The Western news., 1904-09-28
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0JI tc, a young, honest man, whose
highest ambition was to gain a
comfortable home for himself and wife
TO be thought we'll Of by his neigh
bors. He had built himself a house,
and there still remained upon 1t
mortgage of Ave hundred dollars; but
this sum he hoped to pay In few
years II he only had his health. He
had calculated exactly how long it
would take him to clear Off this incun-
brance, and he went to work with his
eyes open.
One evening James came home to his
supper more thoughtful than usual.
His young wife noticed his manner.
and she inquired its cause.
"What is 1t, James?" she kindly
asked. why, never saw you look
DO sober before"
"Well, I'll tell you, Hannah" re-
turned the young man. with a slight
hesitatlon In his manner. II have just
been thinking that l would buy lot
terry ticket"
Hannah Lanning did not answer i'm
media tely. She looked down and
Bmoothed the silken hair of her babe,
which was chirping like a robin in her
arms. and the shades Of her hand
Pome features showed that she was
taking time to think.
"How much will it costw she asked,
pt length, looking half timidly up into
her husbands face.
"Twenty dollars" returned James,
trying to assume confidence which
he did not feel
"And have you made up your mind
10 buy it?"
"Well l think shall. What do you
think about it?"
III you should ask my advice. I
should say not to buy it."
But why soY'
"For many reasons" returned his
wife. In a trembling tone.
She would not offend her husband.
and she shrank from giving him ad-
vice which he might not follow.
"In the first place." she said, II
thlnk the whole science Of lotteries is
bad one: and then you have no
money to risk"
"But Just look at the prizes." said
James, drawing a scheme" from his
pocket Here is one prize of twenty
Thousand dollars, another Of ten thou.
sand, another five thousand, and so on
Something tells me that If buy tick.
ct I shall draw a large prize And
then Just think, Hannah, how easily
could pay all up for my house. ant
perhaps have a good handsome sun
left"
The young man spoke with mucl
earnestness and assurance; but he saw
that there was a cloud upon his wife
brow.
'It seems to me that the chance o
drawing prize Is very doubtful" sal
Hannah, as she took the scheme
"Here are many thousand tickets to b
sold"
The babe tried hard to snatch th
paper, and Hannah laid 1t aside.
II think l shall run the risk" r,
sumed James, glancing once more owe
che paper, and resting with nervou
longing upon the figures which repr
sented the higher prizes. "There's Ba
ney: he drew about eight hundred do
Lars a year ago."
Eyes, I know It," said Hannah. wit
more warmth than she had befol
manifested, land what has become
the money? You know he has squa
dered 1t all away. All. James, none
as Of no use unless we come honest
by it."
Honestly" repeated the your
man.. Surely. there Is nothing di
honest in drawing prize In a lc
teryY
sW think there is." kindly but el
phatically replied the wife. "All gam
of hazard, where money Is at stah
nre dishonest. Were you to draw
prize of twenty thousand dollars, y,
would rob a thousand men Of tive
ky dollars each; or. at least. you wou
take from them money for which y
returned them no equivalent. Is 1t I
gambling In every sense OF the word
-"Oh, no! You look upon the mat
In too strong light"
perhaps l do; but yet 30 it loc
TO me. What you may draw. some 9
else must lose; and perhaps 1t may
some one who can afford the loss
better than you can. wouldn't b
the ticket, James. Let us live on
products of our honest gains. and
shall be happier"
James Lanning was uneasy. He
no answer for his wife's argumen
ut least, NO answer that could spr
from his moral convictions, and he
the matter drop. But the young n
could not drive the siren from
heart All the next day his head '
full Of "prizes." and while he '
1t his work he kept muttering 10 b
pslf, Twenty thousand dollars" -
thousand dollars" give thousand
lans," and - On.