The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-07-28

W0em Ne went nome me next night
ne was almost unhappy with the nerv-
Gus anxiety into which he had thrown
himself. The tempter had grasped
him firmly, and whenever he thought
Of the lottery he saw nothi but piles
of gold and silver. In short, James
tanning had made up his mind that
he would buy the ticket. He went to
the little box where h., had already
one hundred and twenty dollars laid
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 she was
sad. = e-,.g
''Oh, I'm sure shall draw a prixe!'
he said, with 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 more on the sub
ject She had seen that little pile Of
gold gradually accommodating, and both
she and her husband had been happy
in anticipating the day when the pref
ty cottage would be all their own. But
when she 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 60 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 hops and fear. and there
fore his mind was constantly ON the
stretch.
At length the day arrived. James
went to the ONCE and found that the
drawing had taken place, and the List
of prizes had been made out He
seized the list and turned away, 20
that those who stood around should
not see his face. He read the list
through and through, but he searched
/
there. He had drawn q blankl 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 homo 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 tanning was not salts
fed. He brooded over his loss with
a bitter spirit and at length the
thought came to him that he might yet
draw a prize. He wished that he had
not bought the first ticket, and he
thought that If he could only get back
his twenty dollars he would buy no
more; but he could not rest under his
loss. He was determined to make one
more trial. and he did 30. This time
he purchased q ticket without his
wife's knowledge. The result was the
same as before. He drew q blank!
Forty dollarsr' was a sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the mechanics
lips.
"Oh, must draw a prizer' he said
to himself. II must make up what
I have lost Let me once do that, and
I'll buy no more tickets"
Another twenty dollars was taken
from the little bank, another ticket
was bought, another blank was drawn.
At the end Of three months the little
bank was empty. and James Lannine
had the last ticket In his pocket. All,
how earnestly he prayed that that last
ticket might draw prixel He had
become pale And careworn. and hiA
wife-poor. conhding soul-tnought he
only repined because he had lost TWEEN.
ty dollars. When shs would try and
cheer him he would laugh, and try h
MARE the matter hight
James," said his wife to him one
day-it was the day before that Oh
which the lottery was to be drawn N
which no held tho sixth ucket-"Mr
Rowse has been here to-day after hil
| AnScH0ul ! WIN A4Au LA3|
you would see him tomorrow"
Eyes, I WILL" said James, In a faint
voice. "Yes. tomorrow I shall sex
him."
Young tanning thought Of the lot
terry, and Of the prize. Thts was hii
sixth trial. and he felt sure that hi
should draw.
The morrow came, and when James
tanning returned to hts home at nigh
he was pennilessl All his golden vi
sions had faded away, and he was lef
in darkness and misery.
James. have you paid Mr.. Rows.
his interest yet asked Hannah.
The young ran leaned his heat
upon his hands and groaned aloud.
"Tor heavens sake. James, wha,
has happenedr' cried the startled wife
springtng to the side Of her HUSBAND
and twindng her arm about his neck.
| The young man looked up with I
wild, haggard expression His lip
were bloodless. and his features wsr'
all stricken with a death-hue.