The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-04
AN UNLUCKY NUMBER


tain P, at the open window of his room
when the door was thrown open and in
walked an old soldier of the name of Sang.
He showed us a lottery ticket, which he
said he had found secreted in the back of
q book which he had bought the day be-
fore at one of the bookstalI took the
piece of paper and examined it. 1t was for
500, 600 and would be drawn for in five
weeks time.
Captain P, leaning out of the window,
with his chin resting on his hands, had
scarcely noticed the entrance of the old
man, but when called him and held the
scrap of f1imsy paper out toward him no
turned terribly pale and sank back into
his seat.
"No. 53!'' he murm ured, aghast.
Not another word could we get ont Of
him. He sat pale and dumb, like ono
turned into stone. Mr.. Sang placed the
ticket inside his pocketbook and muttered
loud enough for US to hear:
3 lone hundred thousand dollarsl Why,
that is fortune But an old fool like me
will never win"
{ "You will winl" suddenly cried the
captain in strange, low tones, which made
us both start
Glow can you tell?' whispered the old
man eagerly.
81 want you to get rid of that ticket, for
as sure as we are living men you will be
the loser in the end
: "Ah! Perhaps you would like to secure
the ticket, said the old fellow, with q
peculiar smile.
The captain only shrugged his shout
ders and turned to the window.
81 know said Sang, that could get
a good sum for this ticket if it were known
1 had it for sale. However, as the captain
is SO positive it will be drawn I will retain
the ticket and run the risk of being the
loser. One hundred thousand dollarsI
Why, SEQ what it is-the captain is jeal-
ousl Ha, hal'
He went out, and as he descended the
stairs heard him Inumbling:
'You will be the loser in the end.
What can the captain mean, I wonder?"
He gained the street, and I could hear no
more
L turned to Captain P. He was standing
silent and motionless at the window.
For long time sat watching him,
standing there so pale and silent, all the
while racking my brain how to account
for his strange conduct on seeing the
number of the lottery ticket--No. So.
What painful recollections did these two
figures recall to his mind? 1 asked myself
the question over and over again, but 1
still remained in the dark.
All at once he closed the window and
''There can be no doubt about It'll No.
53 is an accursed number!'
I" l do not understand you, captain,
said, for I began to feel curious.
He remained silent for some time as If
in deep thought, and 1 did not interrupt
him.
"Liston," he said suddenly, land you
can judge for yourself as to the truth of
my statement He lit a cigarette and
draw hic cbaix tn tho fabIa
ELEVEN years ago." he began, "my
father, although considered to be very
sensible man, invested sum of money in
a lottery. His ticket was drawn, and he
became possessed of 500, coo. He was
fortunate. So everybody said. I, 500,
thought SO at the time. One evening he
entered one of the gam bling saloons, and
becoming fascinated by the play he lost all
his ready money in a few hours. Then
all his property went, and when he arose
from the table at midnight he was beg
gar. Maddened by his losses and rendered
insane by the knowledge of the grief of his
family, he shot himself through the heart.
His ticket was No. 53!''
'Yet 1 cannot see how that goes to
prove your statement" 1 said. 1.-The
same thing could happen with any num-
Der. "
TRUE, )" he replied. 81 attached no i'm
" Lll0 1OIIDCE SSb u1i6 lllIl0. GOAI
years went by, and had almost forgotten
No. 53, when friend of mine in poor cir
eumstanoes managed to buy a lottery tick
ct. He won, like my father, 500, 600.
Poor fellow! 1t was the price Of his reason.
The sudden rise to wealth turned his
brain, and he is now an inmate of an asy
1um. Now you will understand me when
tell you his ticket was No. 53r'
I shuddered but remained silent.
4
Gas to the state of my feelings on seeing
poor Sang in possession of a lottery ticket
bearing the fatal No. 53!''
I could answer nothing. To me it
seemed inexplicable.
The day of drawing slowly came round,
and, as the captain had foretold, Sang's
ticket was drawn. No. So was announced
the winneri
When the captain heard of 1t, he shook
his head and murmured:
''Wait! Waltz
Sang forsook Hooley street and bought
for himself a nice little villa. He was
talked Of as being lucky man and was
envied by all except Captain p.
''You will be the loser in the end, - the
captain had said. But now began to
think he was mistaken.
One morning scarcely three months
after the drawing Captain P. placed
newspaper before me and without word
pointed out a certain paragraph. 1 read
with almost stifled heart that thief had
entered Sang's house the night before, and
while searching for the money, which was
believed to be secreted in the house, be
aroused the owner, whom he stabbed to
death.
The captain was right. Sang was the
loser.
There is a solution to every mystery.
Can you solve the mystery Of No. SO?
Captain P. and myself confess ourselves
baffled. -Exchange
Could Not Get Yankee Drink.
He walked into the cafe of the Hoffman
House and laid his plaid tourists cap on