Chapter XVII: 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.