THE SEÑOR’S STORY
In the days that followed the discovery of the papers and jewels the
girls were all impatience to hear from Señor Rodriguez. Jo Ann especially
was restless. Always she had disliked inaction, and now she wanted to
find out everything “right straight away.” She failed to realize that the
Señor was having to search through scores of old city records for
information, and that, like a true Spaniard, he was
thorough—painstakingly accurate in every detail.
Again and again the three girls talked over that eventful night and the
unanswered questions—Why had those things been hidden in that underground
room? Why had no one found them before? To whom did they belong?
“Since we found those things under the church, they probably belong to
the church,” Jo Ann declared thoughtfully one morning in one of these
discussions. Her eyes suddenly began to shine as she added, “I know what
I wish they’d do if the jewels belong to them—sell them and take the
money to restore that part of the building that’s in ruins. The people
are too poor to have it repaired. Such an old historic building ought not
to be allowed to fall into decay. Then, if there were any money left
after the repairing was done, it could be used for a special relief fund
for the poor people.”
“Those are both fine ideas,” approved Florence.
“I wish I had enough money to buy that lovely filigree necklace, if the
jewels are sold,” put in Peggy. Her face lengthened. “I know, though,
it’d be more expensive than I could afford.”
“I’d love to have that beautiful opal ring,” spoke up Jo Ann wistfully.
Florence half sighed as she added, “That bracelet with my birthstone and
the tiny diamonds was so attractive.”
To the girls’ delight at lunch that day Dr. Blackwell announced that at
four o’clock Señor Rodriguez was coming over to tell them what he had
found out about the records and jewels.
“My, but I’m glad!” exclaimed Jo Ann. “I was beginning to think he’d
never come.”
By half-past three the girls were waiting eagerly in Dr. Blackwell’s
office for the Señor’s coming. Peggy and Florence chatted gaily with Dr.
Blackwell, but Jo Ann kept glancing nervously at her watch. She felt that
this was one of the most important events in her whole life. If only she
could be instrumental in restoring that old church—that would be
wonderful!
At last voices were heard in the hall, and Felipe ushered in Señor
Rodriguez and, to their surprise, Padre Ignacio.
As soon as greetings had been exchanged, Señor Rodriguez placed the
yellowed papers on the table and beside them the jewel box, which no
longer was black, but bright and shining.
“Why, the box is silver!” thought Jo Ann, amazed, “He’s had it polished
till it’s beautiful.”
Señor Rodriguez was all lawyer now—dignified and formal. “My dear young
ladies, I haf de honor of congratulate you on de wonderful discovery you
haf made,” he began in his broken English, bowing to each of the girls.
“Dese are ver’ valuable papers which you haf found—ver’ valuable to de
city, ver’ valuable to de church and to my family,” he added, smiling.
The girls smiled back happily. They didn’t understand all that he was
talking about or why they should receive so much praise, but evidently
their discovery was more important than they had realized.
He then went on to explain how, after searching through the archives of
the city, studying old records, and checking names and dates, he felt
that he could give some authentic information about the papers.
They were records dating before 1846 of some of the oldest most prominent
families of the city. Several of the older inhabitants with whom he had
talked remembered having heard their parents tell of the exciting times
when the city had been besieged by the American forces under General
Zachary Taylor. As soon as they had realized they could hold out no
longer against the Americans, they had hidden their most valuable
possessions, of which only a small part had ever been recovered. Tales of
vast treasures hidden under the city had been handed down from generation
to generation, but few of them seemed to have any foundation.
“Dis General Guerrero whose name you see on dis paper,” continued the
Señor, picking up one of the papers, “was de fadder of my esteemed
gran’fadder. Dey are de records of de families of Guerrero and Rodriguez
before 1846. Finding dem will clear de titles to some ver’ valuable
property which belong to my family.”
“Oh, señor, I’m so glad!” exclaimed Florence.
“We are, too, aren’t we, Peggy?” added Jo Ann.
The Señor went on to say that when he showed the jewels and papers to his
grandmother, she recalled a story told to her in her childhood by her
mother just before she died. According to this story her husband, General
Guerrero, at the time of the siege, had given her some important papers
which he had told her to guard above everything. When the general had
realized that the city could no longer hold out, he had sent a messenger
with a hastily written note telling her to send those valuable papers and
their jewels to him by this man. She had reluctantly handed the papers
and jewels to the messenger, but that was the last she had ever heard or
seen of them. As the general had been killed that same day, she supposed
the things had been either lost or stolen. For that reason no effort was
ever made to recover them.
“And dese are de papers dat were lost,” finished the Señor. “How ver’
fortunate it is dat you find dem!”
“But how could they have ever got in that secret underground room?” asked
Florence.
Señor Rodriguez shook his head. “Dat I do not know. I t’ink perhaps
someone carry dem to de _padre_, and he hide dem along wid odder valuable
t’ings which had been sent to him. De tunnels under de church had been
used for carrying reinforcements and food to de army at de outskirts of
de city. Dat is why dey could hold out so long against de American
forces.”
“No wonder we couldn’t find the other end of the tunnel!” exclaimed Jo
Ann. “It must be several miles long.” She turned to Señor Rodriguez. “Do
the jewels belong to your family, too?”
“Ah, dat I do not know. Some of dem I t’ink belong to my family, but it
is impossible to be sure. My gran’modder say she sure dis little ring—dis
little ring you admire so much, Mees Jo—was her Gran’modder Guerrero’s
ring.”
He went on to explain how, since they had no way of finding exactly to
whom the jewels had belonged, they had decided it would be better to
return them to the church, as it had been very poor for years.
“Oh, señor!” exclaimed Jo Ann, her eyes shining. “Will there be enough
money then to repair that old ruined part of the church? I think an old
historic building like that ought to be restored.”
The Señor smiled approvingly. “Dat is a ver’ good plan, Mees Jo. De
_padre_ and I haf already discuss dat.” He went on to add that the jewels
alone would not be sufficient to furnish funds for the restoring of the
building, but that some of the old papers cleared up titles to valuable
property belonging to the church, and that from this property enough
could be secured for that purpose.
“I’m so glad you’re going to do that!” rejoiced Jo Ann. “That old church
has held a fascination for me from the first time I saw it. To think that
we girls will have a part in restoring it—that is wonderful!”
“And they can use those beautiful candelabra we found,” put in Florence.
“When they restore that part of the building, they’ll open the passage to
those underground rooms, and it’ll be easy to get the candelabra out
then,” said Jo Ann. She turned to the Señor and the _padre_. “You might
find more valuable things down there—we didn’t search thoroughly.” She
stopped a moment, then added, “Won’t there be enough money to help those
poor people who attend the church?”
Señor Rodriguez nodded. “We hope so—we want ver’ much to do that.” He
turned and translated Jo Ann’s words to the _padre_, who also nodded
approvingly. “Padre Ignacio and I are ver’ happy dat you young ladies are
so much interes’ in our people,” the Señor added then, “and we would like
to do somet’ing to show you how much we appreciate what you haf
done—so—we haf decide to give you each what you like best of de jewels.”
The girls exchanged swift glances of surprise.
He poured out the jewels on the table. “I believe Mees Peggy like dis
necklace—is it not so?” He handed her the filigree necklace she had
admired so much.
“Oh, señor!” gasped Peggy, staring wide-eyed at the bit of loveliness in
her hands. “You mean this is really mine?”
“_Sí_, Mees Peggy. It is wid much pleasure dat I present it to you.”
“And, Mees Florencita, did you not say you like dis bracelet?” He placed
the jewel-set bracelet in her hands.
“Oh, but señor, that is too valuable to give to me,” protested Florence.
“No—no,” he replied, patting her on the shoulder. “It is of no value
compare to what you haf done for us.”
“And now, Mees Jo, will you please to come here one moment?”
With cheeks flushed from excitement Jo Ann rose from her chair and came
over to the Señor’s side.
“To you, my most estimable friend,” he began, “you who haf been so much
interes’ in our city—in de history of our country, and who—how do you say
it?—ah, figure t’ings out—who haf accomplis’ somet’ing dat seem
impossible and restore to us dese ver’ valuable papers, we want to give
dis token of appreciation—dis little ring.” He held up the beautiful opal
and diamond ring that Jo Ann had selected as her favorite of all the
jewels. “I t’ink that this once belonged to my great-great-gran’modder.”
Jo Ann’s eyes shone starlike. “It’s beautiful—beautiful—but it’s such a
valuable heirloom—to give to me.”
“Because it is an heirloom, I want all de more to give it to you, my
friend.” The Señor smiled warmly over at her. “Let me put it on your
finger.”
All happiness, Jo Ann held out her right hand, and the Señor slipped the
ring on her third finger with all the dignity of a ceremonial. With equal
dignity she bowed and said slowly, “I thank you very much for this
wonderful gift and for the honor of wearing your ancestor’s ring.”
THE END
Transcriber’s Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public
domain in the country of publication.
--Added a list of the Mexican Mystery Series.
--Added a Table of Contents.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and
dialect unchanged.