The Squatter and the Don. María Amparo Ruiz de Burton

this evening, and we'll make them stay,” added Victoriano.

      The dance took place and was followed by many others. The Alamar family were very hospitable, and had many visitors, who were only too glad to spend their evenings, dancing with charming and refined young ladies, whose society was certainly most attractive.

      There were several young gentlemen from the Eastern States stopping at the principal hotel in San Diego, and they came to Alamar almost daily, to have a dance, or picnic, or musicale, or a card party.

      These gayeties were not confined to the Alamar and Mechlin and Darrell families, nor was the Alamar rancho only made happy because Tom Scott was coming. The entire county of San Diego was buoyed up with hopes of prosperity, which now seemed founded upon a solid basis.

      As for the town of San Diego itself, the dwarfed and stunted little city, she went crazy with joy. Her joy, however, was not of the boisterous, uproarious kind, it was of a mild character, which smiles at everybody, and takes all that comes in good part, ready always to join in the laugh on herself, provided everybody enjoys it. She was happy, seeing a broad vista of coming prosperity in the near future. Why not? She had every reason and every right to expect that the Texas Pacific would be built.

      At last, Col. Scott arrived, and drove to the principal hotel, where a deputation of the most prominent citizens immediately waited on him to pay their respects, and learn his wishes as to how his time should be occupied during his stay in San Diego. The city desired to honor the distinguished guest with liberal hospitality, but the business of the railroad was the main point in view. There were speeches to be made at “Armory Hall,” with meetings and consultations to be had at nights, besides drives to examine the town site and surrounding country during the day. The ladies wished to give him a ball, but the business men said Tom Scott did not come to dance, he came to work. There was a banquet given to him, but no ladies were present, only men, and plenty of railroad speeches. The ladies could only meet him at private receptions in the evening, when he was tired out with driving. Yet, this was the best that could be done, as his time was limited. But he was amiable, the ladies were amiable, and the gentlemen were amiable. So the little city of San Diego gave all she had to give; all the lands that had belonged to the old “San Diego & Gila R. R. Co.,” all that had been transferred to “The Memphis & El Paso R. R. Co.,” all the town lands, water front and rights of way that could by any means be obtained, all was most generously proffered, adding more lands than those originally given to the road under the old names of “The San Diego & Gila Railroad” or “The Memphis & El Paso Railroad.”

      Col. Scott left well satisfied with the people of San Diego, and the people were charmed with Col. Scott. Speculation then ran wild. Town lots were bought and sold at fancy prices, but in the madness of the hour folly seemed wisdom.

      Among the heaviest investors, Don Mariano Alamar, Mr. James Mechlin, and Mr. Alfred Holman were the most prominent. They bought block after block of building lots, and only stopped when their money was all invested. Clarence also bought a few blocks, and George and Gabriel risked all they dared. Many other people followed this (which proved to be disastrous) example, and then all sat down to wait for the railroad to bring population and prosperity.

      ————

      The day of the double wedding which was to tie together (with a double loop) the Alamar and Mechlin families, was set for the 24th of May, 1873. On that day Gabriel and George would lead to the altar their respective sisters, Lizzie and Elvira.

      Don Mariano wished to celebrate that double wedding in the same old-fashioned way in which his own had been solemnized. He wanted at least three days of good eating and drinking, and dancing; to have noise and boat racing; to have a day's sailing on the bay, and a day's picnic in the woods, to which picnic even the stubborn, hostile squatters should be invited. But with the sole exception of Victoriano, no one of his family approved this programme.

      “I'm afraid my dear husband that we are too closely surrounded by Americans for us to indulge in our old-fashioned rejoicings,” Doña Josefa said.

      “We would be laughed at,” Carlota added.

      “Who cares for that?” Victoriano asked, scornfully.

      “I don't believe that the right thinking and kind-hearted Americans would say anything, except that such is customary among us. But if George and Gabriel desire to run off in the steamer, as though they were ashamed of matrimony, I say let them have their way. But they will have a wedding that will look like a funeral,” said the disappointed Don Mariano.

      “George and Gabriel are willing to have their wedding celebrated as you propose, but it is the girls that object; they wished to run off and hide for a month in a fashionable hotel in San Francisco; afterward they came to the conclusion that they didn't want to go to a hotel, so Gabriel proposed that they will take the steamer that goes to Mazatlan and Guaymas and La Paz, thus to visit all of those places on their wedding tour,” Victoriano said. “As George had been wishing to see the Mexican coast, this plan suited all very well, and George has written to have the steamer stop for them on her way south,” Victoriano explained, half apologetically, half resentfully.

      “That is all right; if they are satisfied I am,” said Don Mariano, philosophically, with characteristic amiability.

      The steamer running between San Francisco and the Mexican ports on the Gulf of California stopped at San Diego to take the newly married couples; a large party of friends escorted them on board.

      Don Mariano was kind and affable to all, but many days passed before he became reconciled to the fact that the marriage of his two children was not celebrated as his own had been, in the good old times of yore.

      The brides and grooms had been gone for some time, and might now be coming back in a few days.

      “I am glad we three are alone, for there is something of which I wish to speak with you two when no one of the family is with us,” said Doña Josefa to Carlota and Rosario, as they sat in their favorite front veranda, sewing.

      The girls looked up, and casting a quick glance to see whether any one was approaching, waited to hear what their mother had to say. The awnings being only half down no one could come from the outside unobserved.

      “What is it, mamma?” Carlota asked, seeing that her mother seemed to hesitate; “anything unpleasant?”

      “Well, no—yes. That is to say, to me it is, very. Have you noticed Mercedes' manner lately? She seems absorbed, silent, thoughtful, sad, and—and—you know what I fear. She says she is not sick, then it is some mental trouble, I am sure. So, then, I have been thinking that she had better go with Elvira and visit New York for a while, the change will do her good. I do not approve of young girls going from home on visits, but as she will go with her married sister, and—and—I hope it will be for her good.”

      “And yet it may not,” said Carlota.

      “Perhaps, if it is as you—as we three—fear, absence might be worse for her,” added Rosario; “Mercedes is very gentle, but she is very loving and constant, so it might do more harm than good to send her away now. Remember what the poet says about it:

      ‘La ausencia es para el amor

      Lo que el aire para el fuego;

      Si es poco, lo apaga luego,

      Si es grande, lo hace mayor.’

      and I fear that Mercedes is too deeply interested already.”

      “That is so. Have you spoken to papa about it?” Carlota asked.

      “I mentioned it only once, knowing his partiality to Clarence,” Doña Josefa replied.

      “He might be partial, but when it comes to the danger of his daughter's marrying a squatter I should think there would be a limit to partiality,” Carlota said, warmly.

      “I fear your father views the matter differently. The one time I mentioned to him that Clarence seemed to be more and more in love with Mercedes, and my fear that she also liked him more than I care to believe. He said, ‘Has