“I am awfully discouraged, George. I am so sorry that papa put all his money into town property.”
“Let us yet hope Tom Scott might succeed.”
And thus this young couple went on discussing San Diego's chances of life or death, and their own hopes in the future. They were not the only couple who in those days pondered over the problem of the “to be or not to be” of the Texas Pacific. It is not an exaggeration to say that for nearly ten long years the people of San Diego lived in the hope of that much-needed and well-deserved Congressional aid to the Texas Pacific, which never came! That aid which was to bring peace and comfort to so many homes, which at last were made forever desolate!
Yes, aid was refused. The monopoly triumphed, bringing poverty and distress where peace might have been!
Yet in those days—the winter of '74-'75—everybody's hopes were bright. No clouds in San Diego's horizon meant misfortune. Not yet!
And of all of San Diego's sanguine inhabitants, none surpassed in hopefulness the three friends who had invested so heavily in real estate, viz.: Mr. Mechlin, Señor Alamar and Mr. Holman. They exhorted all to keep up courage, and trust in Tom Scott.
————
Many of the cattle sent to Clarence's mines had returned to the rancho from the mountains, and now it was necessary to collect them again and send them back.
Don Mariano himself, accompanied by Victoriano and two of his brothers, would start for the Colorado River, intending to see that the cattle got to the mines safely.
The evening before leaving Victoriano enjoyed the great happiness of seeing Alice by herself and talking to her of his love. For three long months her illness had kept her a close prisoner in her bedroom, and she had not seen Tano.