The Lottery Ticket

An Italian gentleman with a niee little income had a nice little sei-vant girl, who said to him one morning, " O, if you please, won't you give rne 3 francs to buy a lottery ticket with? Idreamed last night that No. 41,144 was going to draw the capital prize, and I want to buy that number." He gave the girl 3 francs, and, next day, on happening to look at the report of the drawing, saw that No. 41,144 had drawn the capital prize of 518,652.85 lire, or, to speak more accurately, $100,000. Returning quietly to the house he concealed his emotion and said to the servant girl, " Susan, I have long observed with approbation your piety, beauty, modesty, skill in the art of cookery, and other good qualities ealculated to adorn the highest station. Be mine. Let me lead yon to the hymeneal altar. No delay. Just as you are." " Honest Injun ?" said the blushing virgin. " You bet. I swear by yonder silver spoon that tips with beauty all the fruit-pie top" " Then count me in, and regard me hereafter in the light of your turtledove." " Hasten, then, Susan ; put on your bonnet and shawl, and let us take a walk around the block to the only friar's cell, where we shall be made one." In a few minutes the bride-elect returned dad in a red, red shawl, with a black velvet bonnet trimnied with sunflowers and Victoria regia. In a few minutes more the ceremony had been performed, and the twain were one. They returned to the house, where the husband carelessly took up the paper, and said with a well-counterfeited start of surprise ; " Darling, everything is bright for us upon our wedding-day. You remember the ticket in the lottery that you dreamed about and I gave you 3 francs to buy? Where is it, my ownest ?" " Oh ! I didn't bny it. I spent the money for tliis duck of a bonnet." - Paris Paper.