The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-13
d, of course, was acquainted.

a-working with my gang repairing a bit
of Christian street. 1t was just about
twenty minutes before we was about quit
ting, when / sees a tottering old woman
hurrying down the street and presently
she sot down on the steps of a cooper
shop opposite to us.
Evening says l. Mrs. Shane for l
knoWed her at wunst.
Evening to you, Mr.. Tom Colghany,
and do We thing you'n get through this
here job this EVENING"
Likely not says l.; but why?'
Thank God says she. You don't work
after nightfau? says she
Mike, rest his soul, was long enough
In the business says l, to let you know
it's agin the rules and regulations
Then she didn't say nothing more for
spell, but wrapped her shawl around her
and sat like statoo, never taking her eyes
off US. 1t was a clustering, wintry aft
ernoon, the wind just a-howling down the
street to the river. Presently the boys be-
gan working slow and tapering off and
putting down their tools and one of 'em
fooled with the lantern which was to be
set in pile of stones, and I was a look
ing around for my coat and making ready
to put for home.
II looked at Mrs. Shane and she beck
oned to me. Tom Colghany,' says she,
for the love of God listen to me. 1 can
trust you. I've done no wrong, Tom, nor,
for that, did Mike Intentionally and Mikes
in his grave. Listen to me, Tom. Teddy
is on this airth no longer; he's dead, too,
poor lad, and I'm childless. Maybe his
father was hard on him. Seems the lad
had borrowed 500 from his father and
couldn't pay 1T and Mike. he took on
dreadful about 1T and he cursed him and
the next thing Teddy had gone away to
furrin parts as a fireman on South Amer
ky steamer and we didn't hear nothing
about him until five years ago when there
came a letter from some American officer
in Brazil, saying that Ted had died of
fever and there was a letter, too. Teddys
last lines were, he said, he gave back to
his father the money he had borrowt,
with interest, and he axed forgiveness for
any hard words or feelings. Mike was
poorly at that very time and Ted's letter
seemed to hurt him and he got no better.
He still kept working on until he dropped
and then he came home to die.
Hannah" says he to me the day be-
fore he died, these here is my last in
structions. They is too sacred to be wrote
so / tells them to you-and swear you'll
do as l bid you. That money Ted sent me
never will i touch, NOE must you. I'm
done with money grubbing. I'm pun
ishing myself-wtth that money-resistin'
the handlin' of it-and it's all in gold. The
bank it paid 1t in gold. I've buried that
gold under the stones in Christian street,
when / was paving it. I've put it oppo-
site the No. on one side and the No. -
on the other side of the street seven feet
six inches in line from a mark I've cut
on the curb. It's the eighteenth stone-a
big blue one, and I've wedged 1t in solid.
Let it stay there for awhile, but when
they dig up the street go for 1t and with
that money have masses said for the souls
of my two boys and for me-you'n not
want for money for yourself and mebby
81, 49, IL aTv11 aN71
KNOWN it there two years will have puri-
fed the gold and done something for the
lettering of me.
Them was his last words" said Mrs.
Shane. Now, Tom Colghany, help me
get that money l am a comfortable wo-
man-that is, l don't want for nothing. L
swear / don't care for the money for my
self, but to carry out Mikes last partik-
Ter wishes. It's rest for his soul and me
boys souls I'm after. I've studied and
studied the street and know livery stone
on it. I've been nigh crazy when I seed
men ripping it up. There's not day in
the year I've not been on the watch least
ways that anybody would disturb the
street Bid the men go and then you wait
and find the money"
Did think the poor woman demented?
Was her story likely? I kaowed about the
facts of Mike and Larry and that Han
nah Shane was an honest woman"
lot the HleI 90 anu S4IBl6-ndnu6Q
went to work. There was Mrs. Shane
before me in the street, with her hand on
a big cobblestone, a-tugging at it,
q" You'll spoil 1t all, Hannah Shane
said 1, If you carry on that way. Take
your safe on the step and do the engi-
neering. Is it this one? 1 asks. Yes
says she, and dug it up, and just as
sure as could be, under it found an old
rotten canvas bag, and lot of gold in
$40 pieces. There they was, every one of
them. She scarce could take the money,
so tremply and family like was She.
Tom Colghany,' says she, $50 is yours,
with Mikes blessings
d" Devil a Bit says l. AS far as the
money is consarned let 1t go the purpose
Mike intended it for and for nothing
else
" 'Good-by,' says she, and she shook
hands with me and kissed me.
That's two years or more ago, and I
never heard of Mrs. Shane until my son
was married a year ago, and she sent
him his wedding suit. and to his girl a
dress, and Mrs. Shane she died a six
months ago, and comfortable, and didn't
forget her relatives. / went to her funeral
on special invite and was most knocked
over when her will was read, in which
was made a trustee, with legacy of
$3.50, and that's the only story of street
digging 1 know Of"