Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-10-17
THE LOTTERY
or MARRlACf
-IoriglnaLl

| operator ut itctnl.
yes. sir" replied. "and I'm going
30 get the lovelest''- A smile on Mr.
Wilson's good natured face stopped
me
There are many sayings In whic''
there is little truth" he said. hut Their
is one that contains 30 per cent truth
that marriage Is lottery. You're go
ing ia for q lottery, John, and you
might as well he prepared for either a
prize, blank ora tartar. Sit down
and I'll tell you how II happened with
me.
Telegraph operators OF opposite
sexes made love over the wire when I
was a young operator just as they do
| now. When | was Just your age |
almost melted the wire with the warm
words sent over II TO girl Ia never
| seen. though had her photograph. She
was very pretty. and from what she
said by telegraph one would suppose
butter wouldn't melt In her mouth.
| admired strength OF character In a girl.
and my only fear for her was that
she'd he putty In my hands.
"one day one of our fellowship
Burnet--came to my desk and said TO
/ me:
'BrownIee. I've got girl on the
wire. and we've been doing some pref
ty lively lovemaking. Perhaps you're
opposed TO thar sort OF thing
oh. that's all right interrupted.
Go on"
| Well. I've got TO go away for q
couple OF weeks. and I'd be obliged IL
you'd take nay place while I'm gone
why not tell her you're going
awayT I asked
We'll. the truth is,' be replied In
shamcfaced manner. I'm going TO he
married TO another girl aud thought
perhaps You wouldn't mind
Opening the furnace door and let
| ting the FIRE 80 out. That's nice thing
TO ask OF friend However, you seem
to he in for II. and III help you all ]
| can
| Jim gave me the private call be
tween him and the Girl he was going to
| 5llt and told me Ia be called up be-
| tween o and IL o'clock nj night Then
| he went away protesting high appre-
| citation OF the favor I was 10 do him
and strong friendship for me. He prov
| cd the best friend / ever had. as I'm
| going TO tell you.
AT half past got the call, sure
| enough The girl was different from
mine-a practical, sensible woman, and
| Il was easy to see character written In
| every message she sent me. My talk
with her was rather dull 20 me. for she
was planning all the while what she
| and Jim. as she supposed. were going
to do after marriage. Not bit VI that
delicious lovemaking that my own girl
gave me However. II was Just as well.
for IL I'd had two girls TO talk sweet
TO II might have tired me.
| 'The night after Jim went away my
| own girl sent me word that she was
not at all well and was going home
| II she didn't call me for some time
| mustn't be worried. A nice way 10 put
| IL. wasn't IT. Well. that's the last
message ever got from her. blush TO
| own that became so interested In the
problems discussed with JIm's girl
as to housekeeping and how TO do II on
n telegraph operators income that
soon forgot about the poor sick girl.
who might be dying while | was work
ing up an interest in another.
| by the time Jim returned with his
bride had my head full OF pretty
| little cottage with a few necessary ar
ticles OF boughten furniture besides
4 Eos oil 81 TIL
| One remember was a chair made OF a
-four barrel. / told Jim OF the situa-
ton. and he wasn't a bit jealous. In
deed he was greatly relieved and said
he was eternally obliged to me.
| shortly after his return called on
his bride and was struck with her
likeness to the photograph Of my girl
mean my first girl. not Jim's. Then
II rushed upon me that she-I mean
and tapped our private call on the
table. She started. famed up. then
ran out Of the room.
81 didn't say anything TO Jim about
II. I Just let him go on thinking /
knew nothing OF his wife and after
awhile concluded TO go and see the
| girl he had turned over TO me- She
hadn't seen Jim. and / was 10 break
the news OF his marriage to her. I
tell you that was the great work OF my
life-I mean 70 screw up my courage
to tell the whole thing. The girl laugh
ed at me. She had detected the differ
enee between me and Jim the first
evening | talked with her and had had
a lot OF fun out OF me.
well. Johnny, I've come TO the
point Of my story. As Jim Burnet had
married my girl / married his. His
wife turned out to be an extravagant
woman. and she ruined him. Then
when he was in hole she abused him
and ended by leaving him. In my
wife l drew a prize. From the first
she had been practical, common
sense woman, fond Of me and our chill
| dren. affectionafa a splendid manager