ustice in this world? And
for the moment, she was quite carried away by a paroxysm of fury.

Ah, if only she, Dona Fernandez, were but ten years younger! But the
chosen birds of Venus, the white doves of matrimony, were not destined
to hover over her head a second time. Tears of longing and vexation
dimmed her eyes as she thought of the golden, halcyon days of youth that
would never return. At any rate, Felipe and Chiquita must not meet until
after she had warned the latter. Blanch must be used as a foil as long
as possible.

And so it happened that, when breakfast was over, Senora adroitly
arranged that Felipe should conduct the two girls for a morning's ramble
to the pretty little canon of the river which lay but a mile distant
from the town where the foothills began; a plan that suited Blanch
perfectly. She, too, had been doing some thinking over night and had
recognized the possibility of using Don Felipe as a foil against Jack;
he was certainly handsome and clever enough to serve the purpose
admirably.

Captain Forest had gone for a ride an hour before for the purpose of
giving his horse a short run to the foothills and back. So, when Senora
had seen the others safely off, she slipped quietly away in the
direction of Padre Antonio's house.

It lacked a quarter of eleven when she left the house. She knew that
Chiquita would have long since returned from the market and would be at
home. So occupied was she with her thoughts as she hurried forward
intent upon her mission, she did not look up until she turned into the
road leading directly past Padre Antonio's gate, when she suddenly
stopped short. Before her she beheld Captain Forest standing in front of
the gate holding his horse, and Chiquita handing him a red rose. Another
instant, and Chiquita vanished through the gate into the garden and
Captain Forest, remounting his horse, came riding leisurely down the
road at a walk, inhaling the rose with evident pleasure. She drew back
into the shadow of the old wall and pressed close into the thick bushy
mass of white clematis vine which hung over it from above and waited
until he passed.

It is the unexpected that always happens. The meeting between Chiquita
and the Captain was purely accidental. While returning from his ride, he
had been attracted by the beauty and luxuriance of Padre Antonio's
garden as he rode by. He wheeled his horse about and drew rein before
the open iron grating of the gate in order to obtain