Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-05
ey, SO as TO begin rse-keeping with
out ,improYide nce. s15 ..:j s n
ss q They we're very bar ticular ahdnt Tie

"
had been able to accumulate between
them the sum OF q thousand forms.
That was the least possible sum needed
to rent 81 larger storeto combine the
confectionery business with the tobacco
and cigar tradeto secure better Sleep
ing accommodation 4 than an armoire,t
where, in fact, two could. rot possibly
sleep-and to bring up properly, lot OF
babies who would take up great deal,
d very great deal OF room.
So from the day she was hetrothed
to Karel, Aunt Ess-Whom the neigh
bors had been wont to hear singing at
the bottom Of her cellar as merriiy as
nightingale on the top of q poplar tree
Aunt Ess, whom all the quarter had I'M
animous)y declared to be inclined to-
.giddiness Aunt Ess became totally
metanlorphosed. = ".
She suddenly became a hard person
to deal with when it came to buying,
and sharp bargainer-greedy for mon-
ey! Nothing could equal her business
zeal, except the zeal and ardor of Karel.
But it was not 80 easy to make money
after all. The larger dealers absor bed
all the trade. the scornbined effort of
the betrothed resulted in little or moth
ing. Then he tried to deal in higher
priced CIGARS, while she ventured to
speculate in the famous Bath paper, Just
imported from France. But this double
commercial operation was doubly disas-
trous ,land almost resulted in bankrupting
the little underground stationery store
and the puny cigar business, together
with all the matrimonial hopes Of the
overs. " -. @.'.*
,"Let us not go SO FAST" they said to
one another, terrified at their ..audacity !;
"let us leave speculations alone. We
know what we have got. Waitl we'll
pull through all right in time anyhow"
And they waited. They continued to
live side by side, in that tender and dis
Greet Intimacy which their betrotha.
permitted-rich in love and richer in
hope. ]
As for hope, indeed, their hearts were
Illusions " hich nothing was ever able to
sdestroy-and long.carressed projects for
the future, eternal projects which they
chatted about every evening over and
over again-she sitting behind her
counter, and he before it, gazing at her
with ecstacy. Sometimes it was a bureau
they had caught glimpse of in Kal
verstraat store, aud which they would
buy for the bedroom the very day they
should begin housekeeping; sometimes,
again, they would discuss how the
children should be brought up-he
would like daughter most, to begin
with; she would prefer son.
One evening she expressed a new
within. 1884,.
"Dost thou know" [they always thee'd
and thou'd each ether]--''dost thou
know what we must do? Thou wilt
doubtless say / am foolish, yet have
my heart set upon it,, We must buy be-
tween US lottery ticket"
The Dutch government maintains a
lottery, and derives considerable rev
enue therefrom. The drawing is con-
Quoted by series of nun bers, and is pro
longed for several weeks The capital
prize o. 10000 forms is always drawn
on the last day. Nov the ticket which
Aunt Ess bought bore number which
had not been drawn on the previous
days, and therefore had ;hance in the
great and last chance.
j.. Fancy for yourself how they must
have been building castles-in- the-air
for a few days before the drawing.
IF you1sees me coming in q carriage
Tomorrow night" said Karer to Aunt
Ess, then you may be sure our ticket
has drawn the capital price,
And next day Aunt Ess was at her
door very early in the morning. How
Impatient she was. Every time she saw
carriage approaching her heart palpi-
tated violently. Luckily there were bub
few carriages that day upon the Amster-
dam quays. At last, however, her brain
suddenly reeled. She felt that she
had turned white as death. A Wig
ilante (cab) hadshalted right before her
door.
She caught a glimpse of Kareps
head in the doorway. In one second all
the projects nursed for go many long
years rushed through her mind. It was
hers at last, then--that happiness so
earnestly prayed for. There could be
no question about it: they had won in
the lottery; for Karel was in a car
riage. Then she ran to the door to the
cab, which opened slowly. Karel's face
was terribly agitated.
"What hast thou?" she asked, all
trembling. s'Is it the capital prize?"
"No," he replied; "but have broken
my leg"
She nursed him there, in her shop
tented herself with sleeping on chair.
H.
recommended his cigar trade. /
And thus it was that years and years
passed by, that disillusions succeeded to
disillusions, without ever breaking down
their faith in, better future; and side
by side they grew old, never perceiving
that their brows were wrinkling-that
she was 60-that he was 70, and that
even their health was growing feebler
and feebler.. D.! .s5tT.
Aunt Ess was very sick, but she said
nothing about it to any one. She was
dying with consumption, but mastered
herself sufficiently to carry on her little
business in some sort of fashion. After
all, she suffered very little pain, never
even dreamed Of calling in doctor.
2 usual, she retained her bethrothed with
her, although he, had an order for
twenty five cigars to- fill. They talked a
great deal. Their eternal hopes seemed
nearer of realization than ever. indie
fatigable as ants, the tive lovers had fin
ally been able to lay some money by.
They COW needed only half the sum
that would only be the work of few
years. . Fesss ~. -s - :. 49,
While they were talking together the
night came---a lukeWarm autumn night.
i Aunt Ess was feeling very well: j 4
I have, an ideaw she said. fsSee! we
are old now, after all. It is very likely
We shall have no children. Suppose we
content ourselves With the little we
have-to get married upon?'' @@e
It'll He thought that was very reasonable.
What was the use in fact of waiting any
longer? Yes, yes! they 2 would. marry
without delay. She had taken his hand
in hers, pressed it with force-then she
had closed her eyes. 7.=@ .,%;.: ~ :
sF5 "Well, then. it is settled, = he said to
her; II will have everything arranged
atonce. & Il: - v III .4 .%<sZ..
4s5 She did not answer him. 81 .#