them. Turning to Senor Louis she exclaimed. Ah! they are indeed beautiful, and l will be considered the most fortunate senorita at the ball. This speech and Rita's pretty manner as Senor Andreas escorted her in company with her father to the festival. satisfied his pride. and allayed his suspicions. He soon left the dancers for a game with the older men. There was a feeling of desperation in Rita's heart. The pearls were famous. known to all those in the room as the property of the rich rancher. The room was a buzz with exclamations of, See Senorita Somav'a is wearing Louis Andreas' pearls. The wedding will be soon- The Senor De Garcia heard the words. Anger and jealousy showed in his face but most of all uncertainty. The rosary was there .but also the pearls of Senor Andreas. The Senorita covered up her troubled heart with a gay laugh and manner. She was seemingly the gayest of all that merry crowd. The time for her to slip out was approaching. The building flong since in ruinsj was situated on the rocks so close to the water's edge that the spray often dashed in the windows. As the girl passed the window in the slow dance. well knowing the Castilian was watching, l3ll

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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

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hardly stopping in the dance, she slipped the necklace over her head and with a unick toss flung it into the blue waters of the bay. Just then the bell on the ship rang out. It was time for her to go. Thankful that no one but Senor Garcia had seen what she had done in the dimly lighted corner of the room, she made an excuse to her partner and slipped away. Relief from the suspense of the evening came over her. as she swiftly went to the arcade, for now surely everything would come out all right. In a moment her lover would join her- She raised her eyes toward the heavens, thanking the saints for her happiness, but so sure of its enduring that she asked not for their further guidance. The Senor came quickly to her. He stood before her and said in a voice hard with anger. They were my mother's. The girl bewildered and amazed heard the voice which now changed to sorrow and reproach. I thought that my mother. up with the blessed saints, would be proud for you to have them. Then he left. She sought the saints instinctively now to help her. How she knew not. One always turns to them when in trouble. She was dazed and astonished, realizing only that the Senor had left. She raised her hand to grasp the chain of beads. The rosary of exquisite white beads was gone- It was evening. The fog had made the sky a drab, dreary gray. A heavy piercing wind swayed and whipped the trees. The solitary rider who had come over the mountains swayed ,too. as she guided her horse up to the convent gate. Sister Marie, who came out to greet the rider helped the woman from the saddle. Little Rita, she exclaimed, hardly recognizing the girl. so changed was she from the happy enorita Somazia she had bid goodbye scarcely two years before. You were right. sister. The fair day has ended in a dark night. Take me in, for I am tired. Oh, if I had never leftli' It was not until the nun had heard the whole story that she understood. Years after. Senor De Garcia returned. He had left on the night of the ball on the ship on which he had planned to carry Rita away. He visited the convent and heard from Sister Marie, then a very old woman. how Rita had by accident slipped the rosary off when she had meant only to throw the pearls away, how she had returned in her sorrow to the Sacred Heart Convent, and of her life as a nun and her death- That is all of the story except that Senor De Garcia sent to Spain for the beautiful white cross I told you of at the first of the story. On it he had carved a rosary identical with the one which had been the innocent cause of so much sorrow, and had it placed over the grave of Sister Rita, the most beloved of all the gentle nuns of the Sacred Heart Convent. G. Williams. l32l