The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-10-13

When he went homo ths NEXT nigh
ne was almost unhappy with the nerv
Gus anxiety into which he had throw
himself. The tempter bad graspe.
him firmly. and whenever he though
OF the lottery he saw nothing but pile
of gold and silver. In short james
tanning had made up his mind tina
he would buy the ticket He went Il
the little box where no had already
one hundred and twenty dollars laic
up toward paying on the mortgage
from his house. The lock clicked with
a startling sound, and when he threw
back the cover he hesitated. He looked
at his wife. and he saw that abe was
sad.
''Oh. I'm sure shall draw a prixer'
he said. with a faint. fading smile.
He took four half eagles from The
box and put them in his pocket His
wife said nothing. She played with
her baby to hide her sadness, for she
did not wish to say moro on the sub
ject- She had seen that little pile of
gold gradually accommodating. and both
abe and her husband had been happy
In anticipating the day whom the pref
F, ~ cottage would be all their own But
when ahe saw those four pieces of gold
taken away from the store. she felt
a foreshadowing Of evil. She might
have spoken again against the move
ment, but she saw that her husband
was sorely tender on the subject, and
she let the affair 90 into 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 alternat-
ing between hope and fear. and there
fore 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 the list
of prizes had been made out He
seized the list and turned away, 90
not see his face. He read the list
through and through. but he searched
for his number In vainl 1t was not
there He had drawn a blank! He
left the office an unhappy man Those
twenty dollars which he had lost had
been the savings 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
t had been dearly bought
But James tanning was not salts
led. He brooded over his loss with
! bitter spirit. and at length the
bought came to him that he might yet
RAW a prize. He wished that he had
rot bought tho nrst ticket and he
bought that If he could only get back {
is twenty dollars he would buy no
more; but he could not rest under his
u.s. He was determined to make one
1ore trial. and he did 20. This time
% purchased q ticket without his
Tife's knowledge. The result was the 1
anne as before. He drew q blank,
Forty dollarsr' was q sentence that
welt fearfully upon the mechanics I
ps-
"Oh, must draw a pri3ey' he said I
, himself Il must make ND what 8
have lost Let me once do that, and {
II buy no more tickets."
Another twenty dollars was taken [
ON the little bank, another ticket
as bought, another blank was drawn. q
[ the end of three months the little y
ank was empty. and James tanning
i'd the last ticket In his pocket All, ]
ow earnestly he prayed that that last 4
cket might draw a prizel He had b
.come pale and cnreworn. and his u
ife-poor. confding soul-thought he
lily repined because he had lost twen- .
dollars. When she would try and b
leer him he would laugh. and try to o.
axe the matter light o.
James" said his wife to him one q
UT was the day before that on
hich the lottery was to be drawn In "
hich he held the sixth t1cket-"Mr. u
,wse has been here to-day after his
md-annual interest told him that o'
q would see him tomorrow" Oh
Yes, WILL" said James. In a faint ot
ice. Yes, tomorrow I shall see 20
n"
Young tanning thought Of the lot
y. and Of the prize ThiS was bis
Ith trial, and be felt sure that he Oh
,uh draw. ia
The morrow came, and when James
inning returned 10 his home at night ar
was pennilessI All his golden VI Ia
rs had faded away, and he was left WI
darkness and misery. an
James. have you paid Mr.. Rowse III
interest yet asked Hannah
rhe young man leaned his head OK
IN his hands and groaned aloud Nv
For heavens sake. James, what ar
happenedT cried the startled wife, no
inging to the side Of her husband We
twining her arm about his neck TN
he young man looked up with q I'M
d, haggard expression His lips TIL
re bloodless. and his features were Del
stricken with 4 death-hue- TO