de of her husband and her children; silent and still at last,
the restless, passionate, proud, sad heart! When, the night after the
funeral, the servants saw Senor Felipe going into his mother's room,
they shuddered, and whispered, "Oh, he must not! He will break his
heart, Senor Felipe! How he loved her!"

Old Marda ventured to follow him, and at the threshold said: "Dear Senor
Felipe, do not! It is not good to go there! Come away!"

But he put her gently by, saying, "I would rather be here, good Marda;"
and went in and locked the door.

It was past midnight when he came out. His face was stern. He had buried
his mother again. Well might the Senora have dreaded to tell to Felipe
the tale of the Ortegna treasure. Until he reached the bottom of the
jewel-box, and found the Senora Ortegna's letter to his mother, he was
in entire bewilderment at all he saw. After he had read this letter, he
sat motionless for a long time, his head buried in his hands. His soul
was wrung.

"And she thought that shame, and not this!" he said bitterly.

But one thing remained for Felipe now, If Ramona lived, he would find
her, and restore to her this her rightful property. If she were dead, it
must go to the Santa Barbara College.

"Surely my mother must have intended to give it to the Church," he said.
"But why keep it all this time? It is this that has killed her. Oh,
shame! oh, disgrace!" From the grave in which Felipe had buried his
mother now, was no resurrection.

Replacing everything as before in the safe hiding-place, he sat down and
wrote a letter to the Superior of the Santa Barbara College, telling
him of the existence of these valuables, which in certain contingencies
would belong to the College. Early in the morning he gave this letter to
Juan Canito, saying: "I am going away, Juan, on a journey. If anything
happens to me, and I do not return, send this letter by trusty messenger
to Santa Barbara."

"Will you be long away, Senor Felipe?" asked the old man, piteously.

"I cannot tell, Juan," replied Felipe. "It may be only a short time; it
may be long. I leave everything in your care. You will do all according
to your best judgment, I know. I will say to all that I have left you in
charge."

"Thanks, Senor Felipe! Thanks!" exclaimed Juan, happier than he had been
for two years. "Indeed, you may trust me! From the time you were a boy
till now, I have had no thought except for your house."

Even in heaven the Senora Mor