The Argosy — page 338: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Freak of Fortune. 319 these occasions, towards the beginning of November, he was more than usually impatient for her coming. No sooner had she appeared and taken his arm than he whispered in her ear: | ‘‘T have a surprise for you, Louise !” ‘‘What is it?” she asked eagerly. ‘Stay, let me guess; you are going to plead at the Palais?” ‘Rather premature,” he replied, “considering that I am not yet called to the bar. ‘Try again.” “Vou have something for me in your pocket?” “This time you are nearer the mark. You remember 71,453?” “What do you mean?” inquired Louise, completely puzzled. “71,453,” he repeated in an impressive tone. ‘A lucky number, Isat. mot ?” “How should I know?” she answered wonderingly. ‘ What possible interest can it have for me?” ‘More than you imagine,” said Maurice, “since you happen to be indebted to that very number in the Exhibition lottery for a pearl necklace worth seventy-five thousand francs, or sixty thousand in money, whichever you choose. ” “Oh! Maurice, ” exclaimed the young girl, her eyes sparkling with delight. ‘Is it really true? Are you quite certain ?” “Dame!” reflected her lover, gravely stroking his moustache, ‘printers do make mistakes sometimes. But,” he added, noticing her look of disappointment, “‘as I took the precaution of comparing the newspaper paragraph I have here with the official list, I think that on the whole I may congratulate you on having made Miss Patterson’s acquaintance.” “And darling mother’s mind will be easy at last,” said Louise, fondly pressing the arm on which she leant; “for M. Maurice’s wife will not be gwz¢e portionless after all!” CHARLES HERVEY, cConnicloooks (C(O)