The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-01-30


perhaps, did screw her fabby muscles to
action She had several frayed layers OF
dragging petticoat, and her bonnet was a
curiouS Y Inappropriate confection which
Dennis had fished out of the ash can of u
fashionable quarter Ann gave ii dust
off with her arm and wore it now and then
when she didn't use the shawl for head
gear as well. When the McCarthys were
gone she tied the bonnet on aud went out.
She walked several blocks down Madi-
street where she had in mind there was a
stonecutter yard The place was con-
spicuous from afar, with its gray and white
slabs exhibited in the front yard ready
made blank memorials provided confidence
in morality as well grounded as the tink-
er' daily faith in appetites. A man was
just coming up the walk through the un-
inscribed graveyard, as Ann neared the
place The old Irish woman hove up
alongside, hooked one arm over the fence
by way of anchorage and looked in for a
leisurely inspection. The proprietor eyed
her Something in tombstones?' he said,
to 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 make along guess, sug-
gested the man.
But she had collected herself and flung
an arm out
"Whats the price of thin p she quer-
led
'Oh, they come at different prices,
said the man leniently. II could-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 installment plan if you could
give me security.
Ann worked up another query. is
thin tail vans ixpensive?''
''Oh, yes, very That granite shaft is
a very good piece of stone, and then the
weeping willow tree you see, that makes
it more-that comes as high as eight hun
dred and fifty dollars. And this one here
that cutting on it represents the Agnuss
e-eye-why that monument $ worth
one thousand dollars. Is it for rela
| tive?'
Ann gathered herself up and moved on
with a look of disappointment.
''See here called the man, who ap
| peared to be tender -hearled. why don
you have a nice little wooden cross-or a
slate head piece-some use them; they are
/ very nice-and a few flowers are cheap
and SNOWY
! But Ann was waddling away. She
wandered about for hours, getting on and
| off of street cars, and finally. crossing town
to the west, she found her way to a large
establishment with big frontage and an
imposing sign. There was no front yard
here. There was Il neat Office on one side
and on the other Il large handsome show
room, into which Ann pushed directly
from the street The room seemed half
empty; it looked very clean and white and
broad and long; there were monuments
and other sculptured marble objects stand
ing about in it in a kind Of scant elegance
on the bare wood floor From the farther
end Of the spacious department came
sound of chiseling. 4 man was working
there and Ann made her way to him with
determination strengthened by several
disappointments. He was an oliye-skinned
Young man with thick bush Of dead
black hair. He wore a white blouse. He
was picking away at block of marble out
of which the design of an oak wreath was
growing under his tool He gave Ann
glance, then dropped his eyes and went on.
''Will that wan be ixpinsive?' said
Ann
:.Noh spik Inglishr' said the olive
faced youth and went on picking.
Ann was angry; she had wandered half
over the town and spent untold car fare
and now she was baffied by this ignorance.
She looked about and discovered the office
and made haste to carry herself in that di
rection. Two men were seated at a desk
in the smaller room. Ann poked her head
through the doorway. She was trembling
with excitement; her bonnet oScillating.
''The haythen DaSo out there can
talk, she cried threateningly.
What do you want?' one Of the men
asked, turning in his swivel chair upon
her and deciding that she was an appli
cant for office scrubbing and hardly eli
gible
But Ann Was working up her next re
mark. You could almost see it coming
along spirally through her withered throat,
and even when it arrived she gave it a mo-
ment' S deliberate mouthing
THE old lady S got a beautiful lag on,
said one of the men.
Come, said the other, say what you
want or get out.
These gentlemen had professional gray
ity at command, but in the leisure inter-
walls of firmly established business which
was above petty bustlings they were cheer
fully engaged in tracing recent bicycle
run on the backs of some old orders, and
they resented interruption.
I'm after tomb, said Ann.
"Well, [ guess you're in the wrong
shop, old woman
Sure, they tould me this was the foinest
place in all New York
What kind Of a sarcophagus do you
want, aunty?''
Have done wild yey foolin' it's an tx
pinsive wan Oh want.
"She's crazy--poor old coot.
Eyes? And how much do you want to
lay out on it, mother, eh?''
"It's SIS, 900 Oi want to ixpind on it,
do yees mind An not wan cint less"
The men laughed. Ann advanced into
the room and struck the desk with her
fist.
"Oi've the peppers to prove it, . she
roared, and she began to burrow in her
bosom for the documents.
About two weeks later Giuseppe Benoni,
the Italian sculp ptor received an order from
L 1 L