“Ah，thesoloistwasthebest——theladywhosangthosesadsongs。“
“Wasn’t——wasn’tthatmagiclanternwonderful，wherethefiguresmoved？Wonderful——ah，wonderful！Andwasn’tthatfirstactfunny，wherethefellowfelldownallthetime？
Andthatmusicalact，andthefellowwiththeburnt-corkfacewhoplayed’Nearer，MyGod，toThee’onthebeerbottles。“
TheygotoffatPolkStreetandwalkedupablocktotheflat。Thestreetwasdarkandempty；oppositetheflat，inthebackofthedesertedmarket，theducksandgeesewerecallingpersistently。
Astheywerebuyingtheirtamalesfromthehalf-breedMexicanatthestreetcorner，McTeagueobserved：
“Marcusain’tgonetobedyet。See，there’salightinhiswindow。There！“heexclaimedatonce，“Iforgotthedoorkey。Well，Marcuscanletusin。“
Hardlyhadherungthebellatthestreetdooroftheflatwhentheboltwasshotback。Inthehallatthetopofthelong，narrowstaircasetherewasthesoundofagreatscurrying。MariaMacapastoodthere，herhandupontheropethatdrewthebolt；Marcuswasatherside；OldGranniswasinthebackground，lookingovertheirshoulders；whilelittleMissBakerleantoverthebanisters，astrangemaninadrabovercoatatherside。AsMcTeague’spartysteppedintothedoorwayahalf-dozenvoicescried：
“Yes，it’sthem。“
“Isthatyou，Mac？“
“Isthatyou，MissSieppe？“
“IsyournameTrinaSieppe？“
Then，shrillerthanalltherest，MariaMacapascreamed：
“Oh，MissSieppe，comeupherequick。Yourlotterytickethaswonfivethousanddollars！“
CHAPTER7
“Whatnonsense！“answeredTrina。
“AchGott！Whatisut？“criedMrs。Sieppe，misunderstanding，supposingacalamity。
“What——what——what，“stammeredthedentist，confusedbythelights，thecrowdedstairway，themedleyofvoices。Thepartyreachedthelanding。Theotherssurroundedthem。
Marcusaloneseemedtorisetotheoccasion。
“Le’mebethefirsttocongratulateyou，“hecried，catchingTrina’shand。Everyonewastalkingatonce。
“MissSieppe，MissSieppe，yourtickethaswonfivethousanddollars，“criedMaria。“Don’tyourememberthelotteryticketIsoldyouinDoctorMcTeague’soffice？“
“Trina！“almostscreamedhermother。“Fivetausendthalers！
fivetausendthalers！Ifpopperwereonlyhere！“
“Whatisit——whatisit？“exclaimedMcTeague，rollinghiseyes。
“Whatareyougoingtodowithit，Trina？“inquiredMarcus。
“You’rearichwoman，mydear，“saidMissBaker，herlittlefalsecurlsquiveringwithexcitement，“andI’mgladforyoursake。Letmekissyou。TothinkIwasintheroomwhenyouboughttheticket！“
“Oh，oh！“interruptedTrina，shakingherhead，“thereisamistake。Theremustbe。Why——whyshouldIwinfivethousanddollars？It’snonsense！“
“Nomistake，nomistake，“screamedMaria。“Yournumberwas400，012。Hereitisinthepaperthisevening。Irememberitwell，becauseIkeepanaccount。“
“ButIknowyou’rewrong，“answeredTrina，beginningtotrembleinspiteofherself。“WhyshouldIwin？“
“Eh？Whyshouldn’tyou？“criedhermother。
Infact，whyshouldn’tshe？TheideasuddenlyoccurredtoTrina。Afterall，itwasnotaquestionofeffortormeritonherpart。Whyshouldshesupposeamistake？Whatifitweretrue，thiswonderfulfillipoffortunestrikingintherelikesomechance-drivenbolt？
“Oh，doyouthinkso？“shegasped。
Thestrangerinthedrabovercoatcameforward。
“It’stheagent，“criedtwoorthreevoices，simultaneously。
“Iguessyou’reoneoftheluckyones，MissSieppe，“hesaid。Isupposeyouhavekeptyourticket。“
“Yes，yes；fourthreeoughtstwelve——Iremember。“
“That’sright，“admittedtheother。“Presentyourticketatthelocalbranchofficeassoonaspossible——theaddressisprintedonthebackoftheticket——andyou’llreceiveacheckonourbankforfivethousanddollars。Yournumberwillhavetobeverifiedonourofficiallist，butthere’shardlyachanceofamistake。Icongratulateyou。“
AllatonceagreatshrillofgladnesssurgedupinTrina。
Shewastopossessfivethousanddollars。Shewascarriedawaywiththejoyofhergoodfortune，anatural，spontaneousjoy——thegaietyofachildwithanewandwonderfultoy。
“Oh，I’vewon，I’vewon，I’vewon！“shecried，clappingherhands。“Mamma，thinkofit。I’vewonfivethousanddollars，justbybuyingaticket。Mac，whatdoyousaytothat？I’vegotfivethousanddollars。August，doyouhearwhat’shappenedtosister？“
“Kissyourmommer，Trina，“suddenlycommandedMrs。Sieppe。
“Whateferwillyoudomitalldosemoney，eh，Trina？“
“Huh！“exclaimedMarcus。“Getmarriedonitforonething。
Thereattheyallshoutedwithlaughter。McTeaguegrinned，andlookedaboutsheepishly。“Talkaboutluck，“mutteredMarcus，shakinghisheadatthedentist；thensuddenlyheadded：
“Well，arewegoingtostaytalkingouthereinthehallallnight？Can’tweallcomeintoyour’Parlors，’Mac？“
“Sure，sure，“exclaimedMcTeague，hastilyunlockinghisdoor。
“Eferybottygome，“criedMrs。Sieppe，genially。“Ain’tutso，Doktor？“
“Everybody，“repeatedthedentist。“There’s——there’ssomebeer。“
“We’llcelebrate，bydamn！“exclaimedMarcus。“Itain’teverydayyouwinfivethousanddollars。It’sonlySundaysandlegalholidays。“Againhesetthecompanyoffintoagaleoflaughter。Anythingwasfunnyatatimelikethis。
Insomewayeveryoneofthemfeltelated。Thewheeloffortunehadcomespinningclosetothem。Theywereneartothisgreatsumofmoney。Itwasasthoughtheytoohadwon。
“Here’srightwhereIsatwhenIboughtthatticket，“criedTrina，aftertheyhadcomeintothe“Parlors，“andMarcushadlitthegas。“Righthereinthischair。“Shesatdowninoneoftherigidchairsunderthesteelengraving。
“And，Marcus，yousathere——“
“AndIwasjustgettingoutoftheoperatingchair，“
interposedMissBaker。
“Yes，yes。That’sso；andyou，“continuedTrina，pointingtoMaria，“cameupandsaid，’Buyaticketinthelottery；
justadollar。’Oh，Irememberitjustasplainasthoughitwasyesterday，andIwasn’tgoingtoatfirst——“
“Anddon’tyouknowItoldMariaitwasagainstthelaw？“
“Yes，Iremember，andthenIgaveheradollarandputtheticketinmypocketbook。It’sinmypocketbooknowathomeinthetopdrawerofmybureau——oh，supposeitshouldbestolennow，“shesuddenlyexclaimed。
“It’sworthbigmoneynow，“assertedMarcus。
“Fivethousanddollars。Whowouldhavethoughtit？It’swonderful。“Everybodystartedandturned。ItwasMcTeague。
Hestoodinthemiddleofthefloor，wagginghishugehead。
Heseemedtohavejustrealizedwhathadhappened。
“Yes，sir，fivethousanddollars！“exclaimedMarcus，withasuddenunaccountablemirthlessness。“Fivethousanddollars！
Doyougetontothat？CousinTrinaandyouwillberichpeople。“
“Atsixpercent，that’stwenty-fivedollarsamonth，“
hazardedtheagent。
“Thinkofit。Thinkofit，“mutteredMcTeague。Hewentaimlesslyabouttheroom，hiseyeswide，hisenormoushandsdangling。
“Acousinofminewonfortydollarsonce，“observedMissBaker。“Buthespenteverycentofitbuyingmoretickets，andneverwonanything。“
Thenthereminiscencesbegan。Mariatoldaboutthebutcheronthenextblockwhohadwontwentydollarsthelastdrawing。Mrs。SieppeknewagasfitterinOaklandwhohadwonseveraltimes；onceahundreddollars。LittleMissBakerannouncedthatshehadalwaysbelievedthatlotterieswerewrong；but，justthesame，fivethousandwasfivethousand。
“It’sallrightwhenyouwin，ain’tit，MissBaker？“
observedMarcus，withacertainsarcasm。WhatwasthematterwithMarcus？Atmomentsheseemedsingularlyoutoftemper。
Buttheagentwasfullofstories。Hetoldhisexperiences，thelegendsandmythsthathadgrownuparoundthehistoryofthelottery；hetoldofthepoornewsboywithadyingmothertosupportwhohaddrawnaprizeoffifteenthousand；
ofthemanwhowasdriventosuicidethroughwant，butwhoheldhadhebutknownitthenumberthattwodaysafterhisdeathdrewthecapitalprizeofthirtythousanddollars；
ofthelittlemillinerwhofortenyearshadplayedthelotterywithoutsuccess，andwhohadonedaydeclaredthatshewouldbuybutonemoreticketandthengiveuptrying，andofhowthislasttickethadbroughtherafortuneuponwhichshecouldretire；ofticketsthathadbeenlostordestroyed，andwhosenumbershadwonfabuloussumsatthedrawing；ofcriminals，driventovicebypoverty，andwhohadreformedafterwinningcompetencies；ofgamblerswhoplayedthelotteryastheywouldplayafarobank，turningintheirwinningsagainassoonasmade，buyingthousandsofticketsalloverthecountry；ofsuperstitionsastoterminalandinitialnumbers，andastoluckydaysofpurchase；ofmarvellouscoincidences——threecapitalprizesdrawnconsecutivelybythesametown；aticketboughtbyamillionaireandgiventohisboot-black，whowonathousanddollarsuponit；thesamenumberwinningthesameamountanindefinitenumberoftimes；andsoontoinfinity。
Invariablyitwastheneedywhowon，thedestituteandstarvingwoketowealthandplenty，thevirtuoustoilersuddenlyfoundhisrewardinaticketboughtatahazard；
thelotterywasagreatcharity，thefriendofthepeople，avastbeneficentmachinethatrecognizedneitherranknorwealthnorstation。
Thecompanybegantobeverygay。Chairsandtableswerebroughtinfromtheadjoiningrooms，andMariawassentoutformorebeerandtamales，andalsocommissionedtobuyabottleofwineandsomecakeforMissBaker，whoabhorredbeer。
The“DentalParlors“wereingreatconfusion。Emptybeerbottlesstoodonthemovablerackwheretheinstrumentswerekept；platesandnapkinswereupontheseatoftheoperatingchairanduponthestandofshelvesinthecorner，sidebysidewiththeconcertinaandthevolumesof“Allen’sPracticalDentist。“Thecanarywokeandchitteredcrossly，hisfeatherspuffedout；thehusksoftamaleslitteredthefloor；thestonepugdogsittingbeforethelittlestovestaredattheunusualscene，hisglasseyesstartingfromtheirsockets。