Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-27

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Price. SOC. Sold by Druggists
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dred and fity; and II it pleases you will
take as many more
"'ln that case, sir, win ask favor of
YOU
"Iu saying this she smiled, displaying
teeth so white they would have put TO
shame the bears OF the polar seas.
"'My name Is Theodore de Perry" |
said, Il am at your service She re-
piled, 'rhe favor / spoke OF is this; 1t
will oblige me very much II among the
tickets you possess you have found one
bearing the number 3, 333,33
"I will look, madame, and If it is In my
possession | will send IL to you. Indeed,
l viii search heaven and earth TO procure
I II; 90 70 the bottom OF the bureaus; in
short do everything and all things.'
Your earEestness and gallantTy touch
me. | believe you are n man Of honor
The desire | have to get the ticket is not
a mere caprice. am widow, alone with
out children and live with an old aunt,
who loves me as daughter There is no
other TO return her affections but myself.
/ She is i'll, very feeble, very superstitious
and has horrible dread Of death. | do
not understand the morbid fancy she pos
scsses which prompts her to long for this
particular lottery ticket. Her whole
mind Is absorbed by this terrible
desire. She is in despair because e can
not BE found, For eight days have
I gone all over Paris seeking the ticket, but
in vain. Each evening I have had the
cruel pain of announcing to my poor old
aunt that have not yet procured it,
! Il will unite my efforts with YOU !
cried. 'Wc will end by finding where
this 3,833,333 conceals itself, or III lose
my reputation The ice thus broken,
we went over the exposition together,
talking and planning. She permitted me
TO offer her my arm to the door; CON
Quoted her to Il carriage. Again she
thanked me and wished me success, toss
ing me from the tips of her fingers n most
adorable salute.
"But what became of the number, the
beautiful woman and the old aunt2"
asked the four and twenty friends.
"Do you remember said Theodore,
''that recently ! wrote TO you, asking If
among your lottery tickets you possessed
there was the number 3 1888 1882"
"WC all remember It,"
81 addressed the same question to all
my acquaintanccs, | had printed 200, GOO
copies Of circular in which offered two
francs premium to the person who knew
anything OF the number, and inundated
the country with them. had twenty en-
ployes at my house occupied in address
ing and sending off these circulars. In
the meantime | runsacked all the
bureaus. | paid to the officials
one franc hundred tickets for
the privilege OF seeing If that number had
been sold.
"Stll the 9,833,933 cluded me on all
sides. Then / consulted u celebrated
claiyoyaut a large blonde woman who
had very aristOCratiC relations. This big
blonde woman took my hand and, after a
silence intended to be solemn, announced
that was in love with woman who did
not love me, and that / was really perse-
cutcd by Il uut-broWn maiden, but, not
Withstauding all, would some day be
happy. | Interrupted the relation to
ask If she could tell me who held the
ticket 1888, 1888. She gravely assured me
that she was ignorant of the 3, 1913, S33,
but for twenty francs more she would tell
me what number would draw the grand
prize, On urging my question anew the
| big blonde flew into a rage and sent me
to n Monsieur Ju!uzOt, who told me as
little. was by this time in despair.
Every evening | went TO see Nine. de L.,
who lived very retired life, and informed
her OF the result of my researches. The
old aunt grew hour by hour more deter
mined in her eager desire Finding that
she would never rest until she had real
lied her wish, or recover her health until
she did, she grew more and more feeble
every day"
"Bothcr the aunt" impatiently and dis
| respectfully began the twenty-four.
Theodore arrested them by a gesture.
"Do not laugh at her, he said; "listen
to me to the end, Yesterday morning,
having no longer u remaining hope, | was
about rcnouncing the pursuit, when, as
was dressing myself, | said to Pierre, a
new valet who had served me only two
/ days; Pierre, have you any lottery tick
eiSP No, monsieur, not some, but one,
| My old master gave 1t TO me because he
said seven figures alike never gained any
/ thing
octave you 1t herc?'
"'Hcs, monsieur, IL has never left me-
Only friends, this tickle. CaS the terrible
1888, 333.
81 made but one leap from my house to
to that of Mime. dc L.. 1t was closed.
lnquirng OF the concierge, learned that
| inc aunt had died an hour before my ar
rival. wrote at once to Nine. lie L.. n
long and tender letter, the love felt for
her Detaying itself in every line. spoke
of my chagrin In arriving too late, and
wound up my letter thus: Il love YOU
too well TO conceal it longer. To-day
| you are all alone, and you are too good to
live without the love Of some one. Give
me AT least the hope that some day I, your
| humble and respectful Gdorer, may be
this some 0Ae.
"The evening OF the interment was yes
terday. | saw her again. pale and sad,
but more beautiful than ever IN her
grief,
"'I wish to shake hands with YOU said
She, before my departure to the country
| am the only inheritor Of my aunt, aud the
duties OF succession call me 60 the
province. shall he gone a month Come
to see me on my return, In the meantime
think of the 1883, 333n
81 fell at her feet and ardenty kissed
the hand which she extended 10 me.n
care you going to be marriedYn yelled
the four and twenty comrades.
Eyes, my friends, am"
"Then what shout the grand prizeYm
"ldiots," cried Theodore, "haye I TO
tell you still mere plainly that the 300