again.

"Are these thy parents little one?" asked Crescimir tenderly; the
Christchild shook his head negatively and broke into hysterical sobs.

Though the Christchild had denied that these were the bodies of his
parents, both Jovita, her mother and Crescimir felt certain that they
were.

Crescimir remained that night at the Tulucay hacienda and early next
morning the bodies were taken to the village and given burial in
consecrated ground, as the cross which the woman wore and a medal of
silver which the man carried showed them to be of the true church.

After the burial Crescimir returned to the rancheria. "I will be thy
father now, little Christchild," said he as they stood at the well with
Jovita, who had been filling the little olla for her mother's night
drink.

The child looked up with a pleased smile and then turning to Jovita,
asked with his bright eyes a question which words could not better have
expressed.

Jovita replied softly as she looked down at the strange, wistful face,
and felt the touch of Crescimir's hand on her own, "And I thy mother."

[Illustration: Scroll]

[Illustration: Scroll]