The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-10

discouraged, the way was long and the alli
gator very heavy. As he was passing through
a dirty street in the outskirts of the city. be
began to look around for some place to rest.
Every shop looked very dingy and dirty, and
this, together with his depression Of mind,
quite took the courage out Of him
Suddenly his eyes lighted up with interest
In the window of dreary old shop, where
everything, from old clothes to antique jewels,
was on sale, he saw lottery tickets. The
temptation to give Job one more trial was
too strong to be resisted. His courage re-
vived at the thought of it. His faith in the
alligator's clairvoyance was so fixed and had
been of such long duration that one day OF
defeat was not enough to extinguish it, He
went in, ordered the tickets spread out, and
very tenderly placed his pet ON the counter
overlooking the field, and began to point at
each ticket in turn, with a face absolutely
painful in the anxiety it revealed
All at once job seemed to wake up He
opened and shut his eyes several times in
succession, moved his head from side to side
and wiggled bis cumbrous tail His master
".
Could it be possible that Jobs uneasiness had
any signifcancei Did he really approve of a
certain numberi 1t looked as though he did.
since he relapsed into state of immobility,
bordering on petrifaction, whenever Mr.
Tyler lifted his finger from one particular
ticket, and whenever that ticket was touched
he fairly founced himself off the counter.
The ticket was purchased, and the curious
but compatible couple started home, the
mans face as radiant as star, and the alli-
gators settled a cemetery.
1t is very curious how rested and refreshed
the body will feel after a depression ON the
mind has been dissipated. Mr.. Tyler walked
home ON air. Job didn't seem to weigh more
than doll And how garrulous the man
was. He talked to Job exactly as though
the creature was conversational Of great
brilliance and deep sympathies He had al
ways affected to believe that the alligator
the superior of the majority OF human
beings in sense and shrewdness, ami now he
considered his opinion confirmed and wanted
Job to know that he appreciated him Again
and again his mind reverted to the ticket in
his pocket, and his imagination unfoldei the
pleasures and comforts tn which it would
open the doors. All this vas told to Job.
When they reached bone it was nearly
dark, and the parrot sitting ON a rocking
chair within the latticed gate, yelled OUT
LISA hard world me mastersr
met Mr.. Tyler several times before the
drawing took place, and, though he wasn't
garrulous on the subject OF his prospective
luck, his mind was made up. He was quite
certain he would draw, and was merely liv.
ing through the interval before he made any
change in his business or surroundings II
really funny to see his calm belief in
Jobs luck. Everybody laughed at him on
the sly, believing it was all one of his broad
burlesques of humanity, which he always
pretended to despise He was Dean Swift
in his contempt for people, except that in-
stead of setting up horses as the superiors of
men, he pinned his faith to alligators As
he wasn't the sort of man any one dared
ridicule to his face, his friends heard his
rhapsodes on Job with polite affectation
of seriousness.
Two days after the drawing stopped to
see my eccentric friend. The parrot was OF
the doorstep, and when she saw me she
screamed out, ''How nowg Good Cassie.
what's the news with your and as | walked
by her she sidled up to me with an attituds
intended for tragic, and screeched, ''Thor
art a villain Thou art a villainf' The alli-
gator was promenading on the porch, and
Mr. Tyler was inside packing fiddle. some
books and his modest wardrobe in long and
aged-loOking trunk. sat down. Desdemons
came to the door and, without reproof from
the head of the house, looked at me with
fury in her eyes and yelled again and again,
Thou art a villainl Thou art villainr'
The delighted man was going away. Jobs
ticket had actually drawn ten thou
sand dollars He showed me the newspa,
per report and his certificate of deposit al
the bank. / was overcome with surprise.
There seemed something uncanny about il
all. l got up feeling that l was moving
among unreal objects, and went out on the
porch to take another look at the gifted
beast that had brought this magic Transition
about He was moving over the floor at G
most dignified pace, the last creature under
the sun one would expect to be able TO read
the future of lottery ticket or anything
else.
could not express my establishment t<
Mr.. Tyler simply looked it. He, however
acted as though nothing unusual had occur
red 1T was simply what he had expected.
He was going to Cuba for year of rest
Job and Desdemona were to accompany him
of course. He made some remark about tn.
climate there being better for Jobs health
We were chatting away comfortably when thu
parrot stalked into the room, and standing
squarely in front of me, put the embarrass
ing interrogatory, ''How long will We vel
my SOUL and break me in pieces with wordsf
at which my friend laughed till he almos'
cried Then the diabolical bird mounted hi
shoulder, and putting her head to bis cal
caressingly, left the scriptures for Shake
speare and muttered, Its hard world, mt
mastersI" Then it walked out and rode thu
alligator up and down the porch for vas
Ill