rds, before
Ramona interrupted him. "Oh, yes!" she said. "I knew about those things;
your mother told me. When we were in such trouble, I used to wish
sometimes we could have had a few of the jewels. But they were all given
to the Church. That was what the Senora Ortegna said must be done with
them if I married against your mother's wishes."

It was with a shame-stricken voice that Felipe replied: "Dear Ramona,
they were not given to the Church. You know Father Salvierderra died;
and I suppose my mother did not know what to do with them. She told me
about them just as she was dying."

"But why did you not give them to the Church, dear?" asked Ramona,
simply.

"Why?" cried Felipe. "Because I hold them to be yours, and yours only.
I would never have given them to the Church, until I had sure proof that
you were dead and had left no children."

Ramona's eyes were fixed earnestly on Felipe's face. "You have not read
the Senora Ortegna's letter?" she said.

"Yes, I have," he replied, "every word of it."

"But that said I was not to have any of the things if I married against
the Senora Moreno's will."

Felipe groaned. Had his mother lied? "No, dear," he said, "that was not
the word. It was, if you married unworthily."

Ramona reflected. "I never recollected the words," she said. "I was
too frightened; but I thought that was what it meant. I did not marry
unworthily. Do you feel sure, Felipe, that it would be honest for me to
take them for my child?"

"Perfectly," said Felipe.

"Do you think Father Salvierderra would say I ought to keep them?"

"I am sure of it, dear."

"I will think about it, Felipe. I cannot decide hastily. Your mother did
not think I had any right to them, if I married Alessandro. That was
why she showed them to me. I never knew of them till then. I took one
thing,--a handkerchief of my father's. I was very glad to have it;
but it got lost when we went from San Pasquale. Alessandro rode back a
half-day's journey to find it for me; but it had blown away. I grieved
sorely for it."

The next day Ramona said to Felipe: "Dear Felipe, I have thought it all
over about those jewels. I believe it will be right for my daughter to
have them. Can there be some kind of a paper written for me to sign, to
say that if she dies they are all to be given to the Church,--to Father
Salvierderra's College, in Santa Barbara? That is where I would rather
have them go."

"Yes, dear," said Felipe; "and then we wi