The Beautiful Eyes of Ysidria

In the shadow of Tamalpais, Carlos recalls his youth on a California rancho, where church celebrations and woodland walks shape daily life. He has returned from studying law in Mexico and earns money by collecting plants. His knowledge of botany offers practical explanations for mishaps that his neighbors blame on Madre Moreno. This skilled herbalist has gained a reputation for witchcraft through a property dispute involving her family and his.

Carlos's interest in Ysidria draws him into the same uneasy world of suspicion. Beside a ruined adobe, he finds a handkerchief embroidered with her name and hears a whispered message about her eyes. His fear of the shadows and echoes gives way to a suspicion that Madre Moreno has been nearby. Charles A. Gunnison's story combines affection, local beliefs and detailed descriptions of California gardens and hills. Readers can follow a narrator who values observation yet feels the force of the fears surrounding him.