The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-10-07
ABBEVILLE, s. c. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER Z, 1874 - -

ments; az least, no answer that coult
spring from his moral convictions
and he let the matter drop. But the
young man could not drive the syrer
from his heart. All the next day hi
head was full Of "prizcs," and while
he was at his work, he kept mutter
ing to himself, "Twenty Thousand
dollars" "Ten thousand dollars
olive thousand dollars" and so on.
When he wont home the next hight
he was almost unhappy with the
nervous anxiety into which he haG
thrown himself. The tempter had
grasped him firmly, and whenever he
thought Of the lottery, he saw moth
ing but piles of gold and silver. In
short, James Lanning had made up
his mind that he would buy the tick
ct. He went to the little box where
he had already one hundred and
twenty dollars laid up toward paying
off tho mortgage from his house.
The lock clicked with a startling
sound, and when he threw back the
cover he hesitated. He looked at his
wife and he saw that she was sad.
"Oh, I'm sure / shall draw q prize?"
he said, with faint, fading smile.
He took four half eagles from tho
box and put them in his pocket His
wife said nothing. She played with
her baby to hide her sadness, for she
did not wish to say more on the sub
iect. She had seen that little pile ol
gold gradually accumulating, and
both she and her outstanding had
been happy in anticipating the day
when the pretty cottage would be all
their own. But when she saw those
four pieces of gold taken away from
the store, she felt foreshadowing of
evil. She might have spoken against
the movement, but she saw that hel
husband was sorely tender on the
subject, and sho let the affair 60 to
hands of fate.
A week elapsed from the time that
James bought his ticket to the draw.
ing of the lottery, and, during that
time, the young man had not a mo
ment of real enjoyment. He was al,
tcrnating between hopo and fear, and
therefore his mind was constantly on
the stretch.
At length the day arrived. james
went to the office, and found that the
drawing had taken place, and that
the list of prizes had been made out
He seized tho list and turned away so
that those who stood around should
not see his face. He read the list
through, but he searched for his num-
Der in vain. 1t was not there. lie
had drawn blankl He left the
Office an unhappy man. Those twenty
dollars which he had lost had been
the savings of two months OF hard
labor, and he felt their loss most
keenly.
When he returned home that night
ho told his wife that he had lost. She
found no fault with him. She only
kissed him, and told him tkat the les
son was q good one, even though it
he'd been dearly bought.
But James Lanning was not salts
fed, lie brooded over his loss with
a bitter spirit, and at length the
thought came to him that he might
yet draw prize. He wished that
he had not bought the first ticket
and he thought that If he could only
get back his twenty dollars he would
buy nc more; but ho could not rest
under his loss. He was determined
to make one moro trial, and he did so.
This time he purchased the ticket
without his wife's knowledge. The
result was the same as before. lie
drew blanH!"
"Forty dollars!" was sentence
that dwclt fearfully upon tho me-
chanic's lips.
"Oh, I must draw q prizc!" he said
to himself. 81 must make up what l
have lost. Let me once do that, and
III buy no more tickets"
Another twenty dollars was taken
from the little bank, another ticket
was bought, another blank was drawn.
At the end of three months the little
bank was empty, and James Lannlng
had the last ticket in bis pocket. An,
how earnestly he prayed that that
last ticket might draw him prize
He had become. pale and careworn',
and his wife, poor ,conhding soul,
thought he only repined because ne
had lost twenty dollars. When she
would try to cheer him, he woald
laugh, and try to make the matter
light.
"James," said his wife to him one
day-it was the day before that on
which the lottery was to be drawn IN
which he held the sixth tickct-"Mr.
Rowso has been here to-day after his
scmi.annual interest. l told him that
you would sec him tomorrow"
eyes, WILL" said James, in faint
voice. Eyes, tomorrow I shall pay
him."
Young Lanning thought of the lot
terry, and of the prize. This was his
sixth trial, and he felt sure that he
should draw. .
The morrow came, and when James
Lanning returned to his home at night
he was penniless All his golden
visions had faded away, and he was
left in darkness and misery.
"Jamcs, have you paid Mr.. Rowe
his interest yet ?" asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head
upon his hands and groaned aloud.
DIOR Hearen's sakc. James, what