The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-09-18

aid, with faint, fading smile.
lie took four half eagles from the box,
and put them into 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 subject. She had
seen that little pile Of gold gradually &C.
cumulating, aud both she and her hus-
band had been happy in anticipating the
day when the pretty cottage would i've all
their own. But when she saw those four
pieces Of gold taken away from the store,
shS 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-
joyment lie 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, 80 that
those standing around should not sec his
face. He read the list through, but he
searched for his number in vain. II 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 tanning was not satisfied.
He brooded over his loss with a 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
before. He drew a blank!
"Forty dollarsl' was a sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the young mechan-
les lips.
"Oh, must draw a prize!" 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
the little bank, another ticket was bought,
another blank was drawn. At the end
of three months the little bank was empty,
and James tanning 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, coniiding
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 hiswife one day--it was
the day before that on which the lottery
was to be drawn in which he held the
sixth ticket-"M Mr.. Rowse has been her,
to-day after his semi-annual interest.
told him that you would see him to
morrow.Y
ayes. \ will" said James, in fain
tone. AYES, tomorrow ! shall pa.
him."
Young tanning thought of the lottery
and of this prize. This was his sixth trial
and he felt sure that he should draw.
The morrow came, and when jane
tanning returned to his home at nigh
he was pennies! All his golden vision
had fed away, and he was left in dark
ness and misery.
James, have you paid Mr.. Rowse hi
interest yeti" asked Hannah.
The young man leand his head upor
his hands and groaned aloud.
"For heavens sake, James, what hai
happenedg' cried the startled wife
springing to the side of her husband
and twining her arm about his neck.
The young man looked up with avid
hasgard expression. His lips were blood
less, and his features were all stricken
with death-hue.
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