s and her grace and charm of personality affected him like
some wonderfully attuned chime of silver bells. Surely this was worth
waiting for. His prayers had been answered richly and abundantly, far
beyond anything his imagination had pictured during those long years of
waiting.

V

The _Posada de las Estrellas_ was situated on the western side of the
town within a stone's throw of Padre Antonio's house. It stood well back
from the highroad from which it was screened by a thick hedge-like
growth of cedar, manzanita, tamarisk and lilac bushes.

A short distance east of the _Posada_, the highroad entered the long
_Alameda_ which led to the plaza in the center of the town, overlooked
by the old _Precedio_ or Governor's palace.

The widespreading branches of two immense cottonwood trees, the trunk of
one of which was encircled by a rustic bench, cast an inviting shade in
front of the house and wide veranda which stretched its length along two
sides of the low, one storied adobe structure. Honeysuckle and white
clematis and pink and scarlet passion vines clambered up its slender
pillars and hung in fragrant flowering festoons from the low balustrades
above. The fresh green leaves of the nasturtium, bright with variegated
blossoms, ranging from deep scarlet to gold and pale yellow, trailed
along the ground at the foot of the veranda and skirted the narrow
pathway which led to the rear of the _Posada_ whose _patio_ looked out
upon a garden interspersed with innumerable flowers and shrubs, fruit
and cedar trees, and whose soft green lawn was intersected by narrow
gravel pathways. Just back of the garden lay the vegetable patches which
intervened between it and the stables and corrals, whence came the
cackling of hens and cooing of pigeons in the early morning.

Originally the _Posada_ had been one of the large _haciendas_ adjoining
Santa Fe, but its mistress, Senora Fernandez, had transformed it into an
Inn after the death of her husband who had been killed accidentally by
the fall of his horse. Finding herself in reduced circumstances incurred
by her husband's gambling propensities, she resolved upon the change.
His chief legacy consisting of debts, she was obliged to part with the
greater portion of the estate, but her natural executive ability stood
her in good stead.

The new enterprise prospered, and the Inn became widely known throughout
the country as a place at which to stop if only for a cup of chocolate