ad floated above the house of Don Roberto Yorba for thirty
years. It had been carefully washed, and although broken bits of
spiders' weavings hung to its edges, there were none on its surface.

Magdalena felt no desire to kiss her parent, although it was the first
time for several years that she had stood in his presence. She disliked
and despised him, and thought no less of herself for her repudiation. If
she, a young, inexperienced, and lonely woman, could fight and conquer
morbid fancies, why not he, who had been counted one of the keenest
financial brains of the country? She felt thoroughly ashamed of her
progenitor as she stood looking down upon the little dirty shrunken
shambling figure.

"Well?" growled Don Roberto, "what you want?"

"My mother is very ill. This life is killing her. The doctor says she
must have a change."

"All go to die sometime. What difference now or bimeby?"

"Will you let us go to Santa Barbara to visit aunt?"

"Si she send you the moneys, I no care what you do with it. I no give
you one cents."

"Very well; I shall ask my aunt."

But Mrs. Yorba declared that she would not go to Santa Barbara: she
detested her sister-in-law, and would accept no favours from her, nor be
forced into her society. There was nothing for Magdalena to do but to
nurse her, and a most exasperating invalid she proved. Nevertheless,
Magdalena, although a part of her duties was to read her mother's
favourite literature aloud by the hour, was almost grateful for the
change. She seldom found time for her daily walk, but at least she had
little time to think.

When Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Geary, and Mrs. Brannan returned to town,
they came frequently to sit with the invalid, and cheered her somewhat
with talk of the coming summer, when they should take her down to their
own houses in Menlo.

"And I shall go," said Mrs. Yorba to her daughter, "if I _haven't_ a
decent rag to my back. They think nothing of that; I was a fool not to
go before. And I'm going to get well--against the time when that old
fiend dies. There! I never thought I'd say that, for I was brought up in
the fear of the Lord, but saying it is little different from thinking
it, after all. I've been thinking it for two solid years. California's
not New England, anyhow. When I do get the money, won't I scatter it!
I've been economical all my life, for I had it in my blood, and it was
my duty, as your father wished it; as long as he did his duty by me,