The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-10-31


prove successful and bad reasonable
chance Of being a5le 10 ofIer her com
Portable home. Ny declaration, made
with the stammering difadenee Of one
asking far more than his deserts, Wa
met with Indignation.
Mr.. DrummoBd, II you wait until
then certainly will not; for Il marry
at all 1t would be because I cared for
you, and not for q reasonable chance Of
a comfortable home.
How can 1 ask the woman I love to
share possible beggary?"
..How? In very much the same way
rs you would ask her TO share possible
dHkedOms
but. Grace, viii You marry me?"
"Jaek" the first time ny baptism.
al name seemed 10 have something good
in whatever Imay promise. l cannot
bind myself without my fathers con-
sent; for l promised ny mother always
10 look after him and certainly cannot
leave him against his wish, and. besides,
M & 100 yeaF-you did not know the
prineely income is mine!-is all be has
TO live on, 20 thai If I nlarry-you see,
Jack. l am going to use Ifs now-I must
leave that to him"
lie agreed that Grace should excuse
herself from accompanying her father
TO Wauxhall that evening, and L should
tackle him On the subject of our engage
ment.
It was difficult indeed. At first the
old man stormed-he would never con-
sent; Grace was doing this because she
was tired of him; he would starye--
and so on. 1t was as much as could do
TO restrain my indignation. pointed
out that. far from leaving him TO starve,
Grace would let him use her income as
long as he lived, and this partly molli-
fed him. If she would lend him the
capital instead he could double il in six
weeks By a certain investment. | haz-
arded the childish suggestion that If
secured the lottery prize ] would end
him 500 to invest in that stock which
he. with ali a gamblers superstitious
pertinaeity, declared would restore his
fortunes.
Ny imbecile reference TO the lottery
did what reason could not do.
"You have a ticket in the lottery2
What is its number?"
1T is 0,05s ,310.'
What" he exclaimed with feverish
energy. ''What?"
I II . -
why" be began to murmur to him
self, "5s, just my age; 81, the number Of
our house, and three naughts-there's
luck in three"
We were now approaching his apart
ments, and ! seemed no nearer of gain
ing his consent. when, clutching me by
the arm, he said;
I'm my hands that ticket must be
lucky one. Give it to me and you may
marry Grace tomorrow.
The proposal was shocking one-it
seemed suspiciously like buying and
selling; but there was little time to
think, and l said, with barbarous
promptitude; II will"
on lltf VI y plhSN Mai MI
became Mrs. Jack Drummond.
l called at the post Office for letters on
the evening before our simple wedding.
There was a note from the great man OF
the Thespian, saying most fiatteIing
things of "Sobersides, the Funny Man."
and asking me IL call, as ne would like
to put the piece in immediate rehearsal!
! telegraphed that would be in town in
two days.
When we were speeding from Brus-
sells / showed my newly wife the
letter, and she said, with affected indig-
nation:
81 am afraid that have married a
comfortable home after ALL"
Two or three days after we reached
London l got letter from Uncle Joe
| had announced my return, but not my
marriage-saying: Congratulations
/ kept the number Of that ticket I
gave you, and now see by the paper that
you have won the first prize"
| wrote an answer-brief, but to tho
point:
Dear Uncle Joe: The lottery ticket
which you kindly gave mellow can
ever be grateful enough?-has brought
me something better than a prize-it
has given me a wife,"
As for the fate of my comedy, every
advertisement boarding in London in
forms you that i is still running
Lloyd's Weekly