St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-05-29

"You've never told me what you OK
pect it from" said Sally. "Do you eve
think it will be left you? Was it you
fathers money? If you'd tell me
could think it over. What was it? Yol
wouldn't deceive me, and you are no
crazy; but | can't think what you NEAR
by expecting fifty thousand pounds
And, oh, | am SO worried, Simon!''
"Perhaps it may come yet, Sally
said Simon
He took his handkerchief from his
pocket as he spoke and wiped his wife
eyes with it.
As he did SO bit of yellow paper fell
into her lap-the last Gumbo Lottery
| ticket, bought but an hour before.
She caught at it and her face flushed
again. She looked at her husband with
the CLEAN of anger in her eyes, and cried
out, sharply:
els this it? Is this the secret-the
fortune you've talked of? Are you crazy
enough for this? Have you been buy
ing tickets in that cheating lottery all
these years, and is my last pound, that
| see you have drawn from the bank to-
day, spent for that thing?'
Poor Simon! He stared at his wife for
a long time without answering; then he
said, slowly:
"Think of it--forty-nine blanks, and
every time | expected prize-the capt.
tai prize. Think of my disappointment
81 can't think of anything except that
I've married a fool,' said Sally. IL
could kill myself when think of it. I
believe you married me to get that fifty
pounds to gamble with
Then she began to cry.
s. Yes, I've been fool he said; "but
though the money made me think of ask
ing you to have me, | meant to make YOU
rich. Ibid, Sally; | vow did. We've
got along very well, haven't we?
think a great deal of you. I meant to
do everything for you; but it's all over
now. | look at that ticket, and know
it's blank. | should never buy another
never, never! You see, that dream
told you once of my dream-appeared
as if it must come true; but my luck is
bad, [ see that
Luck" cried Sally, stung by resent
ment "Luck! o, get out of my sight!
Pick up that ticket that you've spent my
last hard-earned pound on, and 90 where
can't see you for little while, don'
I'm going, Sallyr' said Simon.
He stepped towards her as he spoke.
He would have kissed her if she had
permitted him to do So
Then he picked up the yellow ticket.
read the number aloud 9o89-crammed
t into his pocket, and sauntered away.
At six clock that evening there was a
little crowd beside the mill dam.
1t was fast increasing, for body had |
been taken out of the water with a pock-
It handkerchief full of stones about the
1eck; Simon Wheeler body.
He had drowned himself in less than
lalf an hour after he had walked SO leis-
rely away from his injured Sally pres
nee.
They found in his pocket an empty
'urSe, little list of numbers, and vel
ow ticket soaked through, but still bear
ng on its surface the figures 98S9.
Sally would have known what it was
nut she never saw it, or the dead face
hat looked in its marble whiteness like
ONE beautiful statue, for she lay upon
er pillow as white as he, with her little
ably on her bosom; and the three were
uried together in the little churchyard at
'ainsted
On the day of the funeral there was
rawing of the Gumbo Lottery.
The manager of the enterprise shouted
he numbers of the capital prizes; 1889
as not among them. Its holder was not
ntitled to fifty thousand pounds.
But it made no difference. Simon
Iheeler lay beside his wife unconscious
the drawing, and the yellow ticket had
ing ago resolved itself into yellow sop
nong the sedgy grasses by the mill
ond.