Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-08-27
AN bNLUCEl NJ Der

hlu ht not lOunu tccfttCu In the Duck %
a book which he had bought the day be
fore at one of tho bookstalls / took tho
piece of paper and examined &c. II was fog
500, 600 and would be drawn for in five
weeks time
Captain r.. leaning out of the window
with his chin resting on his hands hat
scarcely noticed the entrance of the ol(
man, but when called him and held thf
scrap of 1imsy paper out toward him M,
turned terribly pale and sank back int<
his ,cIt.
No 53!' be mUrmUrcd, nghast
Not another WoId could we ct out o.
him. lie sat pale and dumb, like ont
turned into STONE. Mr. -nug placed the
ticket inside iii, pockctbook and muttoroc
loud enough for us 10 hear.
'Ore hundred thousand dollars! Why
that is louuucl But an old fool like me
will never win.
lyon will wiu' suddenly cried the
captain IN strange, low tones, which mads
20 both start
GLOW can you tcu?" whispered the old
man eagerly.
q WANT you TO get rid Of that ticket, for
as sure ns $50 are living men you viii I've
the loser ina tho end. -
"Ah! Perhaps you would like to -ecuro
lhe ticket, SAID the old fellow, with 8
peculiar smile.
The captain only shrugged his shoul
lers and TUNED 10 the window.
81 huow, said sang "tLut | could get
good sum .ortAis ticket il it were known
had il for >H.c. However, as the captain
Is SO positive 10 will Dee drawn | viii rotair
tbe ticket and run the risk of being tha
loser. One hundred thousand dollerA'
Why | see what it is-the captain = soal
ous! Ha, ha.'
lie won't out, and as ne DESCRIBED tht
stairs l heard him mumbHnQ.
"You viii he the loser in che end
What cfn the captain moan, | wonder"
he gained tho street, enl could hear nc
more
turned 10 Captain r. He was standing
silent and motioulcSs dt the window
For long timc / ,at watching him,
standing tLcro go pale and silent, AL the
while wckug my brain how TO account
for his strange conduct ON seeing the
number VI t.e lottery hrkct-No 53
What painful rDtolactinns did these two
hsur- foc4u TO hi- miudi asked myself
,he question over and ,yer again, but
still remained ia the dark
All ut o1co he CLOSED tlc window and
sim, .y -aia, a- II -ipa.Ia o. himself:
There can Pee no Goaht about it No.
53 is am aceur-cd rml r''
81 do not understand YOU, captain,
said. for began 90 lycl curious
lie remained silent for some time as II
In deep thought, and l did not interrupt
him
"Li-tcn. be said suddenly, land YOU
can judge for yourself as to the truth II
my statement lie lit q cigarette and
drew his chair 70 the table.
"Elovcn years ago, he began, "my
father, although considered 10 be- very
sensible man, invested a sum of money i'm
a lottery. His .ckct was drawn, and he
became possessed of 100000. He WAS
fortunate. ~ everybody said. /, too,
thought So al the time. one evening he
entered one Of the gambling saloons, and
becoming fascinated by the play he lost all
bis ready money in a few hours Thcn
all his property went, and when he arose
from the table at midnight he was beg.
gar. Maddcued by his losses and rendered
insane 10y the knowledge of the grief of his
family, he shot himself through the heart
His ticket was NO 53l"
Yet | cannot see how that goes &c
prove your statement | said. 1.-THE
same thing could happen with any mum
Der. -
True, " he replied. "Iattached no I'm
portancc TO the number at the time Four
years went by, and | had almost forgotten
No. 53, when friend of mine in poor cir.
cumstanccs managed to buy a lottery tick
et. He won, like my father, 500, coo
Poor follow 1t was the price of his reason
The sEddcn rise 10 wealth turned his
brain, and he is now an inmate of an asy-
luD Now you will understand me when
/ tell you his ticket was No 3d.
l sbuddered but remained silent.
you can have an idea, he went on,
las to the state Of my feelings on seeing
poor sang IN possession Of lottery ticket
bearing the fatal No. 53l"
| could answer nothing. To me IL
seemed ineXplicable.
The day of drawing slowly came round,
and as the captain had foretold, Sangs
ticket was drawn No. SO was announced
the winner
When the captain heard of it, he shook
his head ana murmurcd:
"Wait Watt
Sang fCrsook Hooley street and bought
for himself a nice little villa. He was
talked of'as being a lucky man and was
envicd by all except Captain II.
You will bo the loser in the end, 2" the
captain had said But now | began Co
think no was mistaken
One morning scarcely three months
after the drawing Captain Il. placed a
newspaper before me and without word
pointed out "a certain paragraph. l read
with almost stilod heart that thief had
entered sang house the night before, and
while searching for the money, which was
beloved to bo sccretod in the house, no
aroused the owner, whom he stabbed GO
death.
The captain was right. Sang was the
loser
There Is a solution 20 every mystery
Can you solve the mystery of No. 53i |
Captain +. aid myself confess ourselves |
balllod. Tx cuanac