PAGE SIX
THE CAPITAL 'JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2,1 -i cm
The Pride of Palomar
By PETER B. KYNE
Author of "Kindred of the Dust," "Cappy Ricks" Stories, Etc.
(Copyrighted 1921 by Peter B- Kyne, all rights reserved)
For the first time In' sixty years,
Pablo Artel an, the majordomo of
the Rancho Palomar, was troubled
of soul at the approach of winter.
Old Don Miguel Farrel had ob
served signs of mental travail in
Pablo for a month past, and was
at a loss to account for them. He
knew Pablo possessed one -extra
pairs of boots which young Don
pairs of boots witch young Don
Miguel had- bequeathed him when
the Great White Father at Wash
ington had summoned the boy to
the war in April of 1917, three
chamhray shirts in an excellent
state of repair, half of a fat steer
jerked, a full bag of Bayo beans,
and a string of red chilli-peppers
pendant from the rafters of an
adobe shack which Pablo and his
. wife, Carolina, occupied rent free.
Certainly (thought old Don Mi
guel) life could hold no problems
for one of Pablo's race thus pleas
antly situated.
Coming upon Pablo this morn
ing, as the latter sat in his fav
orite seat under the catalpa tree
Just outside the wall of the ancient
adobe compound, where he could
command a view of the white
wagon-road winding down the
valley of the San Gregorio, Donj
Miguel decided to question his
ancient retainer.
Mourns for Youne Son
"My good Pablo," he Queried
"what has come over thee of late?
Thou art of a mien as sorrowful
as tnat or a sick steer. Can it be
that thy stomach refuses longer
10 digest tiiy food? Come; permit
me to examine thy teeth. Yes, by
my soul; therein lies the secret
Thou hast a toothache and decline
to complain, thinking that, by thy
silence, i snail be saved a dentist
bill." But Pablo shook his head
in negation. "Cornel ' roared old
uoa Miguel. "Open thy mouth!
Pablo rose creakily and oDened
a mouth in which not a tooth was
missing. Old Don Miguel made a
most minute examination, but
failed to discover the slightest
eviaence or deterioration.
"Blood of the devil!" he cried,
disgusted beyond measure. "Out
witn thy secret! It has annoyed
me for a month."
"The ache is not in my teeth,
Don Miguel. It is here." And
Pablo laid a swarthy hand upon
his torso. "There is a sadness In
my heart, Don Miguel. Two years
has Don Mike been with the sol
diers. Is it not time that he re
turned to us?''
Don Miguel's aristocratic nld
face softened. "So that is what
disturbs thee, my Pablo?"
Pablo nodded miserably, seated
himself, and resumed his task of
fashioning the hondo of a new
rawhide riata.
Even Quail Migrate
"It is a very dry year," he com
plained. "Never before have I
seen December arrive ere the
grass in the 'San Gregorio was
green- with the October rains.
Everything is burned; the streams
and the springs have dried up,
and for a month I have listened to
hear the quail call on the hillside
yonaer. uut I listen In vain. The
quail have moved to another
range."
"Well, what of it, Pablo?"
"How our beloved Don Mike en
joyed the quail-shooting in the
fall! Should he return now to the
Palomar, there will be no quail to
shoot." He wagged his gray head
sorrowiuuy. "Don Mike will
think that, with the years, lazi
ness and ingratitude have de
scended upon old Pablo. Truly,
Satan afflicts me." And he cursed
with great depth of feeling in
English.
"Yes, poor boy," old Don
Miguel agreed; "he will miss
more than the quail-shooting
when he returns If he should re
turn. They sent him to Siberia to
fight the Bolshevlki." I
"What sort of country is this'
where Don Mike slays our
enemy?" Pablo queried.
- Always Winter There
"It is always winter there,
Pablo. It is inhabited by a wild
race of men with much whisk
ers. "
"Ah, our poor Don Mike! And
he a child of the sun! "
"He but does his duty," old
Don Miguel replied proudly. "He
adds to the fame of an illustrious
family, noted throughout the cen
turies for the gallantry of its
warriors."
"A Bmall comfort, Don Miguel
If our Don Mike comes not again
to those that love him."
"Pray for him," the old Don
suggested piously.
Fell a silence. Then,
"Don Miguel, yonder comes one
over the trail from El Toro. ' '
Don Miguel gazed across the
valley to the crest of the hill.
There, against the sky-line, a soli
tary horseman showed. Pablo
cupped his hands over his eyes
and gazed long and steadily.
"It is Tony Moreno," he said,
while the man was still a mile
distant. . "I know that scuffling
cripple of a horse he rides."
Don Miguel seated himself on
the bench beside Pablo and await
ed a arrival of the horseman. As
he drew nearer, the Don saw that
Pablo was right.
" Now, what news does that
vagabond bear?" he muttered.
"Assuredly he brings a telegram;
otherwise the devil himself could
not Induce that lazy wastrel to
ride twenty miles."
Telegram Beceived
"Of a truth you are right, Don
Miguel. Tony Moreno is the only
man in El Toro who is forever out
of a job, and the agent of the
telegraph company calls upon him
always to deliver messages of im
portance." '
With the Don, he awaited, with
vague apprehension, the arrival of
Tony Moreno. As the latter pulled
his sweating horse up before
them, they rose and gazed upon
him questlonlngly. Tony Moreno,
on his part, doffed his shabby
sombrero with his right hand and
murmured courteously,
"Buenas tardea, Don Miguel."
Pablo he ignored. With his left
hand, he caught a yellow envelope
as it fell from under the hat.
Good-afternoon, Moreno." Don
Miguel returned his salutation
with a gravity he felt incumbent
upon one of his station to assume
when addressing a social inferior.
' You bring me a telegram?" He
spoke In English, for the sole
purpose of indicating to the mes
senger that the gulf between them
could not be spanned by the bridge
of their mother tongue. He
suspected Tony Moreno very
strongly of having stolen a
yearling from him many years
ago.
Tony Moreno remembered his
manners, and dismounted before
handing Don Miguel the telegram.
"The delivery charges? " Don
Miguel queried courteously.
"Nothing, Don Miguel." Mor
eno'B voice was strangely subdued.
"It Is a pleasure to serve you,
senor.
"You are very kind." And Don
Miguel thrust the telegram, un
opened, into his pocket. "How
ever," he continued, "it will please
me, Moreno, if -you accept this
slight token of my appreciation.'
And he handed the meeenger a
five-dollar bill. The don was a
proud man, and disliked being un
der obligation to the Tony Mor
enos of this world. Tony pro
tested, but the don stood his
ground, silently insistent, and, in
the end, the other pouched the
bill, and rode away. Don Miguel
seated himself once more beside
his ratalner and drew forth the
telegram.
Bad News Received
"It must be evil news," he
murmured, with the shade of a
tremor in his musical voice;
"otherwise, that fellow could not
have felt so much pity for me that
it moved him to decline a
gratuity. "
"Read, Don Miguel!" Pablo
croaked. "Read!"
Don Miguel read. Then be care
fully folded the telegram and re
placed it in the envelope; as de
liberately, he returned the en
velope to his pocket. Suddenly his
hands gripped the bench, a,nd he
trembled violently.
"Don Mike is dead?" old Pablo
queried softly. He possessed all
the acute intuition of a. primitive
people.
Don Miguel did not reply; so
presently Pablo turned his head
and gazed up into the master's
face. Then he knew his fingers
trembled slightly as he returned
to work on the hondo, and, for a
long time, no sound broke the
silence save the song of an oriole
in the catalpa tree.
Suddenly the sound for which
old Pablo had wajted so long burst
forth from the sage-clad hillside.
It was a cock quail calling, and,
to the majordomo, it eeemed to
say: "Don Mike! Come home!
Don Mike! Come home! "
"Ah, little truant, who has told
you that you are safe?" Pablo
cried in agony. "For Don Mike
shall not come home no, no
never any more! "
His Indian stoicism broke at
last; he clasped his hands and
fell to his knees beside the bench,
sobbing aloud.
Don Miguel regarded him not,
and when Pablo's babbling be
came incoherent, the aged master
of Palomar controlled his twitch
ing hands sufficiently to roll and
light a cigarette. Then he reread
the telegram.
Yes; it was true. It was from
Washington, and .signed by the
adjutant-general; it informed Don
Miguel JoBe Farrel, with regret,
that his son, First Sergeant Mi
guel osa Maria Federlco Norlaga
Farrel, Number 765,433, had been
killed In action In Siberia on the
fourth Instant.
"At least," the old don mur
mured, "be died like a gentleman
Had he returned to the Rancho
Palomar, he could not have con
tinued to live like one. Oh, my
son, my son!"
He rose blindly and groped his
way along the wall until he came
to the Insect gate leading into the
patio; like a stricken animal re
treating to its lair, he sought the
privacy of his old-fashioned gar
den, where none might intrude
upon his grief..
it will require about 30 days to
complete this kiln and when fin
ished it wilt mean that the com
pany has six kilns in operation.
MILL AT DALLAS CLOSES
Dallas, Or., Dec. 23. The big
mill of the Willamette Valley
Lumber company closed down Sat
urday evening, December 23, and
will remain in that condition until
January 2. This gave about 170
employes a chance to observe -the
holidays in any way they chose.
The planing mill and shipping de
partment remained open, keeping
about 50 men at work, and only
closing on Christmas day.
Present indications point strong
ly to the resumption of work at
the company's logging camp at
Black Rock shortly after Christ
mas. The camp has been closed
for about two weeks on account of
the snow, which at one time had
reached a depth of three feet.
A crew is now at work construct
ing a new dry kiln which is to be
100x15 feet in size with a capac
ity of 15,000 feet of lumber each
eight hours. It is estimated that
;TT
, -995
. 01 6, factory
You know it if you have ever ridden in a
Jewett. And, in addition to the greater per
forming ability and comfort of smooth, over
lapping power impulses, you gain a positive
economy factor. Decreased vibration means
decreased wear and tear. That's good
mechanics and common sense.
VICK BROS.
High Street at Trade
We Wish Our Friends
and Patrons
A Merry
Christmas
Capital Bargain
House
Capital Junk
Co.
I. Saffron, Mgr.
Under U. S. Government Supervision
Member Federal Reserve System
SERVICE COUNTS
Beyond Security, the one thing you should take
into consideration when establishing a. banking
connection is Service.
We should satisfy yourself that the service of
fered is prompt, accurate and efficient that it
is courteously rendered by experienced Officers
who will take a personal interest in your problems
and your financial progress-
We are glad to say that this is just that sort of
a bank and on this basis we invite your business.
rThe Bank That Service Built
IMedSatcs
SALEM
Jtli .v JV OREGON H H
GRAND THEATRE
One Night Only, Wednesday, Dec. 27
THE SEASON'S GREATEST MUSICAL EVENT t
Remember there is only one MITZI if",,
HENRY W. SAVAGE oFfers . f;
America's Favorite Prima Donna Comedienne m
rvn
UVLJ
IN THE MUSICAL ROMANCE-
"lady Billf"
THE LIGHT OPERATIC SENSATION
Orignal splendid Sjvgm? Ctsr
300 TIMES AT THE IIBERTX NEW YORK
COMPANY'S OWN OPERA ORCHESTRA
Cast and Chorus of 60 Latest Fashions Original Scenic
Production
MAIL ORDERS ACCEPTED NOTE REDUCED PRICES
Lower floor aeata $2.50 and $t; Balcony 1 50, t and
Gallery SOo
(Plus ten per cent tax
Box office sale Christmas afternoon
in
According to rumors at Laus
anne, the Kemal walk will shortly
give way to the Turkey-Trotzky.
MEADOWLAWN DAIRY
Phone 90F12
Inspect our dairy. The state
Inspector says "It's one of the
best In the state. Investigate
the sourse of your milk.
--WANTED
Poultry of all kinds. Butter,
Eeer. Babbits.-Veal Pork,
Beef live or dressed
PEOPLE'S MABKET -l
155 N. Liberty St, Phone 994
For Gu-ts That Ia,t
HAB.TMAN BEOS,
Diamonds wat
Jewelry and Saverwar.
. Bala. Ore.
Phone 1255
Our Sincere Wish Is
A MERRY
CHRISTMAS
To All
Vick Brothers
Trade Street at High
Salem
PasT risk f !
fill
Santa's Bag is chock full of best wishes for
A
Merry
Christmas
To Our Many Friends and Patrons
Moore's Music House
415 Court Street
Sales Representatives
Sherman, Clay & Co.