en lost or destroyed,
and whose numbers had won fabulous sums at the drawing; of criminals,
driven to vice by poverty, and who had reformed after winning
competencies; of gamblers who played the lottery as they would play
a faro bank, turning in their winnings again as soon as made, buying
thousands of tickets all over the country; of superstitions as to
terminal and initial numbers, and as to lucky days of purchase; of
marvellous coincidences--three capital prizes drawn consecutively by the
same town; a ticket bought by a millionaire and given to his boot-black,
who won a thousand dollars upon it; the same number winning the same
amount an indefinite number of times; and so on to infinity. Invariably
it was the needy who won, the destitute and starving woke to wealth and
plenty, the virtuous toiler suddenly found his reward in a ticket bought
at a hazard; the lottery was a great charity, the friend of the people,
a vast beneficent machine that recognized neither rank nor wealth nor
station.

The company began to be very gay. Chairs and tables were brought in from
the adjoining rooms, and Maria was sent out for more beer and tamales,
and also commissioned to buy a bottle of wine and some cake for Miss
Baker, who abhorred beer.

The "Dental Parlors" were in great confusion. Empty beer bottles stood
on the movable rack where the instruments were kept; plates and napkins
were upon the seat of the operating chair and upon the stand of shelves
in the corner, side by side with the concertina and the volumes of
"Allen's Practical Dentist." The canary woke and chittered crossly, his
feathers puffed out; the husks of tamales littered the floor; the stone
pug dog sitting before the little stove stared at the unusual scene, his
glass eyes starting from their sockets.

They drank and feasted in impromptu fashion. Marcus Schouler assumed
the office of master of ceremonies; he was in a lather of excitement,
rushing about here and there, opening beer bottles, serving the tamales,
slapping McTeague upon the back, laughing and joking continually. He
made McTeague sit at the head of the table, with Trina at his right and
the agent at his left; he--when he sat down at all--occupied the foot,
Maria Macapa at his left, while next to her was Mrs. Sieppe, opposite
Miss Baker. Owgooste had been put to bed upon the bed-lounge.

"Where's Old Grannis?" suddenly exclaimed Marcus. Sure enough, where had
the old Englishman gone? He had been ther