San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-06
A BAG OF GOLD.
San Francisco Argonaut

"Are you engaged, coachmanF
1 had stopped ut that moment to wa
ter my horses and to quench my owl
thirst i'm a saloon near. had scarcely
reached my horses heads when L heard
the above question, and saw, us l turned
around, n young lady standing by the
side of my cab. g,
Without delay / answered, and
opening the carriage door, l helped the
lady in. Her face had certain hest
tating, timid expression which made me
Judge that my fare was not an indie
pendent lady, but housekeeper OF
poyerness. She were black silk dress
and wooden shawl. Her hands and
feet were small, but it did not escape
me that her gloves were very much
worn.
T asked her where she wished to be
carried She named locality not OF
the best fame, and with trembling
voice, as if ashamed of it.
I climbed on the box and whipped
up. Although 1t was nothing to me
where my fare wished to 60, L felt q
sort of curiosity as to who and what the
lady might be. l had observed that
she seemed to have a pretty face, al
though the veil that she wore over it
did not let me see her features plainly.
During the trip | was driven by my
curiosity to peep through the carriage
window behind me, and saw that she
had put up her veil She looked fright
fully pale and thin. Her skin was like
wax, and one did not need to be a doc
tor to know that she was consumptive.
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 not tell exactly.
only saw that it was light-colored, and
had no decided shape. 1 had only two
seconds of time for my observation; l
had to see to my horses in the crowded
street.
I gave them lash with the whip,
and at quick trot we soon arrived at
the part of the city indicated. AS soon
as 1 found the number which the lady
had given me, 1 stopped, got off the
box, and opened the door to help her
out. She appeared to be in great agi-
tation, as if an unpleasant interview
was before her.
I received from her, over the price of
her fare, which she evidently knew, a
little drink money, thanked her, and
she hurried away, while / turned my
carriage toward neighboring saloon,
to invest the drink money immediately
n glass of beer.
But before l went in l proceeded to
straighten the carriage cushions and
see tnat all was right inside. AS soon
as L opened the door again l saw some
object lying on the seat. 1t was small
linen sack-without doubt what the
lady had held in her lap. I took it in
my hand, and its weight astonished me.
With not little curiosity l looked at
it again and again, and at last tried to
open it. 1t was easily done, for the
bag was fastened only by little piece
of string.
One can imagine my surprise when l
found that it was filed with gold
pieces
dared not look at them further in
this place, as a policeman might posi-
bly, notice. and ask how came by the
gold. Meanwhile tied the sack again
and put 1t N the wide pocket of my
coat.
Instead of INDUCING myself in 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.
got into my carriage. as the hack
men often do when they want little
rest, and examined for the first time
my new-found treasure. / shook the
contents of the bag on the seat, and sat
with dazzled eyes before quite pile of
gold.
After delighting my eyes with it for
awhile, counted the money, partly $50
and partly $40 pieces, singly, again in
the sack, and found that it amounted
10 exactly the sum Of $500.
could not think otherwise than that
this money belonged to the pale young
lady uhom / had last carried. How
she came by it, and what she was going
to do with ii. was another thing. / had
found il, and il was a great temptation
for me TO keep il. What could not I
undertake with such capital? could
buy myself carriage and horses, and,
instead Of being a miserable hired /
coach man. would myself own carriages