AROUND
th. HOUSE
o
CHAPTER XIII—Continued
—13—
Friday, Sept. 6 1940
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
Page 6
their own estates to look after. No.
Senor Bowie was my only hope for
our protection.”
"1 wonder.” mused the doctor,
"whether he will ever come back.”
"He will never come back."
prophesied Dona Maria.
“Who can tell? And if the Señorita
married and left the nest, he might
even come back here."
"Dr. Doane.” exclaimed Dona
Maria, “what makes you say that?”
"Just surmising on possibilities,”
said the surgeon with an air of casu­
alness. But Dona Maria's suspi­
cions had been awakened.
"I believe you know something you
are keeping back. Doctor," she said
flatly. "What is it? Out with it”
“Can you keep a secret?" contin­
ued the doctor.
"Women are not supposed to, are
they? But," she added, as Doane
seemed about to close his confi­
dence with his lancet case, "try me.
I will do my best”
“Bowie is back.”
"Dr. Doane! What do you mean?”
"He is in Monterey. And heaven
help me! He forbade me tell. On
your life. Dona Maria, don't tell
Carmen.”
to the Housewife
To keep books on she Ives or in
Save left-over pieces of soap in
■mall sugar or ault bags. Use the cuses in good condition sprinkle
bags in cleaning the bathtub or them occasionally with powdered
lavatory. The bag and suap serve camphor.
both as a sponge and a clcunaing
■gent.
Select suitable bowls and vase«
Keep the sifter hole* on spice in which to arrunge flowers to deo-
boxea closed, otherwise the spices orate the house. Do not crowd
flowers into them, but carefully
will lose much of their flavor.
select different flowers for differ­
ent containers. A single rose In
When separating the yolk* from a bud vuse is far more effective
the whites of eggs, break them thun several roses crowded into •
over a funnel. The whites will bowl.
pass through, leaving the yolks in
the funnel.
If colored butters are desired
When making biscuits, dough­ for sandwiches, use pimineto com­
nuts, cookies and jumbles, the bined with butter for red or pink,
softer you can handle dough after while watercress chopjied fine will
turning it onto the board and the give the desired green and orange
less you handle it, the better re­ or lemon rind blended with butter
givea the yellow color.
sults you will get.
terey and more servants. Bowie
was greeted by Don Ramon like a
long lost friend.
"Well," exclaimed Tla Ysabel to
Carmen after the dinner, "1 see
your peevish Texan is back! What
does he want?”
Carmen shrugged her shoulders,
"I understand he is to be some
kind of a partner of Captain Sut-
ter’*, that energetic Swiss, up the
river."
"What's he doing here?" snapped
her questioner.
“He heard of Father’s illness and
sent out a couple of baskets of
champagne and a lot of delicacies.
So Mother asked me to invite him
for the strawberry picnic.”
♦
“You say Dona Maria asked you
to invite him out. She says you
asked her to Invite him," observed
Tia Ysabel bluntly.
"Either way. he was entitled to
the courtesy of an invitation, wasn't
he?” asked Carmen crisply. "The
wine he sent was rare—so Father
said, Don Vicente and I are going
after some ferns to press—he has
••
my book.
The tables were being cleared and
the guests were scattered in groups
among the pines and redwoods. Men
were smoking and talking horses,
1 the women were chatting in little
groups, and the younger girls, with
much animation, were hulling straw­
berries and talking fast Carmen,
swinging her sunbonnet by the
strings, sought Don Vicente. She
wandered to the end of the camp
without finding him.
But she did almost stumble, with­
out seeing them, over the long leg*
of Bowie, who sat with his back
against a tall redwood, looking out
at the distant bay.
"Oh!” she exclaimed, coloring
with a little confusion. “1 didn’t see
you. Excuse me for disturbing you."
"Don’t ask me to excuse you for
anything so pleasant”
"Oh, you haven't left your gal­
lantry in Texas. Sometime I should
like to hear more about that repub­
lic of yours and its fighting men.”
He shook hi* head. “My poor re­
public. It is no more. The United
States has swallowed it.”
“And didn't you like that?”
“Not a bit. But—what's the dif­
ference? It's only another dream
gone," he added evenly.
They were strolling back toward
camp. "And so there you were, sit­
Want of Courage
Flattery the Guest
ting all by your lonesome. If you
A great deal of talent is lost te
Flattery sits in the (prior while
can’t find anybody else to talk to. plain dealing is kicked out of the world for the want of a little
why not try me?” asked Carmen. doors.
courage.—Sydney Smith.
"I thought you said you didn't see
me," he objected.
"Don’t believe all you hear,” she
retorted casually.
"I’ve seen times when I’ve wished
i
I couldn't.”
As they loitered along she was
still swinging her bonnet Passing
a big tree on the long slope. Car­
men put up her hand
"Isn't that a lovely breeze? Let'*
sit down a moment.”
“I'm glad to see your father is
out,” ventured Bowie. “He'* im­
proving."
But Carmen did not care to dis­
cuss formalities. She wanted to
hear about Texas and what he saw
and did there while away. And she
wanted to know what was going to
happen to poor California, with it*
bandits, its insurrections and its new
crop of detestable gringo*.
Bowie shrugged hi* shoulder* at
the mention of gringo*. 'They're
mean, I know—but no worae than
these Mexican rats. And California
at present is getting the very scum
of the gringos—the crop will im­
prove with time.”
’Tell me about this Senor Sutter
and what you are going to do up
there. And why you like it so much
better than Guadalupe."
He launched into a eulogy of the
Swiss.
"But you haven’t said why you
like it better than Guadalupe," per­
sisted Carmen.
"I haven't said I do like it better,"
he contended. "It does have one
advantage: I don't have time up
there to think. Coming over here
just now," he continued hastily, cut­
ting off any attempt on Carmen’s
part to speak, "I stumbled on a bed
of wild roses. Do you like brier
roses?”
how orange« help I
"I love them. Where are they?”
Fully half our families are setting / m link
"I’ll show you." He got up. She
vitnmiiuniul mmtrah to feel their beat, says
held out her hand, and he helped
the Department of Agriculture.
her to rise. The pressure of her
It’s easy to get more of these essentials
warm fingers stirred his blood. The
—merely by making oranges your family'*
sea breeze lifted the loose hair about
daily re freshment!
her temples.
Peel and eat them. Keep ready a big
"Is it very far?” she asked, look­
pitcher of fresh orangeade. Or better yet-
ing up innocently at him.
Have big, 8-ounce glasses of fresh
“Not so very far,” he answered
orange juice with breakfast daily. This
steadily.
gives you ail the vitamin C you normally
need. Adds tilamint A, Bj and G and the
She tried to talk about Guadalupe;
mineral* cnltinm, pboiphvrm and inn.
he, about New Helvetia. But they
Sunkist is sending you the pick of Cali­
got something out of their cross Are,
fornia's best-ever crop of wonderfully
despite the fact that each felt con­
juicy oranges. Order a supply next time
scious the other was holding a great
you buy groceries!
deal back.
Copyrfflrt. 1940. CallfonU Fr«U Gnman F,<kup
"I thought you said it wasn’t very
far," objected Carmen after some
distance.
"It hasn’t seemed so yet to me.
It’* just over the brow of the next
hilL But you’re tired—stay here a
moment. I’ll bring an armful to
you.”
"Oh no. I want to find the bed.”
She seated herself presently close
to the roses and spoke from where
she sat, while Bowie, with his hunt­
ing knife, cut stems from the plant*
Best lor Juice— /’///</ ft'en/ use /
and slowly trimmed away the thorn«
before handing them to her.
downstreet. He did not reappear r
till suppertime at the restaurant I
where the two took their meals.
"Well." a$kcd Doane when they '
had reached their coffee, speaking [
as if he thought he had a right to i
know, "what's it all about?”
"Since you’ve let the cat out of the i
bag, anyway, and Don Ramon is i
down sick. I thought I ought to send I
a few little things out to Guadalupe 1
to show I hadn't forgotten their past I
kindnesses, and,” he added halting­
ly, “things like that. What do you i
think?”
“I think it's fine," replied the doc­
tor.
In San Francisco a few days lat­
er Bowie met Captain Sutter, and
at Vioget's the two discussed plans
for managing the fur business up
the river. Sutter took the boat ear­
ly next morning for New Helvetia
Bowie was ready to go with him,
but a knock on his door at day­
break changed his plans. He opened
to find the vaquero Pedro standing
before him. Greetings exchanged.
Pedro explained he had been told
by Dr. Doane where to look for
Senor Bowie and had ridden up the
peninsula during the night "I have
“How nr« things going out there*”
echoed the doctor. ‘'Not very well.
But for that matter, where are they
going well in California? Everything
is upset. Politics boiling, lawless­
ness growing, gringos and these
damned Mexicans squabbling; ar.d
then, to cap everything else for me.
smallpox all over the coast Bowie.
I need an assistant. You’d better
Join up with me.”
But Bowie was serious. “What’s
wrong at Guadalupe?" he asked as
casually as possible.
"Don Ramon is down with small­
pox, they say. An Indian brought
word from Dona Maria asking me to
come right away and vaccinate ev­
erybody. and virus here is scarce.
They’re in a panic.”
“Naturally," said Bowie.
"That’s only part of it" growled
the surgeon. "Fremont steals their
horses; bushwackers steal their cat­
tle; the damned gringo squatters
are stealing their land; and that's
the way things are going at all the
ranchos. Bowie. I’m riding out to
Guadalupe right after dinner; take
dinner with me and ride out too.”
“Sorry. I've made an appoint­
ment with Nathan Spear—he was
CHAPTER XIV
here yesterday—to meet him in San
Francisco tomorrow morning.”
The surgeon jogged back to Mon­
"That will keep.”
terey, feeling somewhat guilty about
Bowie shook his head. "He’s go­ his breach of confidence. He busied
ing down to Santa Barbara tomor­ himself framing a story to break
row.”
Bowie’s anger.
Dr. Doane did not give up the
He reached home late; so late he
fight to make Bowie ride out with
thought there would be no danger of
him, but he failed in it The Texan
facing the Texan before morning.
was stubborn.
Yet within ten minutes after he had
“I shall tell them you were mean
lighted his lamp in his bedroom ad­
about it”
joining the office there came a tap­
Bowie raised his hand in quick pro­
ping on his window.
test. "Tell them nothing about me
"Henry,” he protested after he
—not even that I am in California,”
had carried the lamp into the office
said Bowie. “I’m not joking, Doc­
and let in the Texan, “I didn't ex­
tor.” he added bluntly.
pect to see you before morning. You
"Have it your own way." sput­
don't sit up all night, do you?”
tered the surgeon.
"How did you find things at the
But on reaching the rancho Dr.
jrancho?”
Doane was sorry he had assented
The doctor shook his head doubt-
to the Texan's injunction. The whole
I fully. “Not very bright, Henry.”
atmosphere of the rancho was
"Has Don Ramon got the small­
mournful. Two almost helpless
pox?”
women—Carmen was the only one
"He has not—it’s chicken pox, but
with any courage left, and she had
■ he’s pretty sick with it”
more courage than the experience
"How is Dona Maria?”
needed in managing and directing
“Worried to death but not sick.”
vaqueros.
Doane was amused at the way the
But the doctor brought one great
questions came, slowly and covering
ray of sunshine to the gloom. Don
"I didn't see you.
one person at a time.
Ramon, he announced definitely, did
“Señorita well?”
not have the smallpox: he pro­
a note for you. senor, and I was told
"Seems to be, yes. She is looking
nounced his illness chicken pox.
to deliver it as quickly as possible."
a little peaked. I vaccinated every­
He drew the note from a breast
Dona Maria and Carmen drew deep
body on the ranch, from the scul­
pocket of his leathern jacket. It
breaths of relief
lions up.
What’s the news with
was from Carmen.
That evening at supper the two you?”
"My mother has asked you to come
women asked so many questions of
"I’m tied up here for a few days.
the doctor, and these were so pa­ Spear sent a man down to say he out for a visit at Guadalupe before
thetic in tenor, that he was hard had to go to Santa Barbara again you leave for Sutter's Fort We
put to it to give them consolation. and wouldn’t be back till the end of should all be equally happy to wel­
come you to your old home, as
Dona Maria sighed deeply when
the week.”
you well know. But even if you
the doctor tried to offer cheer.
"All right, camp here with me.
“If only Señor Bowie were with There’s an extra cot in the bed­ haven’t time for a good visit Moth­
er wants to ask a very special favor.
us!” she said. "Nothing has seemed
room.”
to go right since he left.”
“Strawberries are ripe. Don Fran­
"How are the vaqueros?”
“Why did he leave?” asked the
cisco
Guerrero is giving a straw­
“At Guadalupe? Pedro is foreman
doctor casually, though he knew the
berry merienda, Saturday. There
with Sanchez for a second.”
answer.
will be a neighborhood gathering
"What about the stock?”
"He thought he could better him­
from
all the rancho*—you remem­
“What’s left is all right. I told
self up the river.”
you everybody’s stealing it Let’s ber what a famous host Don Fran­
“Why, Mother,” exclaimed Car­
cisco is. We are going from Guad­
go to bed.”
men, crimsoning, “you know that's
"There was a big bunch of cattle alupe. Won’t you join us? Come
not the reason.
Mother doesn't
out Friday night
there when I left”
want to blame me, Doctor—that’s
"Carmen."
"What the gringos leave, the Mex­
aU.”
Bowie did not stop to read the
icans help themselves to—it’s too
"Ah!” smiled Doane. "A heart
formal Spanish greetings that closed
bad, isn’t it?”
affair.”
the note. He saw on the white sheet
The doctor shot the question to
"But surely that would not send
of paper only the magic word. “Car­
catch him unprepared — and suc­
him away back to Texas," coun­
men.”
ceeded.
tered Dona Maria gently. "Sanchez
He slapped Pedro on the shoul-
“You see,” Doane ran on as he
tells us he went."
turned out the light “I like those der and bade him go down and
The surgeon had his ears open.
folks. To me. they’re the very pic­ feed the horses and get his break-
"You can never tell. Dona Maria.”
It was already merienda
ture at Guadalupe of the splendid fast.
said he, "as to how far these heart
Spanish tradition that came to the day—Saturday.
affairs wiU carry a man. Some men
Bowie made up his mind to ride
New World from the Old. Ever been
would think halfway around the
straight to Don Francisco’s. It was
in Spain, Bowie?”
world not far enough. Much would
There was no answer in the dark. the only chance to catch the party.
depend, I should think, on how deep
But a moment later the doctor, lis­ He scribbled a hasty note for Cap­
the wound.”
tening in the dark, heard a calm but tain Sutter, saying that he had been
"I think aU this is very silly talk.” distinct question not to his liking. unavoidably detained and would fol­
exclaimed Carmen almost explo­ "Did you say anything about my be­ low on the next boat Thirty min­
sively. Up to this point she had ing here?”
utes later he and Pedro were rid­
maintained a reserve so even that
Doane, in turn, took his moment ing rapidly for Don Francisco Guer­
her medical busybody could hardly before answering. “I was hoping rero’s.
formulate much of an inference as you wouldn’t ask that; tonight, any­
to her feelings. But he had now way. Well, I told nobody but Dona
At Don Francisco's a disappoint­
worked his probe deep enough to Maria and cautioned* her against ment met him. The merienda party
excite resentment. She rose impa­ telling any of the rest of the family. had already left. However, it was
tiently to her feet. “Señor Bowie,” I’m dead tired, Henry; I’ll tell you easy to follow. He sent Pedro to
she went on, "is a gentleman of more about it in the morning.”
Guadalupe and took the trail to the
sense and intelligence.”
valley of the strawberries himself.
"I thought him a cowboy,” purred
A pretty scene greeted Bowie's
“If you had seen her face light up
the doctor.
when I told her you were here you’d eyes when he reached the brow of
"A cowboy who has attended have forgiven me for breaking con­ the hill. Below him a valley opened
Georgetown University?” She spoke ’ fidence—you would, indeed,” contin­ like a huge inverted bowl rimmed
with heat. "Señor Bowie is a cabal­ ued the doctor at breakfast in the by surrounding hills. Each rancho
lero, not a vaquero! If you had ever morning. "She thinks a lot of you— had set up its own pavilion, bright
talked with him you’d know he is a in fact, everybody does at Guada­ with Spanish colors, and the pavil­
gentleman of sense, not likely to be lupe. The first question Sanchez ions were spread in a crescent,
seriously upset because an insignifi­ asked was whether I had ever heard opening out on the valley. The va­
cant girl declined his hand.” With anything of you.”
rious ranchos had their comple­
the words she walked indignantly
Bowie offered no comment on any­ ments or servants; and the horses,
from the room.
thing. The doctor thought he was tethered among the trees, were as
"Señorita!” called the doctor aft­ deeply offended but made up his happy as horses could be, close to
er her, but she did not hear. mind it was better not to pay any a running brook, but pestered by
"Please. Dona Maria,” he contin­ attention to his mood. After dinner flies.
Bowie rode rapidly down the long
ued, "tell her not to go riding for a Bowie asked the doctor to lend him
day or two with that arm . . . fifty dollars.
hill and around to the camp near the
'Señorita Carmen has spirit, Dona
And the surgeon was surprised in pines.
Maria,” added the surgeon, putting the afternoon by the appearance in
Dona Maria saw him first. She
away his implements.
the street before the office of two called to Carmen where she stood
"I am glad she has,” said Dona pack mules with loaded hampers at a little distance, talking to Don
Maria. "My own is pretty well Two Mexicans rode up soon, and Vicente, a cousin of Don Francis­
cowed. What with Don Ramon’s ill­ one of them, knocking at the office co's from Santa Barbara.
ness and all our other troubles, I door, asked for Senor Bowie. Bowie
Carmen greeted Bowie with cor­
seem unable to face things as I used himself appeared within a few min­ dial enthusiasm, and he explained
to. I hope Carmelita will soon make utes, casual as usual. He asked in turn the mishap that had pre­
up her mind to marry. She seems the doctor for paper and pen, wrote vented him from joining the party at
interested — at least I sometimes a short note, addressed it to Dona Guadalupe the night before. Don
think so—in Don Sebastian of Santa Maria and handed it to one of the Vicente, Carmen’s escort, scrupu­
Barbara, who is crazy about her. Mexicans and bade him and his lously well mannered and somewhat
But the child is fickle. She seems to companion be on their way. He senior in years to the rest of the
blow hot and cold with him. And then asked the doctor to lend him group, eyed the newcomer with po­
even should she accept him—she is one hundred dollars more. Taking lite interest.
keeping him waiting now — that the gold without comment, except a
While dinner was on, Don Ramon
would not help me. These dons have brief "thank you,” Bowie started rode in with Aunt Ysabel from Mon­
hem» of Interest
• • •
• • •
• • •
• • •
• • •
NOTHING ELSE
SO DELICIOUS
GOOD FOR YOU
Sunkist
CALIFORNIA ORANGES
(TO BE CONTINUED)