“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。