The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 23, 1902, Page 3

. THE SUNDAY CALL, sgiving approaches each Antonio 1s wont to teid wing story—a story of two £ vings in one year, the st Thanksg the first the Th ving of pastoral Cal- recognition in the of its own, al- 10r’s proclamation or dignified it with such was indigenous to the veclally suited to Cai- and to her edict 1t s more sea- thanks t just after the been gatnered and what appropriate than the 4th of O er, fete of St d’'Assisi—St. ¥ whose sons rescued the o om tril ; St. Francis, whose special protection were con- t ns of Alta California! on the morning of October 4, 1845, ue procession approached the at Monterey. From far and anchero brought in a heavy wn by oxen and heaped high 1 beans and melons. Some were canopied with pine oxen looked out placidiy nzanita and pine tas- sels. The drivers, each on a gayly,ca- parisoned horse, fairly shone in their ued holiday attire. - Senoras and mounted behind husbands some managing their own ani- packed in uncomfortable two- ox carts, flashed sparkling €lances from beneath their lace mantillas. Behind walked ‘the Indian servants, each proud of the new garments d Just donned and that must m until the Eastertide brought replace them. rocession neared the church it m wreaths of overtook the townspeople who, on foot, were approaching the same destination. Merry greetings' were exchanged and & pleasaniries enlivened the rest of Possibly Franci it was chance, possibly St. intervention, that brought Ra- stro's team opposite the group of the Diaz family. . Family, we say, because to Ramon and to many another brave this group composed the fam- ugh here were only Senora Diaz aughters, demure Josefa, stately and bewitching Carmencita, 'where near the end of the pro- rched the portly senor and his ten sturdy soms. After the usual greet- ings Ramor the news of the 16WnR since t a fortnight past. “Oh,~ such mews and Carmencita’s K ids dan as her head empha- her words. *Very important news! house of Don Tomas Larkin n Americano. O,” with increas- as Ramon scowled—"with as the bay out there and color of that corn on your cisca?” ita,” reproved her mother. o about the young stranger. , Ramon; you have his year, no?" senor, a plenty for the church 11 ids and myself.” Ramon en to move faster and the ‘And what more should one ated behind Eim. Francisca, the -eldest, re- mencita for her thoughtless- . with a toss of the head ark uncomplimentary to Ra- ed to greet the next load from ehicles and walkers came near- of the church rang eut a e to its loyal childrén. “When » was reached the animals ched apd all the faithful congre- de to assist-at the holy mass. the benediction 'they issued forth ocessional order headed by the rev- erend padre and his acolytes, who bore e b r of St. Francis d’Assisi. Then re trained choir of Indian boys, congregation, two by two. As rched the choir sang a hymn of thanksgiving to the Seraphi¢ Father. The procession moved slowly among the ve- blessing first thfs 16ad and then Then the assemblage knelt down r earth and each heart echoed er. the reverend padre voiced— r ‘of thanksgiving to St. Fran- e harvest of the past year and on that he continue his care by g early and bountiful rains. the banner had Lzen -escorted o the church and deposited at the of the altar the congregation surged t and & merry scené ensued. With chatter and exclamations and in- fectious laughter, the *gente de razon moved zbout in ever changing groups. XNo one was greeted more warmly than Don - Tomas Larkin, who took this op- portunity of introducing to the people from the country his latest protege, Al- vin Rodgers. The older Californians ac- cepted the newcomer warmly, as was their habit. “The friend of Don Tomas is a friend of mine. My house is yours, whenever you wish to visit it.” unger men greeted him with words, but less hearty manner. thought they had noticed a sneer on the face of the Americano as he stood erect during the benediction, and then somber clothes and - unimpassioned de- meanor implied & criticism of their pic- esque garb and enthusiastic manners. n, too, the senoritas; who, after all, were the ones to be protected from the a stranger, had exchanged many side glances with the tall blonde inter- loper. Ramon Castro, in particular, had noticed a telegraphic line established be- tween the blue eyes of the Americano and the coquettish brown fires of Carmencita Diaz. The stranger accepted all degrees of iendliness with the same imperturbabie Imness, and finally attached himself to e group in which the Diaz family were chattering. Senor Diaz locked arms with him and, pointing to where the Indians were unpacking the loads and storing them in the reverend padre's granary, he ked: “O, Senor Rodgers, is it that you ve such good tithes for the church in ou * Gente Ge razon were the whites of Califor- in contradistinction to those of Indian So great has been the de- mand for the first installment of “The Octo ” published in The Sunday Call of November 9 that only = few copies of that edition remain. If youm missed the first asmber of this grea. story apply fo- The Sun- all of that date at once pu will be too late. The Octopus” was written by the late Frank Norris, It is Mr. Norris’ strongest novel. It b tly beer consider- ed the mearest approach to the “great American novel” ever written. It portrays life and scenes in California mere vividly than any other book extant. It s mow rumning Iin The Sunday Call. Ko extra charge! And by thix means you read the best | movel of the day—FRF D — your country “What, no tithes?” as Rodgers explain- ed in his crude broken Spanish the inde- pendence of the church in New England. The whole group, mostly women to be sure, took up the surprige, “No tithes!” '0, Santa Maria, no tithes!"” “No tithes! What an infidel land.” “No tithes! Jesus and Maria deliver us from such a condition."” When the tithes were all stored, the empty vehicles were rattled homeward. Generally, each was sent in the charge of a trusted servant who would see that plowing -was commenced on the ranch that very day. It was necessary that some ground, however little, be broken, to assure St. Francis that they desired an early downpour. In fact, they always knew that if a shower had not already fallen, it surely would before another fortnight had’ rolled away. When had there been & year that St. Francis had not sent rain within fifteen days before, or fifteen days after, his fete day! It was by such constant care that the Seraphic Father had gained the confidence of his children. As the vahs started, the population of Monterey scattéred to its homes, accom- panied by all the country gente de razon Wwho could possibly remain over for the evening’s fiesta. Ramon Castro joined the Diaz group, but had to content himsell with walking with one of the sons, while Senor Diaz marched Rodgers off just be- hind Carmencita and Francisca. The old senor had taken a fancy to the young American. In the two weeks since Rodgers’ arrival he had invited him to his- home every day. With the exception of the father.and Carmencita, the Diaz family felt uncomfortable under the cold blue scrutiny -of the stranger; but, as Californians, they did not withdraw their hospitable attentions. Carmencita, feel- ing the disapproval of her family, shower- ed favors upon him. And he—well, at first be came to- practice speaking Spanisk, and later, he came because he could not keep away. The brown eyes haunted him when away from their presence—now mis- chievous, now daring, now languiShing, now sparkling, but always impelling him to gaze into them—into them and on the softly curved cheek and petal curyed mouth. He did not want to love a Cali- fornian, nor, in fact, any other woman at present. Love would interfere with his ambitions. Ambition had carried him to the head of his class in the Massachusetts town academy; ‘ambition quickened when the old sea captain told of the fortunes to be made in California; ambition made him part with the farm his ancestors had wrested from the wilderness; ambition al- lowed him to bid farewell to relatives and friends without one pang; ambition point- ed to the day he should be a leading fig- ure of his nation. Should he allow this power to'be overcome by the glances of an untrained . maide No, indeed. Time enough for love when ambition’s promises be realized. Then some stately woman might reign over his home; his heart did not enter the question. Yet he answered the call of the eyes and his lips learned more readily to con- verse. As a #lave to his conscience he had told Carmencita that he had come to this country to make his fortune, and’ that, it once gained, he would return to his own land. *“O, it is that the climate does mot suit you, senor?” Che climate is all right, but—" “It is the people. You do not like us?” and the dark head went up in the air. « “You know 1 like you, but—" “If you.like the climate and like us, then you'll stay. Don Larkin came for his fortune, and he still lives here, and Don Hartwell and Don Fitch, and Dr. Den. O, éverybody who comes remains with us. And you, too, Senior R-r-rod- gers—you, too, may adopt our land. “No, mever. I shall go back where op- portunities await me.” Then Carmencita, with proper dignity, launched into less personal seas. On this day of St. Francis the Diaz household gave fitself up to the holi- day, lounging, singing, playing the gui- tar, recelving calls. Rodgers - observed the affection Ramon Castro had for Carmencita, and Carmencita divided her glances and words equally between her countryman and the stranger. As Ra- mon grew more enthusiastic Rodgers ex- htbited his dislike of it by growing more haughty. ‘With evening came the ball—a fiesta enjoyed only as a dance-loving people can enjoy it. Carmencita and Ramon shared the accomplishments common to their people and usually tripped untirs ingly as long as the music continued. Rodgers felt shut out. He watched his opportunity and drew Carmencita into th: court. There, in momentary seclu- sion, he told her she must reserve her smiles for him and him alone. “But when you go back to your own land, senor—" “I'll never go back. Your land shall be mine, or you will go with me.” *“But your fortune, senor?—" “Fortune does not matter. Nothing matters but you. I want you, you, Car- mencita, Promise to marry me. Prom- ise,” and-he held her close. “Let me go. Let me go. When you make your fortune, senor, th I will marry you. No, no, senor. i never marry a poor Americano. My own coun- tryman is different. We do not care for money. You are different. Look at Eu- lalia Gonzales. She married a poor Americano, and now ‘she has to work, work, work, and save anc never have any comfort. All because her husband wants to save money. No. You make rour fortune and thed—you may go home or you may marry me, i{f Remon has not been beforehand.” “He'll never be beforehand. the fortune and you, too.” “O, but only this day Ramon has csked my father that he may marry me on the 8th of December, his fete day and the Virgin's.” “December! So near! But this is only October, and November comes between. There are other fete days besides his. This is your Thanksgiving. My country has a Thanksgiving in a few weeks. Then T'll efther have riches or definite promise of riches. Then I'll claim you. That will be my Thanksgiving.” As merry voices were heard ecalling, T get “armencita, Cita,” he whispered, “Promise me. Promise and seal your Promise so, 50, 50.” Her affirmative answer was smothered, and then they turned to greet their seek- ers. Carmencita returned to the dance to be the center of gayety until morning; but Rodgers soon afterward bade good-night. Alvin Rodgers had only his brains and his merciless selfishness to help him in kis struggle for fortune. If any one stood in his way to success it would be bard for that individual. The open-heart- ec hospitality of the Californtans was ac- cepted as a means of learning quickest the opportunities of the country. Lar- kin gave him employment, assisting in his various commercial enterprises. He soon saw that wealth could be amassed Ly cornering the hides and tallow from tle rancheros, disposing of them to the ship captains on better terms than the Californians had received, and, with the proceeds {mporting Yankee inventions that could be sold here for a thousand times their intrinsic. value., But that would take time. The hides and tallow for this year were aiready bargainei away, He wanted immediate riches, His employment with Larkin took him AN to the different ranches and even as far north as Pueblo de San Jose. Here old Don Palomares, in extolling California over Mexico, sald: 4 “O, yes, senor, Mexico has her silver mines. But who can say that California has not greater riches? Perhaps the old padres can tell of gold fields that the old Indians knew about.!” “No, senor. The present Indians do not know of the gold mines. They were born at the missions and their fathers, com- manded by the reverend padres, died with the secret.” “No, senor. The reverend padres never divulged any such information. They had seen how the Indians of Mexico were en- slaved to work in the mines, and how avarice, awakened by the desire for sil- ver, had corrupted the -white man. So why introduce a great curse here in this land of content, where God sends all that is needed and where his children lve in peace and in his spirit?” After this Rogers cultivated the ac- quaintance of the different priests on his routes, the padres of Monterey, of the Pueblo de San Jose and of the missions of San Jose and Santa Cruz. His eyes, always stern, grew colder and keener, end his manners, always implying supe- riority, did not tend to win him personal friendship. However, as a stranger and u protege of Larkin, the padres extended their hospitality io him—their hospitality. MATHERNVE— A. CHANDLER. but nothing more. - It was not llkely\thatv they would confide to a foreigner a se- cret which they withheld from their own sons. Rodgers, from his former latent antip- athy to Catholicism, began to hate the Driests with a strong personal hatred. They, he suspected, held the key that would unlock fortune's strong box. They were the first obstacles in his career that ac could not master. In between his trips ~away, Rodgers lived at Mr. Larkin's. He saw Car- mencita frequently; never alone, it is true, but always with the consciousness of a secret understanding between them. He suggested to Mr. Larkin that they . give a“ball on the last Thursday in No- vember, . “the ‘Thanksgiving day of old Massachusetts.” Thomas Larkin' was glad of an excuse to extend hospitality to his neighbors, even though, as he re- marked, the form of- the . celebration would have horrified the founders of the old New Erngland custom. ki As November flew in the ‘mellow sun- kissed days of the California early win- ter, Rodgers seemed more of a foreigner than ever. He grew sterner and .colder, ag if embodying the November climate of Lis native State. By day and by night he mapped out roads to wealth, all of them practical enough if he could have waited to travel them. But delay was dangerous: and by Thanksgiving he must be abie to claim .Carmencita—Carmencita, the. only bright spot in this " accursed .country, where men were content to be “deprived of riches through a whim of the. old dotard padres. Oh, those: priests! How he hated them! It would-be a satisfaction to wring.all their negks,’if by so doing he could wring from them the secret of the gold beds. =k On the Monday previous to Thanksgiv- ing Rodgers had to start on a trip to the vicinity of Santa Cruz, that would “keep him awdy until Thanksgiving day itself. In his:absence the preparations for the ball went on. A New England supper was cooked under the direction of Mrs. Lar- kin. Some of the dishes were discussed in town and afforded much amusement to the Californians. -Just think of bak- ing beans, baking them and with mo- lasses, too. And think of using the pump- kin_for people to eat. However ealing mattered little, with the“joy of the dance ahead. ~ » Thanksglving night arrived, the ball be- gan, and yet Rodgers had not returned. About 10 o'clock. the voices around ‘the entrance announced his arrival. He seemed almost excited. He explamhed that be had had difficulty In crossing the Salinas and that he had rushed for fear of being too late for the ball. “As he does not. dance, that would: be a pity,” Ramon Castro murmured t5 a neighbor. During the following _dance, ~Rodgers telegraphed - to Carmencita’s watchful cyes. When the music began she slipped cut and met him in the mooniighted court- yard. ‘““Hold up your head,” he command- ed and then he twined strings and strings of pearls around her slender neck. Then he caught her to him. “You are mine. It is Thanksgiving and you are mine.” “But; senor, where—" “Don’t ask anything. You promised it I brought wealth you would be mine. Promise me you will sail with me in the ‘White Wings to-morrow. The captain can marry us at sea, and at my home you will have happiness you never dreamed of here. Promise me. Promise—" But why that sudden pause in the mu- sic. The silence made them both start. Then from the windows thundered: “That Americano, Rodgers. Dog of an infidel. He murdered the padre of the Mission de Santa Cruz and stole the strings of pearls from the virgin.” Carmencita shivered herself out of his arms as the piercing tones inside continued: “Sancho, the Indian, saw him, while hid in the canctuary. He came to tell us, but the Americano had several hours’ start. Now be’s here. Where is he? A howl for blood went up as the whole company jumped for the doorways. The ery roused Carmencita. “Come,” sne breathed, and, seizing his hand, led him running through the nearest exit, Half a block down the street taey were before »from the shore. thelr pursuers percetved them. shots filled the air. ko At the corner the: made a swift turn and ran d(reul;rzo th: bay. Carmencita jumped Into an old boat, Roagers followed and unmoored ‘it. He seized the oars and made some distance The pursuers reached the beach. Some fired wildly, but others boarded a boat and continued after them. It was fnevitable that they be taken. Carmencita crept along the boat to his side and put her arms around him. “It was my fault, my sin. You did it for me. I love you. I love you!" The oars wers dropped. His arms inclosed her. “Don’t let them take us,” she whispered. He suddenly stood erect, with her still in his arms. Then one bound and the waters had closed over thelr bodies. They never again reached the shores of Monterey, Dor has the sea ever again given up the treasured pearls. When he finishes his story, old Don Antonio always leans back and sighs. “You see why it is I do not appreciate the American Thanksgiving. There al- ways returns that picture of the first time we celebrated it.” “Did the padres know of the gold flelds? Who can fell? If they did, they were wise to withhold the information. You see how much harm the desire for gold works. Pobre Carmencita! “Is it true? Well, I was one of the pursuers,” 5 B FASHION HINTS., The spring laces along the imitation lines were very nice and the autumn laces will be still nicer, and, in the imi- tations, there will be some good Hunga- rian and Italian laces. ‘What a day it is for the shopkeeper— he who handles pretty things. ‘He is in @ way a public benefactor, for he devotes his life to dress decorations. At great expense he sends his buyers abroad and lets them scrape this country and the other for everything pretty and attract- iveuin the feminine line. At the fall open- ing he spreads out all these goods for public approval, and the eye of woman perennially glistens as she looks at the beautiful display so carefully gotten up for her. Mrs. Herbert’s fall outfit, for this side or the other, is something which is still under discussion. England’s sad event scmewhat dimmed its glory, but the wife of the English diplomat has many new beautiful gowns, and not the least of them is one which is bufit of black and white velvet. The velvet is a panne so light in weight that it seems like panne cloth, yet it is not transparent and in weigkt it is like a light ribbon. The black and white is In stripes—a small black stripe traveling through the White velvet in zigzag fashion all the way down the skirt. The skirt is cut in French style, which has no flounce around $he foct, but is made to flare by scissor, art. It is®curved and it lies around the feet In a great flare. The shape of the breadths before they are sewed together is Interesting, for each one widens very rapidiy and is very narrow at the top. But let a beginner bandling such a skirt beware, for she canpot achieve success unless she under- stands the art of flaring" it just rapidly enough. It must curve outward, so as to stand and not to flop in around the feet. Mrs. Herbert’s waist is made of striped velvet and across the front there is a square of ¥ed silk trimming, applied as though it were outlining a sailor collar. The trimming is three inches wide and is vailed with white lace. It is put on squarely across the front and back with saflor effect over the shoulders. The waist has a pouch front and buttons down the back. Pcpularity is an excellent thing to cul- tivate in these days of waists that but- ton in the back, for a woman who does not keep a majd must depend upon her friends, but there is the consoling thought that there are always kind-hearted peo- Ple in the world, and no woman need go out with her back unbuttoned, though many do. A fashion that grows is the one that calls for a touch of gold in jewelry or in tinsel. It js coming to a pass when we must kave a little gold on everything. If you cannot get it in any other way you must take a little gold thyead and make French kuots here and there. If you will take the time you can get very good gold re- sults by chasing a.thread of gold all over your gown, so as to make a very intrie cate scroll. If you do this you can work shead with apparent disregard of a pat- tern, but there must be methed in your madness or the scroll will look too irreg= ular, A modiste who makes a gpecialty of scrolling” cloth gowns with gold and who cmplcys a number of ‘apprentices on the werk says that her cntv rule is that the threads shall be an eqlal distance apart. If_this rule s observed the scroll will look “sregular and you can meander thitber and yon without fear- of spoiling your thread and you gown. There is another way to uge gold and for this you will need cloth of gold. This is a commodity which can ke obtained at a low price in spite of its appalling name: Perhaps, instead of asking for cloth of gold, you had better say gold gauze, for this comes a little fower. = Get a_yard of it, if it is wide, or six yards if it is very narrow, and take it hcme with you. Nowe get a plece of lace, filet, Bruges, BrusseM, D"Alencon or any old lace you happen to have in the house, the older the better. It ought to have scallops or points along the’ lower edge and it would be very convenient if it were net lace at the top. Take your scissors and, without con- sclence or design shear off the nmet part leaving your precious lace a ragged pieca in your hands. Now take your cloth of gcld and apply your lace to it in such a way that the cloth of gold is at the top with the lace for a border. This will give you a very distinguished trimming for the bottom of your skirt, if you want to be so reckless as to use it at the foot, or it will make a very re- fined border for your yoke, You can use this same thing to cover your silk stock, and, if you are very well fixed in this world's goods, you can get emough of It to go around your hips like a yoke and to border the lower part of your waist right above your beit, i such a way that it goes around you like a high girdle. Gold ornaments In all shades of gold, bronze and green, dull and burnished, will be wern. 3 Other great things there are in the fash- forr world, but they are heid back a little - by the absolute stopping of fashion events abroad, but of that gnd of further de~ velopments you shall hear later. ——————————— In all-but eleven of the fifty-two States and Territories the male outnumbers the *female .population. These eleven States are along the Atlantic seauoard. Califor= nia contains the greatest excess of men, the recorded pumber being 136.009; Minne- sota comes second with 113,58; Texas fourth, with 106,007