Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-15

day or two, and injure the sale OF the on
ion basket. When She became bedridden,
Jeanne Marie bought the ticket for both,
on the numbers, however, that Anne Ma
rie gave her; and Anne Marie had to lie !
in bed and wait, while Jeanne Marie went |
out to watch the placard.
One evening, watching it, Jeanne Marie |
saw the ticket agent write out the numbers
as they came on her ticket, in such a way
that they drew a prize-forty dollars.
When the old woman saw it she felt such
happiness, Just as she used to feel in the
old times right after the birth of baby
She thought of that instantly. Without
saying a word to any one, she clattered
over the bdnquette as fast as she could in
her sabots, to tell the good news to Anne
Marie. But she did not go so fast as not
to have time to dis pose of her forty dollars
over and over again. Forty dollars That
was a great deal of money. She had often
| in her mind, when she was expecting
prize, spent twenty dollars; for she had
never thought it could be more than that.
But forty dollars! A new gown apiece,
and black silk kerchiefs to tie over their
| heads instead of red cotton, and the
| little cabin new Ted-washed, and soup in
the pot and garlic sausage, and bottle
of good, costly liniment for Anne Marie's
legs and still a pile of gold to 60 under
the hearth-brick-a pile of gold that would
have made the eyes of the defunct husband
glisten.
She pushed open the picket-gate, and
came into the room where her sister lay in
bed.
"Eh, Anne Marie, my girl" she called
in her thick, pebbly voice, apparently
made purposely to suit her rough Gascon
accent; ''this time we have caught it!'
''Whose ticket?" asked Anne Marie, in
stantly.
In flash all Anne Mare's i'll luck ran
through Jeanne Marie's mind; how her
promised husband proved unfaithful, and
Jeanne Maries faithful; and how, ever
since, even to the coming out of her lot
terry numbers even to the selling of veget
ables, even to the catching of the rheuma-
tism, she had been the loser. But above
all, as she looked at Annie Marie in the
bed all the misery came over Jeanne Ma
RE of her sisters not being able, in all her
poor old seventy-five years of life, to re-
member the pressure of husbands arms
about her waist. nor the mouth of child
on her breast.
As soon as Anne Marie had asked her
question, Jeanne Marie answered it.
"But your ticket, Cotton Mdjr*
"Where? Give it here! Give it herer'
The old woman, who had not been able to
move her back for weeks, sat bolt upright
in bed, and stretched out her great bony
fingers, with the long nails as hard and
black as rake prongs from groveling in the
earth.
Jeanne Marie poured the money out Of
her cotton handkerchief into them.
Anne Marie counted it, looked at il
| q Il Il. l..
not been so old, so intirm, so toothless
the smile that passed over her face would
have made it beautiful.
Jeanne Marie had to leave her to draw
water from the well to water the plants
and to get her vegetables ready for tn,
next morning. She felt even happier nov
than if she had Just had a child, happier
even than if her husband had just return
ed to her.
"Ill luck Coton-MdU Ill luck There
a way to turn i'll luck!" And her smil,
also should have beautified her face, wrink
led and ugly though it was.
She did not think any more of the
spending of the money, only of the pleas
ure Anne Marie would take in spending it
The water Yas low in the well, and ther,
y had been a long drought. There are no
, many old women of seventy-five who coulC
u have watered so much ground as abund
d antly as she did. but whenever she thouph
{ of the forty dollars and Anne Marie
$ smile, she would give the thirsting plan
an extra bucketful.
The twilight was gaining. She paused
"Coton-lIajln she exclaimed aloud. "Bu
:, must see the old woman smile again owe
, her good luck
o AS,Lo,,I !, , ill.,. ill, s.. E..
| q A I 1.
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