Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-05-23

him take my place and L will take
his"
There was a murmur of admiration
among the soldiers. The woman
ceased her hysterical cries to look at
the author OF this strange interrupt
ton. There was whispered consul
tation among the officers. At last one
of them spoke.
''Do you quite understand that there
are thirty-nine papers in this bag, and
thirty-fiye of them are so marked that
he who draws one of them must die?"
The stranger bowed.
'Then If, knowing that, you are
prepared to draw for this man, we
have no objection to offer"
The stranger, without word, thrust
his hand into the bag, drew out a
paper and held it up for all to see. 1t
was white one.
$50 far, so good" he said, quietly
''the man is free, and I am free also.
Now, by your leave, I will draw for
the mans wife"
The soldiers gazed at him as if he
were out Of his senses. The officer
held back the bag for moment, and
looked at him from head to foot. He
was perfectly calm and at ease.
"1ou mean what you say?" NUT.
tered the officer.
Sometimes" said the foreigner
carelessly; "now, certainly"
''It's absolute Madness" said an
other officer.
TITS a mad world" said the for.
eigner.
"Well, your lifo is your own to
throw away if you will"
ooh, but it's not thrown away
yet" said the man. "Where is the
bag?"
They handed him the bag, and he
put his hand again among the papers.
Gone turn for luck" he said, STIR
ring the papers up. "Now!" and he
held the paper high above his head. 1t
was white one. He bowed to the
man and his wife. ''We are SO far
fortunate, " he said, and smiled.
The man fell to the earth, and was
about to clasp the wonderful stranger
about the knees; but his wife was be-
fore him.
"Oh, sir!" she cried; "you have a
charmed life; you have Heaven with
you; you are good, or you have
magic. Sir, you have listened to the.
wife; oh, that you would listen to the
motherl'
Tn her fierce emotion she did not
heed the efforts CT her husband to re-
strain her. Every one was moved.
The officers could not disguise their
feelings. The Englishman alone
seemed collected.
"Whew!" he whistled. "Children,
are there? That's coming it little
strong" He looked at her, musing,
for few second; and added; with
whimsical accent: "Its little strong.
But how many are there? There's
only room for two"
''These two, kind sir!~ pleaded the
woman. ooh, sir, be their savior,
and the good God keep you from
harm!"
"Two, are there?" said the man.
every well, I will draw for the two"
Then he said, with sigh, "Heighoi
unli w llllh IuuU IL uleTe TeSeuDlunc6
in the voice can make man such a
fool!"
Then turning to the officer, he said,
courteously: "Will you so far extend
your indulgence as to allow me to draw
again?"
Gas you WILL" said the officer, but
with marked consideration of tone.
ST am indeed beholden to you," he
said, and slipped his hand into the
bag. "Now, the question is, where
those two papers are. Well, this for
one shot!" and he drew out the paper
and handed it to the officer. A shout
arose which there was no suppressing.
1t was white ore.
"You will have your children" he
said to the woman; ''for if fail this
time, it will only be my life they will
require. And 1 have no friends!"
He turned again to the bag, and said:
"We will take the first that comes this
time" He drew it out, shut in his
closed hand, and held it there. All
the army seemed to have gathered
round. There were eager faces, quiv-
SIlhS ilpS, lSullul eyes. DuI ne Was
looking at his hand with curious,
quizzical smile "There's handful of
fate!" he said. Suddenly he opened his
fingers, and revealed the paper lying
open on the palm.
1t was q white one.
Then indeed such cheer arose as
has seldom been heard on this old
earth. The officer carried back the
bag to the generals tent, where he re-
ported what had happened. The
generals, discerning in it the finger of
Providence, declared the lottery at an
end, released the five victims, and
proclaimed a general amnesty.
Curious thing, the voice" said a
man in camp that night, over a cigar.
He was talking to the officer who had
carried round the bag. "It's some
years now since heard the voice of a
woman strangely like that voice. But
for her 1 suppose 1 should never have