The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-10-28

At length the day arrived james
went TO the Office, and found that the
drawing bad taken place. and that
the list OF prizes had been made out.
He seized the list and turned away,
so that those who stood around
should not see his face. He read the
| list through. but be searched for his
number in vain. 1t was not there.
He had drawn blank! He left the
Office an unhappy man. Those twen-
ty dollars which be bad lost had
| lost the savings of two months
of hard labor, and be felt their
loss most keenly.
When he returned home that night.
he told his wife be 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 salts
fed. He brooded over his loss with
bitter spirit, and at length the
thought came to him that be might
vet draw g prize. He wished that
be had not bought the first ticket,
aud be thought that If he could get
back his twenty dollars be would buy
no more; but be could not rest under
his loss. He was determined to
make one more trial, and be did so.
This time he purchased the ticket
without his wife's knowledge. The
result was the same as before. He
drew blank
Forty dollars!" was q sentence
that dwelt fearfully upon the me-
chanic's lips.
"Oh / must draw prizeW he said
TO himself II must make up what
| have lost. Let me once do that,
and I'll buy no moro tickets
Another twenty dollars was taken
from the little bank, another ticket
was bought, another blank drawn.
At the end Of three months. the little
bank was empty, and James Lanning
had the last ticket in his pocket. Ah,
how earnestly be prayed that that
last ticket might draw him q prizel
He haG become pale and careworn,
and bis wife, poor, conhding soul
thought he only repined because he
had lost twenty dollars. When she
would try to cheer him, be would
laugh, and try TO make the matter
light
James, said she to him one day
it was the day before that on
which the lottery was to draw in
which be held the sixth ticket-"Mr.
Rowse has been here to-day after bis
semiannual interest. l told him that
you would see him tomorrow"
"Yes will" said James In faint
voice. Eyes tomorrow / shall pay
him."
Young Lanning thought of the lot
terry, and of the prize. This was his
sixth trial, and be felt sure that he
should draw.
The morrow care, and whence
James Lanning returned to his home
at night be was penniless. All bis
golden visions had faded away. and
be was left in darkness and misery.
James have you paid Mr.. Rowse
his interest yet? asked Hannah.
The young man leaned bis head
upon bis bands and groaned aloud.
"For Heavens sake. James. what
has happened? cried the startled wife.
springiDg to the side of her husband,
and twining her arm about bis
neck"
The young man looked up with a
wild, baggard expression. His lips
were bloodless. and his features were
all stricken with a death hue.
"What is ity Oh whatln murmered
the. wife.
go look in our box, our little bank"
groaned the poor man.
Hannah FASTENED away, and when
she returned, she bore an empty box
in her hand.
Robbed" she grasped and she
sank trenblingly down by her bus
bands side.
"Yes, Hannah" whispered the bus
band, II have robbed you"
The stricken wife gaiEed upon ber
husband with vacant look, for at
first she did not comprehend; but she
remembered his behavior for weeks
back; she remembered how be had
murmured in his sleep of lotteries and
tickets, of blanks and prizes. and
gradually the truth broke in upon
her.
IL have done il all. Hannah, I"
hoarsely whispered the condemned
man, when he saw that bis wife had
guessed the truth. "All. all has gone
for lottery tickets. The demon temp
ter lured me; he held up glittering
gold in his hand, but be gave me
none of it. Oh, do not chide me!
You know not what / have suffered
what hours Of agony / have pass
ed-and you cannot know how cold
is my heart now. o my wife, would
to God I had listened to you'll"
"-sh!" calmly whispered the faith
full wife, ss she drew her hand across
her husbands heated brew. "Aorrn
not for what is Lost. / will not chide
thee. 1t is hard thus for you to lose
your scanty earnings, but there might
be many calsmities worse than that.
Courage James; we viii soon forget
it.u
"And Mr.. Rowe viii forclose the
mortgage. You will be homeless, /"
murmured young Lsnaing, in broken
accents.
''No; will see that oil is safe in
that quarter added Hannah.
At that moment the babe awoke,
and the gentle mother was called to
care for It. On the next day. as noon,
Hannah Lsnning gave her husband .
receipt for fifteen dollars from Mr..
Rowse.
Here" said she, interest is paid
Now let as forget all that has passed,
and commence again
"But how-whst has paid thisy y
asked James, gazing FIRST upon the
receipt. aud then upon bis wife.
Never mind"
"Ah, but must mind. Tell me,
Hannah"
"Well l have sold my gold
watch"
aO-fl :.fo