Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-08-26
The Lottery Ticket.

Palnsted was in a state of excitement.
There was goSsiping by the roadside and
over early tea-tables.
Innumerable voices had uttered the ex-
carnations, ''Do tell' and Il want to
know!' but all that had happened was the
quietest wedding possible.
Two people in their Sunday clothes, ac-
companied by two friends also arrayed in
their best, had walked over to the church,
and there the minister had pronounced them
man and wife
Even at Painsted people sometimes mar
ried, and many more importantant persons
had been made one than Sally COrkindahl
and Simon Wheeler; but somehow Pain
sted was excited.
Sally Corkindahl was young woman of
thirty, without beauty, but wonderfully neat
and industrious.
Ever since her fifteenth birthday she
had gone about from house to house max.
ing dresses and children's clothes, known
everywhere as a good, pieus young woman,
out never considered attractive.
Her work was good and slow. In the
course of these fifteen years she had laid by
fifty pounds.
She always had black alpaca, clean
linen collar, and checked apron; but
whether they were the same or were occa-
sionally renewed, no one could tell.
Simon Wheeler was very pretty young
man of four-and-twenty, with light hair
and big blue eyes.
Since he left school he had never been
known to do anything but on his Aunt
Wheeler's door step and look at the news
paper-actually ''look" at it-he never
read it.
As soon as it arrived he would seize
upon it. turn to a special corner and look
at it.
What he stared at, though this was
known only to himself, was a small adver-
tisement which occupied the same position
in that particular paper from one years end
to the other, and which was headed
''Great Gumbo Lottery Capital Prize,
Fifty Thousand Pounds. Tickets, one
pound EACH"
When the day of the drawing came, and
little list of numbers was to be seen be-
low this advertisement Simon looked long
er and was often observed to sigh.
Not however, because he had invested
his money in tickets and lost, but because
he had none to invest. Aunt Wheeler was
not too generous.
'1'll keep you till you can keep your
self" she often said, ''but shan't have my
money wasted on cigars and wine. You're
better off without none."
Simon neither desired wine or cigars,
nor any other luxury of dissipated youth !;
but If he could have had the price of lot
terry ticket without working for it, he
would have rejoiced.
in his early boyhood he had dreamed
that he had drawn lucky number. He
believed in dreams-that dream in partlcu-
| lar.
1t had the effect upon him that having
his name in a will has upon many a young
man.
He saw no need of learning a trade, of
going into shop or setting himself to earn
his bread anywhere or in any manner.
With his first pound he would buy lot
terry ticket, draw the fifty thousand prize,
reimburse his aunt for all that she had ex-
pended upon him, be very jolly and gener-
GUS to everybody, and ''live luxuriously
every day." like the town mouse in the
| able.
One afternoon as he sauntered in, sleepy
eyed and dreamy, he found Sally Corkin,
dahl at the tea-table.
She had been sewing for his aunt all the
afternoon.
Meanwhile he also had been very busy.
He had found an imaginary pound,
bought a ticket, drawn the prize, and be-
slowed upon his aunt little carriage, two
cream -colored horses and a black silk
| dress.
Her delight over the unexpected present
and wonderful news had kept him from
opening the canned fruit as he had promis.
ed to dc.
Mrs. Wheeler, who knew nothing OF
this fine waking dream, desired to scold
him.
However, Sally's presence prevented hel
| rom dong so. She contented herself with