The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-07-07

e'"to VI kfeat etuilVment over remark
able succession Of events. There aro
0 about two buudred residents In the settle
. ment-sll farmers thrifty and nearly al
in comfortable circumstances. There is
large surplus Of unmarried young men in
, the community and scnciiy Of marriage
! able yonng women. so that every icmale
J old enough 10 be oourled receives the At
tentions OF from one TO dozen real
lovers. A widower named Hanes Dotikie
! is one OF The settlers, snl has been living
since the death Of bis wife. with three
pretty daughters In little log house
somewhat removed from the main settle
ment, Lately Dorikie met with number
OF reverses which crippled him financially
so that while bis neishbors saw plenty on
hand the old man saw starvation looking
into the faces OF himself and daughters.
Something mus. be done and the wary old
finlsnder set 10 thinking out scheme
for replenishing his depleted exchequer.
The old man, Dorikie. held . conference
with his three dang bters. and uniolded TO
them bis plan Tor making money. lie
proposed st FIRST TO have M auction, and
to sell them, one by one, TO tho highest
bidder. but the young women shrsuk
from such bsrberous suggestion though
they siRni6ed their willingness TO 40
quissce 10 any Legitimate scheme OF money
making that he father might devise. At
last the old gelt though, il might be
good scheme to bavo a rails, and 90 ia
formed the three duiifnl young women.
SO IL was whispered about the neighbor
hood that Farmer Dorkie had decided 10
rsils of his daughters, aud the day later
the whisperings were confirmed. Tor Mr..
Dorfkie himself appeared among the
people with bssketiul OF pasteboari
cards. upon each OF which the Informs
tion was contained that the holder thereof
was entitled TO one chance on one or an
other OF the three msidens fair. The tic
kes went like hot cakes ut 81 apiece, and
within few days the loving father had
exchanged his basketful OF pastebosras
for like measure OF shining silver and
gold.
The day came Tor the great event and
the schoolhouse was packed TO tho outer
door with men, women and children.
Two hundred and fifty tickets upon each
girl had been sold, and the arrangements
we're that each priz, should be disposed
OF separately under the auspices oil com
mittee selected ont Of the audience. Tlo
ktts numbered TO correspond with those
sold we're placed in one box and another
box contained 21o blanks and one number
marked "Pfizs." Two young girls we're
then selected 10 preside over the boxes,
and the drawing commenced, the tickets
being removed from both boxes stimuli
tsneously until the lucky number drew
the prizs. For half an hour the audience
sat 10 suspense, while the two girls slowly
withdrew the numbers and compared
them, under the vigIlant eyes Of the com
bnt at last the number ll5
wss responded to by the exclamation
"Piizel' and the first nill was over.
Then followed q wild skirmish for tho
holder OF the lucky ticket, and when
Iound be was carried TO the front over The
heads OF the good nstnred crowd. The
holder OF the winning ticket proved 10 be
! thrifty young man OF the settlement,
who had long sought for the band OF tho
eldest dsugbter, Holde, whose husband
le was nov to become.
Next came the Hilli for the second
IL tughter, o rosy checked lass Of twenty.
NO summers. The winning ticket went
o one OF the richest men IA ibe town, bat
he was . married man with
large family. This caused long delay
q the proceeding. during which time the
ntire audience entered into q heated dIs
ussion as to what Opposition should bo
made OF the ticket, bnt II WAS finally
greed that the lucky number should be
old st auction then aud there. Tbis was
lone, and, after considerable bidding.
ii 9 Minnie, the second daughter, be
sme the prospective bride oi middle
ged widover, wlo psid $50 Tor the
rize.
Then came the rtill, for the youngest
augbter, snd things were progressing
mootbly enough, when an error was die
overed which caused bitter alteration
etween two ticket holders, sne came
eu precipitatiDg = ftee-ior al hgbt
mopg the spectators. Through carelels
ess the winning number had been dapli
sted, and there we're two clsimspts f0t
be hand Of daughter No. 8 At length
enersl row was syerted. however by ibs
ioption OF happy snsgehiion The
wo claimants rssotled 70 q game u
ite,z, ont for = determination 81 the
.stter, and for tao hours iLey sai VI the
ard table. surrounded by aa excited
f0wd OF friends. manipulating the paste
ostds Tor BRIDE slosiy the siack Of
Ups 10 front Of The nuiueky player dsin
led 10 . pslirJ lev, sod u lsst bis opp0
ept s~ept the bosrd, aud the game va
ecidsd Ia favor " yousg man named
osisv Johns 20. WOO lsbors by the day
D the farm Of HE father,
Ttas TO their promise the three dAash
,fs allowed themselves 10 b iei 10 the
tar by tbs three laeky winners.
-f3Hspber -- " hat, yoa'ys known her
sly txo weeks aud ate engaged TO hsr
hats doing veil.
singerly--It isn't half 90 veil as Zen