San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-06

The picture of the future which /
painted in this way was alluIing enough,
but along with il was the consideration
that / should be a thief IL / retained
the money. My selfshness had So
we're struggle with my conscience.
While / now looked moro closely ut
the bag, | found written in ink upon it
the address:
"Miss Mildred Berkeley, No. 4 Mad
ison place"
This address, which had hitherto es'
capped me, / read with as much disgust
rs astonishment, for there now re.
NAMED 10 me, as an honorable man,
but one way. / meditated over 1t for
time, but could come TO no conclus-
ion.
"With honesty said one voice to
my soul, "you earn no bread; with hon
esty you can go, in your old age, to the
poor house."
At last selfish interest and conscience
came to compromise, and l resolved
to keep the money till the following
day. Then, thought, there will be a
reward offered, and no one can blame
me for ut least prollting by that.
remained all day in u fever OF ex-
citement, and when night came / felt
really ill. I could not sleep. Next
morning I was pale and wretched. 1
went to breakfast where hackmen are
in 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, /
found this advertisement:
LosT.-Yesterday, in u hack, bag
of gold. The finder is earnestly en-
treated to bring the money to No. rs
Grattan street, three flights up, where
he will receive liberal reward.
knew well what this last passage
signifed, for 1 had already in many
cases learned that this common express
sion allowed great latitude. A liberal
reward meant perhaps from 81 to So
and q glass of beer. That would be
fine amends for resigning 81, 800.
laughed in scorn, and my chagrin
was great. My heart hardened toward
the person who had inserted this no
tice, and 1 no longer felt the least de-
sire to part with my newly-found treas
ure.
Invent about all day with the sack of
gold in my pocket, like mailman,
which made me once or twice nearly
run over people. My nights rest was
disturbed by phantoms, and the morn
ing brought me no relief. 1 felt mis-
cradle, and what was worse, even in my
waking hours the phantoms did not
fade from my eyes.
To my great surprise, the advertise
ment was not repeated. L could not
explain this to myself, but began to
fear that the police were on my track,
and that some fine day must walk into
prison.
A week passed. and had become q
mere shadow of the strong healthy man
had once been. 1 could reproach
myself only with not having returned
the bag to its proper owner. had
not taken penny of its contents, but
always carried the bag with me, and
with feverish anxiety and trembling
hand felt in my pocket from time to
time to see that it was still there.
Strangely enough, had during this
tine unusual good luck. My carriage
was almost always occupied, and L
earned a good deal of money. When
1 reflected on this fact, believed that
Providence thereby gave me plain
hint. L had always been little relig-
ious, and not free from superstition,
and this idea came to me. The result
was that on the tenth day I came to
the resolution to return the lost prop
erty. The money had become curse
to me ever since L stretched my hand
out toward it. 1 had no rest by night
or by day; 1 felt weak and wretched,
and visibly pinned away.
l had noted the address given in the
and so 1 drove at noon
on the tenth day to No. rs Grattan
street. 1t was the place where 1 had
driven the young lady. The door stood
wide open. 1 called boy to hold my
horses, and went upstairs. 1 asked a
girl I met for Miss Berkeley, and she
thought that such person lived on the
attic floor. 1 went up higher and
knocked at The door ! presumed to be
the right one. / could not help feeling
that l had been a rascal, and only the
that l was at last going
to do right gave any ease to my con-
science.
At my knock weak voice called
"Come in!" 1 opened the door and
For moment the darkness pre-
vented my seeing the interior. The
windows were dim with dust, smoke
and dirt, and some broken panes were
pasted over with paper. A table and
two chairs, with a miserable bed, made
the whole furniture.
"Step softly, Death is here" said a
voice, in which 1 only too /
we'll recognized the young lady whom 1
had brought there only ten days before.