The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1904-09-30
THE LOTTERY TICKET.

"Oh, I'm sure I shah draw price,
he said with a faint, fading smile
He took four half-pagleS from thu
. box, and put them i'll his pocket. Hi
: wife said nothing. She played with heI
: baby to hide her sadness. for she die
not wish to say more on the subject
She had seen that little pile of golC
gradually accommodating, and both she
and her husband had been happy in an
tiCipating the day when the pretty
cottage would be all their own. But
when she saw those four pieces of gold
taken away from the store, she felt a
fOreShadOWiEg Of evil. She might have
spoken again against the movement
but she saw that her husband was
SOrely tender upon the subject. and
she let the affair go to the hands of
fate.
A week elapsed from the time that
James bought his ticket to the draw
ing Of the lottery, and during that time
the young man had not a moment of
real enjoyment. He was alternating
between hope and fear, and therefore
his mind was constantly on the
stretch.
At length the day arrived. James
went to the office. and found that the
drawing had taken place, and that the
list of prizes had been made out. He
seized the list and turned away. so
| that those who stood around should
not see his face. He read the list
| through, but he searched for his num-
Der in vain. 1t was not there. He had
drawn blank! He left the office an
unhappy man. Those twenty dollars
which he had lost had been the say
ingS of two months of hard labor, and
he felt their loss most keenly.
When he returned home that night
he told his wife that he had lost. She
found no fault with him. She only
kissed him and told him that the lesson
was a good one, even though it had
been dearly bought.
But James Lanning was not satisfied
He brooded over his loss with a bitter
spirit, and at length the thought came
to him that he might yet draw prize.
He wished that he had not bought the
first ticket, and if he could only get
back his $50 he would buy no more;
but he would not rest under his loss.
He was determined to make one more
trial, and he did so. This time he pur-
chased the ticket without his Wife's
knowledge. The result was the same
as before. He drew !. blank!
Forty dOllarsn' was a sentence that
dWelt fearfully upon the mechanics
lips.
"Oh, must draw a prizew he said to
himself. Il must make up what | have |
lost. Let me once do that, and III |
buy no more tickets
Another $50 was taken from the little |
bank, another ticket was bought, an
other blank was drawn. At the end
OF three months the little bank was
empty, and James Lanning had the last
ticket in his pocket. All, how earnestly
he prayed that that last ticket might
draw prize! He had become pale
and careWorn, and his wife-poor, con-
ndlng soul!-thOught he only repined
because he had lost 500. When she
would try and cheer him. he would
laugh, and try to make the matter
light.
James" said his wife to him one
uay-it was the day before that on
which the lottery was to be drawn in
which he had the sixth ticket-"Mr.
RoWse has been here to-day after the
Semi-annual interest. l told him that
you would see him tomorrow"
Yes, | will" said James, in a faint
voice. "Yes, tomorrow l shall see
him."
Aoung Lanning thought of the lottery
ana OF the prize. This was his sixth
trial, and he felt sure that he should
draw.
Inc morrow came, and when James
tanning returned to his home at night
le was pennless! All his golden Wis
onS had faded away, and he was
eft i'll darkness and misery.
James, have you paid Mr.. Rovse
us interest YETI" asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head upon {
lis hands and groaned aloud. s
For heavens sake, James. what has
happened" cried the startled wife ,
to the side of her husband
md twining her arm about his neck &
Inc young man looked up with i
Wild, haggard expression. His Inns {
we're bloodless, and his features were t
III stricken with death-hue. c
What is it? Oh, what?" murmured I
he wife.
Go look in our box-our little bankm T
'roaned the poor man. i
Hannah fastened away. and whom T
ne returned, she bore an empty box !
n her hand. T
Robbed" she gasped, and she sank @
down beside her husbands 7
lido