Fergus County argus., 1902-12-17


In the case I'm going to tell you
about. though you may say there was
no actual sin committed by my friend,
which may be true, but he gave way
under strong temptation, and that Is
the next thing to It. Anyway, VIII
Lawson, the eldest son of her who was
Samantha Fisher, would never have
been arrested for murder and put in
peril Of his life II he hadn't yielded to
temptation and had to do with lot
tery ticket.
Widow Lawson. Wills mother, lived
next door to me In a little white cot
tage with green blinds and neat fow-
er garden in front when these things
happened, and we were the best Of
friends. So / remember as II 1t was
only yesterday the day VIII came home
from the city with his new clothes. 1t
was the 9th of December. and Wills
mother had been saving up all sum-
mer to buy that suit for Christmas
present for her boy. SO 1t was quite an
event when he brought 1t home. ran
right over when l saw him, and he
put the clothes on and paraded around
the house SO we could see how he
looked in them. Will was a handsome
boy, with a straight, slender figure.
After the boy had shown Off his
clothes and told us all about his visit
to the city l went home, for had left
some things stewing on the stove, and l
was afraid they'd burn, but l hadn't
been home very long before Mrs. Law
son marched in, with worried look
on her face and that wretched lottery
ticket in her hand. Mrs. Lawson was
a God fearing woman, and she almost
cried as she told me about finding a
ticket in the watch pocket of Wills
new pantaloons.
''The worst Of It," she said, 'is that
Will denies all knowledge of the ticket.
He spoke up real disrespectful when l
told him he'd better burn 1t. He said
it might bring luck"
"Luck is hard work and saving
ways" said l, 'and Pm sorry to see
such notions getting into your head.
Nothing good can come Of it, you may
be sure. II were In your place, I'd
burn that lottery ticket right now in
my kitchen stove"
"But promised Will I wouldn't de-
stroy it." she said.
All could say didn't persuade her
into my way Of thinking, though she'd
come over to consult me, and she went
home with the ticket clasped tightly in
her hand, as II it could bring anything
but sorrow.
1t was exactly two weeks after-on
Dec. %, to be exact-that Mrs. Lawson
came over to my house looking more
cheerful than I'd seen her look for
many long day.
"What do you Think" she asked, al
most dancing across to the sink. where
i was cleaning small turkey for
Christmas dinner-"what do you think
Wills ticket has drawn the prize"
Her words and her manner struck
me all Of a heap. but managed to
ask her what kind of a prize, for !
thought perhaps he'd drawn a necktie
or a clock.
'It's money prize" she said. Eff
teen thousand dollars"
had turned around, with my dish
pan, almost full of bloody water. in my
hands, and just sat down In chair,
feeling weak all in minute. and the
dishpan tipped over, and all that water
went sailing over my clean floor.
"For land sakes" l said when l got
my breath again. "You don't say so!'
"Yes," she said. "It's all here in this
list-No. 9S,567."
When l asked her II he'd got the
money and she said he was going to
the city the next day to get it, didn't
encourage her In any hopes that might
not be fulfilled.
"Well," said Mrs. Lawson, evils
asked Lawyer Clapp about it, and he
says it's all right. He's going down to
the city tomorrow with Will after the
money. They'll be back in the evening
In time for VIII to play Santa Claus In
District school No. g."
Then she hesitated little, pulling at
the strings of her winter hood, which
was all crinklei up under her arm, but
finally asked me not to say anything
about VIII drawing the money.
"He doesn't want 1t known" she
said, though l can't see why. and
we're going on living as II We hadn't a
cent in the world, for time at least,
and then perhaps wen move away"
Mrs. Lawson went away looking just
as cheerful as II viii had earned the
money down at the mill and had 1t all
in his hand, and ! had to go to work
and clean up the muss on the floor
caused by that pan Of bloody water.
But somehow | couldn't seem to be
thankful for what Mrs. Lawson consid.
cred such a blessing couldn't get che
notion out of my mind that something
dreadful would come of 1t.
The next morning. the day before
Christmas. Will Lawson and Lawyer
Clapp were up bright and early and
took the 5:23 train for New York. They
got the money. though they had to pay
something out of the prize 80 as not tc
wait until the ticket had been sent In
to the main office They got home late
in the afternoon, and Mrs. Lawson
pale and nervous as kitten, was al
the train to meet them.
VIII jumped of first and. running
up to his little mother. kissed her right
before the crowd.
"It's all right" he said. "I've got tn,
money. and I've paid Mr.. Clapp for bill
time and trouble, but we both thinl
it's better not to say anything abou
this to the neighbors. Remember
mother, not o word"
Mrs. Lawson was SO excited that she