The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-31
A LOTTERY WRECK.

NAAOAN
white haired old man whose story inter
ests every visitor.
When I saw him, he was sitting in the
library at desk apparently engaged in a
laborious mathematical calculation.
He covered sheet after sheet with figures
and occasionally paused to gaze at his
work with intense interest.
The busy worker was neatly attired in
black, and his serene and intellectual face
bore not the slightest trace of insanity.
The superintendent who accompanied
me picked up a sheet of paper and called
my attention to it: On every line appeared
the figures AZ, III.
EVERY sheet is like that" he said.
'The old man does nothing else all day
long"
sFWhat do these figures mean?'' I asked
ct the suggestion of my companion.
cit is the number of my lottery ticket, "
was the ready answer. mo. "a, TIT in the
lottery has drawn the capital prize of $780,
600, and the money will be here tomor-
row.
Then the poor fellow smiled, and joy
full light came into his eyes.
''It will make me the happiest man in
the world, . he said. ''Not that I care for
it myself, but l have made present of the
ticket to my wife, and she needs the
money"
'You are very fortunate, - replied Gin
getting the ticket with the winning num-
Der.
eyes, and 1 dreamed 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 it drew the prize, and when it
comes tomorrow 1 am going to give it to
her in 100 ST. 600 bills"
He bent over the table and began fgur-
ing again in his slow and methodical way.
"a strange delusion,' - said to the su-
perintendent. ''Has it any foundation?'
''It is d very sad story" replied the
official ''The old man has been here 80
years, and during all that time he has
| talked of nothing but his prize and the
happiness it will bring to his wife.
"His name is Colonel s., and he
came from one of our upper counties. He
had small estate and 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 extravaganza de-
mands. She squandered his money, forced
| him to mortgage his plantation and then
made him borrow large sums right and
left.
cat 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 it all patiently, but
| he was driven nearly crazy by his creditors
and his naSging wife. One night he
dreamed that he had purchase No. n, M
/ in the lottery and that it 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 a thing,
and be 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, squirting his
horse all the way. He rushed into the
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
ciaI 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
GA terrible thought flashed through the
colonel's mind, and without word he
hurried to the secret place where he had
concealed the ticket.
cit 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.
Ii ic@5-
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 heI
that it was all right, they would make &
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 a pistol told what had occurred, anC
when the colonel broke open the door h'
found his wife dead, with bullet through
her heart.
''The neighbors found him sitting b.
the dead woman's side talking about hi
prize His reason had deserted him, ant
since Inag Gay ne mas Deen just as you Sc
him now. He believes that his wife is liY
ing, and his entire time is spent in de
Yising plans for her comfort and pleasure.
''Wiu he ever recover" asked the su
perintendent.
''Never. He has been in this condition
80 years and is now 65 years old. 1t
best for him to remain as he is. If b
should regain his reason, nothing but sor
row would come with it.
walked back to the table and foun
the colonel covering another sheet of pape
with the figures n, III.
81 hope your prize will come tomol
row." 1 said pleasantly.
cit is sure to come, - he replied, 'an
then my wife will feel like new woman
We are going to travel and build a nev
home and enjoy life There are only t1r