The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-09-14
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THE LOTTERY TICKET.
:sM. S.tSXHs&

| out SHe saw tNdl Het uusndud Was
sorely tender upon the subject. AMI
she let the affair go to the hands "
fate.
y 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 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, ana found that the
drawing had taken place, and that the
list of prizes had been made out He
seized the list ana turned away, so
that those who stood around should
not see his face. lie read the list
| through. but he searched for his num-
! Der in vain! 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 saw
lngs 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 n good one even though it had
been dearly bought.
But James Lanning was not satisfied
He brooded over his loss with Il bitter
spirit, and at length the thought came
to him that he might yet draw Il prize
HI 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, aud lie did so. This time he pur-
chased the ticket without his wifes
knowledge. The resul, was the same
as before. He drew bank!
Forty dollars" WAS Il sentence that
dwelt fearfuliy UPON the mechanics
lips.
"Oh. | must draw prize" he said to
himself. IL must make up what | have
lost Let me once do that, and I'll
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 a prize! He had become pale
! and careworn, and his wife-poor, con-
fiding soul.-thought he only replned
! because he had lost $50. When she
would try and cheer him. he would
laugh, and try to make the matter
| light.
James" said his wife to him one
| day-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. | told him that
| you would see him Tomorrow"
"Yes, WILL" said James. in faint
voice. "Yes, tomorrow | shall see
| him."
Young Lanning thought of the lottery
and of the prize. This was his sixth
! trial, and he felt sure that he should
| draw.
The morrow came, and when James
Iannlng returned to his home at night
he was pennless. All his golden WIS.,
ions had faded away, and he was
left in darkness and misery.
lanes, have you paid Mr.. Rowsc
his interest yetE" asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head upon
his hands and GrOaned aloud.
| For heavens sake. James, what has
happened?' cried the startled wife.
springing TO the side of her husband,
ana twining her arm about his neck,
The young man looked up with n
wild, haggard expression. His lips
were bloodless. and his features were
| all stricken with death-hue.
what is it? Oh, what?" murmured
the wife.
$50 look in our box-our little bank"
| groaned the poor man.
Hannah FASTENED away, and when
/ she returned, she bore an empty box
in her hand.
Robbed" she gasped, and she sank
tremblihgly down beside her husbands
| side.
Yes, Hannah" whispered the hus,
band, II have robbed you"
The stricken wife gazed upon her
! husband with vacant look, for ut first
she did not comprehend; but she re.
/ membered his behavior for weeks
/ back; she remembered how he had
murmured in his sleep OF lotteries and
tickets, of blanks and prizes, and grad
ually the truth broke In upon her.
IL have done 1t all, Hannah" hoarse-
! ly whispered the condemned man,
when he saw that his wife had guessed
the truth. "All. all has gone for lot
terry tickets. The demon tempter lured
me: he held up gittering gold In. bis
hand, but he gave me none of It. Oh,
/ do not chlde me! You know not what
| have sutlered-what hours OF agony
| have passed-and you know how cold
my heart is now. Oh, my wife. would
to God had listened to you"'
"Ah" calmly whispered the fNithful
wife. as she drew her hand across her
husbands heated brow. Mourn not
for what is lost. | will not chide you.
Ii Is hard thus for you 10 lose your
scahty earnings, but there might be
many worse calamlties than that. Cour.
age, James; We will soon forget IT,"
"And Mr.. Rowse will foreclose the
mortgage. You will be homele~>,,'
murmured young Lanning in bronen
I aocanta