Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-27

library at desk apparently engaged La
laborious mathematical calculation.
He covered sheet after sheet with figure
and occasionally paused to gaze at hi
work with intense interest.
The busy worker was neatly attired 4
black and his serene and intellectual fac
bore not the slightest trace of insanity.
The superintendent who accompanie,
me picked up sheet Of paper and callc
my attention to 1t. On every line appeare,
the figures 77,777.
EVERY sheet Is like that" he said
1.-THE old man docs nothing else all da,
long"
what do these figures mcans" asket
ct the suggestion Of my companion.
| "It Is the number Of my lottery ticket, ,
| was tho ready answer. "No. 77,777 In ths
lottery has drawn the capital prize of 800,
| 000 and the money will be here tomor
row."
Then the poor fellow smiled, and joy
ful light came into his eyes,
ut Will make me the happiest man In
tho world" no said "Not that care for
1t myself, but have made a present of the
ticket to my wife, and she needs the
money"
"You are very Fortunate" replied Sin
ber.'
"Yes, and I Greame0 it." was the re
sponse. 1.-The number came to me In my
dreams three successive nights, and SO /
bought the ticket My wife laughed at
me, but 1t drew the prize and when IL
comes tomorrow am going to give 1t to
her in 100 81, 900 bills"
He bent over the table and began fgur-
To- a.. 81 n
IA strange delusion," said to the su.
perintendent. "Has 1t any foundations"
ut Is very sad story" replied the
years, and during all that time he has
talked Of nothing but his prise and the
happiness 1t will bring to his wife.
"His name is Colonel s., and he
came from one OF our upper counties. He
had O small estate and q wife with very
large ideas
1.-THE colonel's house would have sup
ported the two comfortably but for the
fact that his beautiful and high spirited
wife was always making extravaQant de.
mands. She squandered his money, forced
him to mortgage his plantation and then
made him borrow large sums right and
left.
hAt last the colonel could borrow no
longer, and his creditors began to presS
him. This made his wife furious, and she
stormed and ragged at him and told him
that he must provide her with funds.
"Her husband bore 1t all patiently, but |
he was driven nearly crazy by his creditors
and his nagging wife, One night he
dreamed that he had purchasd No. n, TIT
In the lottery and that 1t was the win |
ming ticket. He had the same dream three |
times that night, and the next day he
went to the CITY and bought the ticket.
"His wife scolded him for his folly, and |
in her angry mood she threatened to de- |
stroy the ticket. The colonel knew that |
she was just the woman to do such thing, |
and'he concealed the precious bit of paper !
and waited for the next monthly drawing. |
Matters grew worse, and the two were |
hardly on speaking terms. One Saturday |
the colonel went to the postoffice and came
back at breakneck speed, spurring his
horse all the way. He rushed into tho
house and throwing his arms around his
wife's neck told her that they were saved
and that his ticket had drawn the prize.
"The woman turned pale and gasped for
breath. Her husband showed her the off.
cial list Of the drawing and shouted for Joy. |
But not a word came from his wife. A |
hopeless look of despair came over her face,
and for the first time she was afraid to |
meet the eyes Of the man who stood by her
side.
"A terrible thought flashed through the I
mind, and without a word he
hurried to the secret place where he had |
the ticket.
"It was gone. The beautiful tigress
whose greed and temper had wrecked his
life had carried out her threat. She had |
found the ticket and destroyed it. There
was no doubt Of that, for she was the only |
one In the house with the exception of her
husband who had access to the room where |
the paper had been deposited.
"When the colonel returned to his wife's |
room, she threw herself ON her knees at |
his feet. She wept and kissed his hands |
and refused to be comforted The colonel |
knew that the case was hopeless for the |
Havana lottery always required the ticket |
itself and no tale about its destruction |
would do any good. He helped his wife |
to her feet and kissed her, and told her |
that 1t was all right, they would make q
new start and get along somehow.
"But the woman had made up her mind. |
She tore herself away from her loyal, pa.
tient victim and went into another room,
locking the door behind her. The report |
Of pistol told what had occurred, and |
when the colonel broke open the door he |
found his wife dead, with bullet through |
her heart.
"The neighbors found him sitting by |
the dead woman's side talking about his |
prize. His reason had deserted him, and |
since that day he has been just as you see |
him now. He believes that his wife Is liv-
ing, and his entire time Is spent in de- |
vising plans for her comfort and pleasure"
"Will he ever recoverf' asked the su-
Never. He has been In this condition |
80 years and Is now 65 years old. 1t is
best for him to remain as he is. II he |
should regain his reason, nothing but sor-
row would come with It."
walked back to the table and found |
the colonel covering another sheet of paper |
with the figures 77,777.
II hope your prize will como tomor-
row." said pleasantly