The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-20
The Claimants Claim.
] RY CICERO. FERRlI4L.

|s &5 BY CICERO. FERRu4L.
 tcopyright. 1902. by Daily Story Pub Col
 Ann came of a cultured family. Hei parents had lost their fortune and she was turned into the world. An uncle had paid for her tuition at college and SC. cured her a position in an office II was the same old tale. so common IT many a household.
 But she enjoyed her labor. She had al ways loved to work, and when her father was a farmer she used to take her place behind the blow, ride the binder and rake hay for days at time, Just to nuddle her complexion, as she claimed
 The town in which Ann worked was located near the Oklahoma border. lr the mail one day in late July her em. soldier who wished him to secure. some young man to go to Fl Reno and reg ister by proxy for him, agreeing to pay all expenses, and if the said young per he should be well paid. The attorney was puzzled to make a selection. So many young fellows about the town we're look ing for just such opportunities.
 William Gregg, Miss Dorsey pleaded for her employer to turn the assignment over to her. With surprise at her purpose he did so. Gregg was her sweetheart. and his anger knew no bounds when he dis covered that she was to take his place. He entreated, coaxed, even threatened, to save her from the trip.
 Tt is unwomanly." he expostulated. ''To mix in the crowd of toughs and des- peradoes down there on the border will kill you" .s+.,.-
 No, it won't" she answered firmly. her big brown eyes looking at him calm N. T have been on the frontier before and the men treated me all right then. which 1 fear is lacking in some other people happen to know
 If you go,. Gregg answered madly, Tt fl.How strangely you talk" she purred softly. 1T never knew you had any claims upon me. Good afternoon" And she bowed him out of the room.
 It was quite enough to listen to his re- proaches but when he threatened to de- sert her she was alarmed For years she had fed upon the love of this quiet, ader- ing young man. Gregg idolized her; he had placed her unon a pedestal far above his reach. To think that she would un- bend her gentleness to mix with mob like that frightened him. They had never reached an understanding as to the fu- ture: he possessed no claims upon her, It is true. but now as she curled herself in a cozy corner and had good old-fash- toned cry. a fervent wish that he had came upon her.
 But Ann carried out the assignment of her employer, She rode in car with hundreds of dirt.begrimed men, she stood for hours in line. she slept upon the bare ground and ate indigestible food, but she secured the yellow ticket showing that she had done duty. If the old veteran drew good farm she was to get $l,000. And what a lot of things she could buy with that To forget the idea she tried, but the sum ten times over could not re- gain lost love. And frail little girl sobbed herself to sleep in the. dust on the night before the great land drawing began.
 A hundred thousand people men. wo- men and children jammed and fought to get near the platform where the wheel of chance was revolving. The sun biinked and shot up suddenly over the tree tops along the Cimmaron River. At 10 o'clock 1t came near bursting the thermometer, and when the drawing began at noon. the waves of shimmering heat were now ing them down like chaff before the gale.
 The commissioners plueked out d slip of paper. They read name. A cheer followed. A, man had drawn first claim, worth a fortune. Second choice went to a woman. 8 poor girl like Ann. And the heart of a dejected typewriter girl leaped There was hope for her. Sure enough iT the first hundred names came forth that