Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-04-12
 A LOTTERY ! PRIZE !
By R. ARTHUR
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tnc uOOI III q Sldte Ol intense eXclLe ment
 Fred" she screamed, before got to the gate where is that ticket?'
 What on earth is the matter?" s asked.
 "Oh, you have lost it! I know you have! And shall never get anything again I wanted so much."
 As she seemed about to dissolve in. to tears made dash up the steps hate scenes above all things and l 4elt instinctively that our neighbor, Mrs. Markey, was peeping at us from behind the curtains next door.
 Now dear" I began, when I had closed the door, you mustn't excite yourself, you know you mustn't"
 But Fred" she sobbed, we've won . prize-a magnificent mahogany suite; but we won't get it now you've lost the ticket"
 l suddenly remembered In spite of my objections May had bought tick ct in the grand Hibernian Lodge lot tery, and the suite she talked about must be the second prize. I ran into the dining-room, and a few minutes search unearthed flaring red ticket.
 After the first joy of gaining some thing at the expense of other people, the question arose. what was to be done? Our house of i've rooms and a kitchen was fully furnished The fur niture meant my savings for two years before our marriage. We really had not room for anything else. I timidly suggested that we should try and get the suite changed into money. May turned on me with fine scorn in her eye.
 You never want to have things look nice" she cried. Why we have noth. ing decent in the house."
 ! This was rather hard on the furni- ture had given up cigars and the theater for. But it doesn't do to argue with May. So it was soon settled, and that evening we proceeded to the Met ropolitan furnishing store to view the suite. The sight of it made my heart sink. It would have done for pal. ace. May was in raptures.
 She hurried me home, and we were soon in our room arranging where the things should be put. Our room was IA feet square. It had two small win. ldows side by side, and even with the modest furniture in it there was bare. fly space to move about. But the mat. ter presented no difficulties to May.
 The wardrobe will stand here nice. fly; and the washstand there. Freddie" lshe said. (She always called me Freddie when pleased). And the !!dressingtable will fit in beautifully between the windows" I had my doubts, but said nothing. There was little breakfast next morn. ing, for May and the girl had been en. gagged from daybreak in clearing out the old suite and devising places to store it away. She secuted my idea that we might sell it, and said it would do for the spare room when we got one.
 When I arrived home at three o'clock found the van already at the door and small crowd of onlookers around it. May was standing, flushed and excited at the gate. 'Oh. Fred, what shall we do?" she cried; they can't get the wardrobe dn."
 As it was, there were four men on our narrow staircase wrestling with tho uyo c bct and opd ,,S;,o tha ,,of,na.. language. They had smaS led the lamp fin the hall, and the plaster all aloag was furrowed like cornfield.
 By some miracle of handling, known only to furniture men, they negotiated the turning, and the washstand had reached its destination. That was the top landing. The men tried coaxing and violence, tilted it on end. ram- med it at the bedroom door in all sorts of impossible angles. but it would not be put through. So it was left where it was.
 We held hurled consultation in the garden over the fate of the wardrobe It was out of the question to attempt the stairs with it. The head furniture man announced that it would have to be hoisted in by the window. As thc ! apparatus to do this was not al hand, 1 1t was left all night in the garden cov- cred by tarpaulin.
 May was in ecstasy. She had seen Mrs. Markey's face, green with envy. ct the window.
 In the morning we were invaded | early by gang of men with ropes and | pulleys, and the wardrobe was soon | dangling between heaven and earth. | All the people in the street were at their windows. for the man directing the operation had a voice like a fog I horn.
 What an idiot the fellow was, It l had never struck him to use his mea- surfing tape. When the wardrobe was got up to the balcony. it would TO more go through the window than the through the door. So it had to be lowered over again. May , was half crying with vexation.
 Bring it into the dining-room.- she said: we will make that our room, Fred. and have meals upstairs"
 Mrs. Markey and her husband were enjoying it immensely. I could have strangled them.
 I ordered the men to bring she hing in by the front door. and caught ,ne of them uinking al the other. as ,e said: -All right. guv'nor.- |, of rorr-Sa -ha fhfnu H-o-- r,v. E, .la \