"
"Oh, if we could but have gone to Father Salvierderra!" exclaimed
Ramona, involuntarily.
Alessandro looked distressed. "It would have been much more
danger, Majella," he said, "and I had no knowledge of work I could
do there."
His look made Ramona remorseful at once. How cruel to lay one
feather-weight of additional burden on this loving man. "Oh, this is
much better, really," she said. "I did not mean what I said. It is
only because I have always loved Father Salvierderra so. And the
Senora will tell him what is not true. Could we not send him a
letter, Alessandro?"
"There is a Santa Inez Indian I know," replied Alessandro, "who
comes down with nets to sell, sometimes, to Temecula. I know not
if he goes to San Diego. If I could get speech with him, he would
go up from Santa Inez to Santa Barbara for me, I am sure; for once
he lay in my father's house, sick for many weeks, and I nursed him,
and since then he is always begging me to take a net from him,
whenever he comes. It is not two days from Santa Inez to Santa
Barbara."
"I wish it were the olden time now, Alessandro," sighed Ramona,
"when the men like Father Salvierderra had all the country.
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