Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-10


They had but e1O0 pounds a year. and
both being without near relatives, had
gone to Brussels 10 .be-able to live cheaply,
she adding to their income by giving les
sons in English. I in turn told every
thing there was 10 tell of my uneventfui
history. allowing. perhaps, that wish
which is sometimes father to the thought
TO influence my account Of the chances OF
my comedy's success.
IL is curious now soon acquaintance RI
pens into friendship and friendship devel-
OPS into intimacy between people of
common origin thrown together in for
eign country. June was not half through
when in spite of my impecuniosity, l had
asked Grace If she would be my wife if my
play were to prove successful and 1 had
a reasonable chance of being able TO Of
Ter her a comfortable home. My declara-
lion. made with the stammering difhdence
Of one asking for more than his deserts,
was met with indignation.
Mr.. Drummond. if you wait till then
/ certainly will not; for if married at all
it would be because L cared for you, and
not for a reasonable chance Of a com
Portable home
How can I ask the woman I love TO
share possible beggary?"
How In very much the same way
you could ask her TO share possible duke
DOM
But, Grace. win you marry me?'
"Jack"-for the first time my baptismal
name seemed TO have something of good
in it-"whatever 1 may promise. 1 cannot
bind myself without my fathers consent;
for / promised my mother always to look
after him. and 1 certainly cannot leave
him against his wish, and besides my e10O
a year-you did not know the princely in
come is mine-is all that he has to live on,
so that if 1 marry-you see, Jack, am go
ing to use, ifs now-I must leave that 10
him."
We agreed that Grace should excuse her
self from accompanying her father TO
Vauxhall that evening. and 1 thought to
tackle him on the subject of our engage
ment.
1t was difficult indeed. AT first the old
man stormed-he would never consent;
Grace was doing this because she was tir-
ed of him; she was going to desert him;
he would starve-and so on. 1t was as
much as l could do to restrain my indig-
nation. l pointed out that. far from leav-
ing him to stapye. Grace would let him use
her income as long as he lived. and this
partly Modified him. If she would lend
him the capital instead he could double
it in six weeks by certain investment.
1 hazarded the childish. suggestion that
I If 1 secured me lottery prize I would lend
him i5CD to invest in that stock which no,
with all a gamblers supertitious pertinac-
ity. declared would restore his fortune.
My imbecie reference to the lottery did
what reason could nCt do.
You have a ticket in the lottery? What
is its NUMBER
1t is 0G5S, 30"
"What?' he exclaimed, with feverish
energy. "What?"
1 repeated the number
why" he began, murmuring to himself
"Hfty eight is just my age; thirty-one, the
number of Our house. and three nauShts-
there's luck in three
We were now approaching his apart
ments and seemed no nearer gaining his
/ consent. when, clutching me by the arm
he said
In my hands that ticket must be a lucky
one. Give it to me and you may marry
Grace tomorrow
The proposal was a shocking one-it
seemed suspiciously like buying and sell
ing; but there was little time to think, and
1 said, with barbarous promptitude. Il
will"
On the last day of June Grace Mariner be-
cana Mrs. Jack Drummond
( 1 called at the postoffice for letters on
the evening before our simple wedding.
/ There was note from the great man of
the Thespian saying most flattering things
I of "Sober-sides. the Funny Man" and ask
( ing me to call, as he would like to put the
piece in immediate rehearsal. l telegraph
! ed that I would be in town in two days.
When we were speeding from Brussels
I showed by newly made wife the letter
and she said with affected indignation:
Il am afraid have married a comfort
able home after all"
Two or three days after we reached
London I got a letter from Uncle Joel had
( announced my return but not my mar
riage saying: Congratulations. 1 kept
/ the number of that ticket 1 gave you and
now see by the paper that you have won
/ the first priz4"
! wrote an answer, brief but TO the point:
Dear Uncle Joe:-The lottery ticket
I which you kindly gave mellow can 1 ever
/ be grateful snough?-has brought me
/ something better than prize-it has given
me a wife,
| AS for the fate of my comedy. every ad-
vertisement boprding in London informs
, you that it is 9till running.