The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-01


to say more on the subject. She had
seen that little pile of gold gradually ac-
cumulating, and both she and her hus-
band 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 a foreshadowing of evil. She
might have spoken again against the
movement, but she saw that her husband
was sorely tender on the subject, and she
let the affair go to the hands of fate.
A week elapsed from the time that
James bought his ticket to the drawing
of the lottery, and during that time the
young man had not moment of real en-
ioyment. He was alternating between
hope 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 the list and turned away, so that
those standing around should not see his
face. He read the list through, but he
searched for his number in vain. 1t was
not there. He had drawn blank! 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 he
told his wife that he had lost She found
no fault with him. She only kissed him,
and told him that the lesson was good
one, even though it had been dearly
bought.
But James Lanning was not satisfied.
He brooded over his loss with bitter
spirit, and at last the thought came to
him that he might yet draw prize. He
wished that he had not bought the first
ticket, and he thought if he could only
get back his twenty dollars he would buy
no more; but he could not rest under his
loss He was determined to make one
more trial, and he did so. This time he
purchased the ticket without his wife
knowledge. The result was the same a
before. He drew blank!
"Forty dollars" was a sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the young mechan-
ic's lips.
ooh, must draw prizeW he said to
himself. 81 must make up what have
lost. Let me once do that, and I'll buy
no more tickets"
Another twenty dollars was taken from
thelittle bank, another ticket was bought,
another blank was drawn. At the end
of three months the little bank was empty,
and James Lanning had the last ticket
in his pocket. All, how earnestly he
prayed that that last ticket might draw
him prize! He had become pale and
careworn, and his wife, poor, confiding
soul, thought he only repined because he
had lost twenty dollars When she would
try to cheer him, he would laugh, and try
to make the matter light.
"James," said his wife one day-it was
the day before that on which the lottery
was to be drawn in which he held the
sixth ticket-"Mr. ROwse has been here
to-day after his semi-annual interest.
told him that you would see him to-
morrow"
"Yes, WILL" said James, in faint
tone. Yes, tomorrow L shall pay
him."
Young Lanning thought of the lottery
and of tbs 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 fed away, and he was left in dark
ness and misery.
"James, have you paid Mr.. Rowse his
interest YETI" asked Hannah.
The young man leand his head upon
his hands and groaned aloud.
"For heavens sake, James, what ha
happened?' cried the startled wife
springing to the side of her husband
and twining her arm about his neck.
The young man looked up with wild
haegard expression. His lips were blood
less, and his features were all strickel
with death-hue.
"What is it? Oh, what ?" murmuret
the wife.
"Go look in our box-our little bank !
groaned the poor man.
Hannah hastened away, and when sh
returned, she bore an empty box in he
hand.
Robbed" she gasped, as she sanl
tremblingly down by her husbands side
: eyes, Hannah" whispered the hus
, band, ~ have robbed YOU"
The stricken wife gazed upon her hus
band with vacant look, for at first sh
did not comprehend; but she remember
ed his behavior for weeks back; she re
membered how he had murmured in hi
sleep of lotteries and tickets, Of blank
and prizes, and gradually the truth brok
in upon her.
: "f have done it all, Hannah" hoarse
ly whispered the condemned man, whel
he saw that his wife had guessed tn
} truth. Gall has gone for lottery ticket:
The demon tempter lured me; he he'll
up glittering gold in his hand, but h
gave me none of it. Oh, do not child
me! You know not what have suffere
: what hours of agony have passed
and you can not know how cold is m
: heart now. Oh, my wife, would to Go
! / had listened to your
"-sh |" calmly whispered the faithful
T; wife, as she drew her hand across he
husbands heated brow. "Mourn not fo
what is lost. / will not chide thee.
is hard thus for you to lose your scant
earnings, but there might be many calan
tiles worse than that. Courage, James
we will soon forget it,"
"And Mr.. Rowse will foreclose tn
e mortgage. You will be homeless" mui
e INJURED young ghmnning, in broken accents
u "No; / will see him. / will see tina
!. all is safe in that quarter" added Han
u nah.
At that moment the babe awoke, an
: the gentle mother was called to care fc
il. On the next day, at noon, Hanna
y Lanning gave her husband receipt f
= fifteen dollars from Mr.. Rowse.
= Here" said she, the interest is pai'
y " Now let us forget all that has passed, an
y commence again."
4 "Bht hthow-what has paid this?' askc
4 James, gazing first upon the receipt, an
. then upon his wife.
"Never mind"
!. cay, but I must mind. Tell me, Ha
y NAH"
= "well, I have sold my gold watch"
/ "Sold itp'
!, "But can buy it back again. III
! man will not part with il, i'll want
! But / don't want IL, James, till we a
obIa porhape I ahaII never want