Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-07

day. lie was a newspaper man, but l dion Z
know it at the time. So next day when we went
over to the wharf nearly everybody who ever
came down there for the summer was there
we went over to the wharf nearly everybody who
ever came down there for the summer was there,
and we were greeted with loud cheers. When |
say eve" ] mean me" for as a matter of fact
Dan backed out and wouldn't come, but ! was
bound to cary out my part of the contract. So
] had the numbers all written on tags OF paper
and put in a box, and | was going to shake these
all up and draw one out.
The people seemed very friendly, so I stood
on the wharf and made speech and told them
how marriage was lottery anyway, and TINS
one was for commendable object, and that, oi
course, everybody knew what fine man Dan
was and that he had already proved that you
could grow legs on a man without any legs, ard
that love nothing but some instinct we got
from the monkeys; and they cheered and clap.
ped. Then said ] had fifteen more tickets and
some girls, who laughed and blushed, and then
! drew number out 1t was two hundred and
forty.sovcn.
will the holder of ticket two hundred and
forty.seven come forwardY | asked, and there
was a stir in the crowd and out came the old
colored lady.
praise de Lawd!" she said, "1s done won a
them numbers adds up TO thirteen too" which,
of course, they did, though we hadn't noticed
that before. When the old lady stepped for
ward there was an awful yell from that crowd,
and they suddenly seemed all to double up, they
laughed so hard. ] didn't why they should
till ] remembered Dams theory about wanting
homemaker. and / saw that they didn't realize
about that. So / got up on the bench used for
a platform and told them all about it, and how
he wanted housekeeper, and how the coored
ladies were thought so much of down South for
that purpose, and the men laughed more than
ever at that and as did some of the girls. |
looked for Alinc Vance. but she wasn't there,
and was kind of glad for didn't know what
she would say to it.
The colored lady was very much pleased, and
came up to ask me when she could see the young
man, and just then the noon steamer came in
from Bath, and there was Uncle Harry, who had
come down on the fast train, and he looked very
mad and red in the face. The crowd cheered
when he came, and the steamboat whistled, and
there was some very funny talking done, and
then away went the boat. Uncle Harry started
to say something to the crowd, but decided not
to- and then all of "a sudden they all got still
and just watched. And he hesated just min
ute and then he grnned at me. So ! knew he
wasn't going to be mad right there,
Had the drawing?" he called over the heads.
"Just got through" I called back.
"Who won?
"This lady here" ] saying when the old
coored lady piped up for herself.
'T's wen de prize" she said, ''and I hopes de
young gentleman will be as glad as I is. rs
mighty good cook, is"
Well, that started the crowd again, and I'm
Gle Harry got very red, but by this time he had
reached me- "I guess we will have to buy back
those tickets" he said "and let the boy out
again"
"No, sab, no you don't" said the old lady,
suddenly bristling UP. ''Ts brack, and l knows
it. but I got chance to win in a rattle same's
wite woman, and rs goin' to stick to my
prize"
Some started to cheer at that, but the rest
hushed them up, and 1 saw that it wasn't going
to be as pleasant as l had thought. Uncle Harry,
however mounted the bench.
Ladies' and gentlemen" he said, 'T this
thing has been carried out. You will under
stand it was a boys trick"-tryng to throw it
off on me- you see-"and knew nothing of it.
wish to buy back all those tickets"
He held some money in his hand, but no one
offered to come forward. Then a man in the
crowd said That's all right Macomber We
bought them in fun, and we have had our
moneys worth. Let the boy keep the change.
We had all we paid for"
Everybody said yes, they had, except the old
woman.