The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-26
A BAG OF coin
This Story Of q Hack Drives.

care you engaged. coachmanp''
had stopped ut that moment TO water
my horses. and to quench my own thirst
In . saloon near. / had scarcely reach
ed my horses heads when heard the
above question, and saw, as turned
round. young lady standing by the
side of my cab. ss ass
= Without delay answered. and open
ing the carriage door, helped the lady
in. Her face had q certain hesitating,
timids expression, which made me Judge
that my fare was not an independent
lady, but housekeeper or governess.
She wore q black silk dress and a wool
len shawl Her hands and feet were
small. but it did not escape me that her
gloves were very much worn. 1850
1 asked her where she wished TO be
carried. She named o locality not of the
best fame, and with trembling voice,
ms il ashamed of it. i climbed on the
box, and whipped up. Although it was
nothing to me where my fare wished to
60, I felt q sort of curiosity as to who
and what the lady might be. / had OBJ
served that she seemed to have pretty
face, although the veil that she wore
ever it did not let me see her features
plainly. Daring the trip was driven
by my curiosity to peep through the car
riage window behind me, and saw that
she had put up her veil She looked
frightfully pale and thin. Her skin was
like wax and one did not need TO be q
doctor TO know that she was consump-
tive. as
She held in her hands something ON
which her eyes were fixed, and there
came over her face an expression Of
thankfulness and satisfaction What
the object was could net tell exactly.
I only saw that it was light colored, and
had no decided shape had only two
seconds Of time for my observation. J.
had to see to my horses i'm the crowded
street., -
i gave them lash with the whip. and
at quick trot we soon arrived at the
city Indicated As soon as found the
number which the lady had given me,
i stopped, got off the box. and opened
the door to help her out She appeared
to be in great agitation, as If an unpleas-
ant interview was before her. / receiV-
ed from her, over the price of her fare,
which she evidently knew, a little drink
rooney, thanked her. and she hurried
away, while turned my carriage to a
neighboring saloon, to invest The drink
money immediately in a glass of beer
But before went in / proceeded to
straighten the carriage cushions, and
see that all was right inside. As soon
as / opened the door again saw some
object lying ON the seat 1t was asmal
linen saek-withoutdo doubt what the lady
had held in her lap. took it ia my
hand, and its weight astonished me.
With not q little curiosity / looked at it
again and again. and at last tried TO OPP
t. r. t1aee
was fastened only by little. piece Of
string. - as @ @
One can imagine my surprise when
found that it was filed with gold pieces.
dared not look at them further in this
place, as policeman might possibly mo-
tiee, and ask how Iacame by the gold.
Meanwhile / tied the sack again, and
put it in the wide pocket of my coat In
stead of INDUCING myself in q glass OF
beer, drove to the nearest hack-stand,
and took my place in the rear of the
line of carriages, SO that could be sure
of not being wanted for the next half
hour. Ysr Fsshs
got into my carriage, as hackmen
often do when they want q little rest,
and examined for the second time my
new-found treasure. Il shock the con-
tents of the bag ON the seat, and sat
with-dazzled eyes before quite pile of
gold.
: After delighting my eyes with it for a
while, counted the money, partly TWEEN
ty, partly ten-dollar pieces. singly, again
into the sack, and found that it amount
ed to exactly the sum of fifteen hundred
dollars.
I could not think otherwise than that
this money belonged TO the pale young
lady whom had last carried How she
came by 1t, and what she was going to
do with it, was another thing. had
found ii, and it was o great temptation
20 me to keep it. What could not I'M
dertake with such capital? / could buy
myself carriage and horses, and i'm
stead of being miserable hired coach
man. would myself own carriages, or es-
tablish livery stable. which would make
me independent.
The picture of the future which i
painted IN this way was alluring enough,
but along with it was the consideration
that should be thief If / retained the
money. My selfshness had very severe
struggle with nav conscience
q While i now looked more closely at
the bag, found written in ink upon it
the address, Miss Mildred Berkeley,
Ne. Madison Place. This address,
which had hitherto escaped me- read
with as much disgust as establishment.
for there now remained to me. as an
honorable man, but one way. ] medi-i
etated over it time, but could come
to no conclusion. with honesty" said
one voice in my soul, .syou will earn no
bread; with honesty You can go, in yoar
old age, 30 the poor house, -H
At last selfish interest and conscience
came 20 q compromise, and resolved
to keep the money till the following day.
Then, Thought there will be reward
offered, and no one can blame me for
at least profting by that.
I remained al day In fever of ex-
element; and when night came felt
really i'll I could not sleep. Next
morning was pale and wretched. j
went to breakfast where hacknien are ID
the habit Of drinking their coffee. and
eagerly looked for the morning paper.
Sure enough. at the top of the column
for lost and found articles j found this
advert fnent:
Iosr-Y esssrday in o hack, bag Of gold
The andex Ii earnestly entreated 90 bring the