The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-08-30

oglos and numerous importunings for
forgiveness. together eith such evil
IDENTIFY sincere renewed avowals, with
so much more fervor than ever be-
fore awoke her charitable and relig-
ious spirit OF forgiveness. and as the
Gre of love had not died I'm her heart
it was easily famed to quick life
again.
He insisted that the wedding occur
at once. but Miss Ludlow was not pre-
pared. saying she much preferred to
wait uH fail. ''I do not doubt your
affection and siucerelty this time
Robert" said She "but don't you
.uK a longer engasement r1ignt be
y satisfactory In the end to us
lN We may have changed, you
Il, a.. and that will give as time to
dlsco-ei. It win also give as time
to determine whether either of us
might be apt to change hereafter"
seing calm persuasion useless, he
apprlsed her Of his reason for an inn
mediate marriage. But Foster did not
know Miss Ludlow. III you want a
wife simply that you may qualify for
a certain sum OF money" said she.
with frozen calmness and determine
tion. You will have to go elsewhere. p
Miss Ludlow closed the door after
Foster. and gave herself over TO more
days and nights of worry and nervous
ness The wound in her heart, almost
healed, had broken again.
NOW comes the introduction into the
story Of Minerva simms. Foster had
known Miss simms for some time.
She belonged to a prominent family
IN reduced circumstances. and al
though she was compelled to spend
days behind store counter she was
fairly popular in Fort Smith. and well
respected. She. too. like nearly ev-
eryone else in that section, had regis
tered at El Reno for a land prize, but
as the chances were so few most peo-
pie really had no hope Of winning.
Miss simms and Foster We're good
friends but not lovers. So when Fost-
er proposed marriage and frankly ex-
planned why # almost took the young
aoman off her feet. But when she
closed her eyes and saw the $4,000 on
one side and a few dollars weekly in
a store on the other she agreed.
"But / win lose my prize, she mild
ly expostulated. II have registered
for claim you know and my right
to it would be forfeited by marriage. ~
Pshaw." laughed Foster. 81 have
registered, too, but I'm not losing
sleep over the prospects of winning
You won't win, and as | have to be
married by Sunday the 2Sth day be
fore the drawing begins, can't wait
to see. You have only one chance in
thirteen. and even if you should win,
the chances are that your claim would
not be worth over a few hundred or
a thousand dollars, and you would
have to remain single It's all lottery,
anyway. so why not have a bird in
the hand rather than one that may
never be caught"
Fosters argument was colviucine
and Sunday morning they were mar
ried. on his twenty-seyenth birth an-
niyersary Monday the drawing ne
gan. and one of the first names taken
from the great official wheel Of for
tune was Minerva Simms Her claim
was choice one in the I.awton dis
tr!et being valued at $4,000 AS
soon as it was learned that she had
married since registering, thereby
iogteiting her right to a title. another
envelope was opened to decide the
winner Of the $4,000 Strange but
true. the next name drawn was that
OF Bertha Ludlow.