Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-11
MESSAGE OF GluS6Dp6'S hnQ6|.

tuition. "Dat ole vooman-shee's reetch."
he protested. AN an'd shce schmard-
hehg' And he told a marvellous tale Of
Louisiana lottery ticket that Pete Moy-
imam had drawn. Pete having had no
sp ritual resources OF celebration. had
promptly drunk himself TO death on
coming into his wealth. and Ann must
now be In possession OF the residue OF
tne fortune. competency. something
big-"Beek. beelS.'
Mary Mccarthy was furious. She in
sttuted an eager search for her aunt,
and In the course of time che found Ann
/ "squattng" on the Madison-avenue farm.
/ She few at her bursting with indigna-
| ton. and wanting TO know where she'd
! found money to buy COW. and to live In
| style unwarranted considering her ar
! rears In board bills. At the same time she
! inconsistency jeered at the shanty. and
! with sarcastic fling at Dennis, said ne
had right TO see his mother better
housed, and him an ash man. When
cornerod Ann did not deny that she had
! some means. and she grudgngly paid over
| her board money. induced somewhat no
| doubt. by Marys assurance that she'd
| have the law on her If she didn't Mary
| took the money and went home with the
! tale Of wonder. After this the McCarthys
sometimes Dragged OF a rich relation.
Aunt that lives on Madison avenyer,
! and they hiuted at prospects. and once
/ they sounded Ann as 20 their possible
! inheritance but Ann said stoutly
! "Ye're not in iti livery clint I've got
| goes to me boy Dinnis-do We mind?'
"An' afther Dinnis-ft's ourselves is the
mkt av kin-aint it. aunt?'
'Ye're welcome TO what Dinnls doant
! git-thats straight" and Ann grinned
| wickedly.
II wasn't likely that strapping young
! Dennis was going TO drop out and make
| room for the McCarthys. Most people
laughed at the story Of AIMS riches. But
| Mrs. Mandlebaumn, who kept the east
/ side dairy where Ann sold milk used TO
| point the old woman out and tatte ABOUT
! the miser as she called her.
Matters standing thus, the excitement
Of the McCarthys may be imagined when
| one day a rumor reached them that Den
mis- MOyniham was ill-very bad with
pneumonia Ann. weeping in maudlin
! condition, explained her theory that the
"ashes had got into his throat Maybe
/ they had. At all events the poor fellow,
| the pride of his mother. was in bad
way. and he didn't stay so long-for he
| died.
| Ann had the wake in her shanty, and
the McCarthys turned out en- masse TO at
tend They bemuddled themselves with
spirits. which they pronounced, with many
knowing winks at each other, while they
were still in a sufficiently early stage OF
intoxication to be critical. 10 be of rare
good brand for the occasion. And the
candles were fine wax. and it was an ele-
giant wake The McCarthys were in
fever Of excitement. Dennis couldn't
carry his riches to Paradise-that was
sure-and Ann was rapidly drinking her
self into the grave.
They chung to their aunt with bare
faced attentions. 1t was: Twill l get IN
the COW fer yees for the night or.
sure, yen be wantn' yer poipe filled
will | fetch the tobacco, dear auntY'
To all of which Ann invariably replied:
Don't be troublin' yerselves."
BY and by the McCarthys went away,
agreeing that there was no use in hanging
around any longer for the time being, and
having already had several strong hints
that their absence would be appreciated.
II was a week since Dennss death; his
body was temporarily deposited in the
vault of a neighboring churco until his
mother could decide upon the place for
his burial
As soon as the McCarthys were out Of
| the house. Ann wound herself up in her
shawl. which she put on with as much
vigor as if il were bandage. and which,
perhaps did screw her fiabby muscles up
TO action. She had several frayed layers
Of dragging petticoat. and her bonnet was
a curiously inappropriate CONNECTION which
Dennis had fished out of the ash-can or
fashionable quarter. Ann gave it
dust-off with her arm, and wore 1t now
and then when she didn't use the shawl
for head-gear as well. When the Nc
Carthys were gone she tied the bonnet on
and went out
She walked several blocks down Madi-
| son avenue and then turned east INTO
| side street. where she had in mind there
was a stonecutters yard. The place was
conspicuous from afar, with its gray and
white. slabs exhibited in the small front
yard, ready-made blank memorials pro-
| vided with a confidence in mortality as
well grounded as the bakers daily faith
| in appetites. 4 man was just coming
| down the walk through this uninscribed
graveyard as Ann neared the place. The
| old Irishwoman hove up alongside, hook
| ed one arm over the fence by way Of an
chorage, and looked in for a leisurely in
| spection. The proprietor eyed her.
Something in tombstones?" he said. 10
open up, and not quite sure whether she
was sober AIMS mouth began TO work in
a senile fashion. and she swayed against
the fence. Words never came quickly
with her
Better move along guess" suggested
the man.
But she had collected herself and flung
an arm out.
whats the price av thim?" she
| queried.
"Oh. they come different prices" said
| the man leniently; II cosld-well could
fix you up little slab like this for $50.
| Marbles expensive, you know. Why, ]
/ could let you have something like this on
| the instalment plan if you could give me
security"
Ann worked up another query. us thin
tall vans ixpinsive|
"Oh, yes, very! That granite shaft Is a
| very good piece Of stone and then the
weeping willow tree, you see. that makes
! il more--that comes as high as $3.50. And
| this one here-that cutting on TO it repre-
sents the Agnuss dee-eye-why, that
monuments worth a thousand dollars.
| Yes. our stones generally run from $40 70
about 81 600. Is il for relatiye?"
Ann gathered herself up and moved on
| with a look of disappointment
| "See here" called out the man. who ap-
peared TO be tender-hearted. why don't
/ YOU have a nice little wooden cross-or a
slate d-piece--some use them; they're
very nice-and few flowers are cheap
| and SNOWY"
But Aun was waddling away. She wan
| dered about for hours, getting on and of
| OF SlIttN-NdlSs anu lilloflst tibnoiHS iONh
10 the west she found her way 10 a large
esta blishment with big frontage and an
| imposing sign. There was no front yard
! here. There was "a neat Office on one side
| and on the other a large. handsome show
room, into which Ann pushed directly
| from the street. The room seemed hall
empty. II looked very clean and white,
! and broad and long; there were monu-
ments and other scuiptured marble OBJ
! iects standing about in it in a kind OF
scant elegance ON the bare wood floor