ve
their life problems, not to pry into their sacred secrets; and their
confessions must relate only to their necessities.

The Alcalde went away with a puzzled look. Of a truth a new sort of
priest had now to be reckoned with in Simiti--a very different sort
from Padre Diego.

In the first days of Jose's incumbency he found many serious matters
to adjust. He had learned from Rosendo that not half the residents of
Simiti were married to the consorts with whom they lived, and that
many of the children who played in the streets did not know who their
fathers were. So prevalent was this evil condition that the custom
among the men of having their initials embroidered upon the bosoms of
their shirts was extended to include the initial of the mother's
family name. Jose had questioned Rosendo as to the meaning of the
letters R. A. S. upon his shirt.

"The S, Padre, is the initial of my mother's family name. I am Rosendo
Ariza, son of the daughter of Saurez. My parents were married by a
priest. But half the people of Simiti have never been really
married."

Jose sought the cause of this dereliction. Fidel Avila was living with
a woman, by whom he had three children. The priest summoned him to the
parish house.

"Fidel," he questioned sternly, "Jacinta, the woman you live with, is
your wife?"

"Yes, _Senor Padre_."

"And you were married by the Church?"

"No, Padre."

"But was there a priest here when you began to live with Jacinta?"

"Yes, Padre. The _Cura_, Don Diego Polo, was here."

"Then why were you not married by him? Do you not know how wicked it
is to live as you are doing? Think of your children!"

"Yes, Padre, and I asked the _Cura_, Don Diego, to marry us. But he
charged twenty _pesos oro_ for doing it; and I could not afford it. I
loved Jacinta. And so we decided to live together without the
marriage."

"But--!" Jose stopped. He knew that the Church recognized no marriage
unless it were performed by a priest. The civil magistrate had no
jurisdiction in such a case. And a former priest's rapacity had
resulted in forcing illegitimacy upon half the children of this
benighted hamlet, because of their parents' inability to afford the
luxury of a canonical marriage.

"Fidel, were your father and mother married?" he asked in kinder
tones.

"I do not know, Padre. Only a few people in Guamoco can afford to pay
to be married. The men and women live together, perhaps for all time,
perhaps for only a few