y children--"

He thought suddenly of Carmen and her visits to the shales. His face
shone for a moment with a new light.

"--let your prayers be no mere requests that God will bless us, but
rather let them be statements that He is infinite good, and that He
cannot do otherwise than give us all we need. No, I ask not that you
intercede for me; nor shall I do so for you. But I do ask that you
join with me in trying to realize that God is good; that He loves us
as His dear children; and that He is daily, hourly pouring out His
inexhaustible goodness upon us. We shall all see that goodness when we
learn to think no evil."

His eyes rested upon Carmen as he spoke these last words. Then with a
simple invocation he dismissed the congregation.

The Alcalde carried Jose off to dinner with him, much against the
inclination of the priest, who preferred to be alone. But the Alcalde
was the chief influence in the town, and it was policy to cultivate
him.

"The blessed Virgin shows that she has not forgotten Simiti, Padre, by
sending you here," said Don Mario, when they were seated in the shade
of the ample _patio_.

Jose knew the Alcalde was sounding him. "Yes, friend," with just a
trace of amusement in his voice. "It was doubtless because of the
Virgin that I was directed here," he replied, thinking of Carmen.

"Excellent advice that you gave the people, Padre; but it is not
likely they understood you, poor fools! Now if Padre Diego had been
preaching he would have ranted like a windstorm; but he would have
made an impression. I am afraid soft words will not sink into their
thick skulls."

Dinner was served in the open, during which the Alcalde chattered
volubly.

"Don Rosendo returns soon?" he finally ventured. Jose knew that for
some time he had been edging toward the question.

"_Quien sabe, senor!_" replied the priest, with a careless shrug of
his shoulders.

"But--_Caramba_! he is old to prospect for gold--and alone, too!" Don
Mario eyed Jose sharply.

"Ah, you priests!" he burst out laughing. "You are all alike when it
comes to money. Padre Diego was up to the same schemes; and before he
left he had a hat full of titles to mines."

"But I am not seeking to acquire mineral property!" exclaimed Jose
with some aspersion.

"No? Then you had nothing to do with Rosendo's trip?"

Jose kept silence.

"_Na_, Padre, let us be confidential," said the Alcalde, hitching his
chair closer to the priest. "Look, I under