PENALTIES OF LUCK.

Mataura Ensign, 4 July 1914, Page 4

PENALTIES OF LUCK.

"What this country really wants," declared a weary-looking man in a South-Eastern Railway carriage, "is n Sweepstakes Winners' Defence League. "Take my case. 1 was unlucky enough to draw Hansburg in our office I 'sweep'—and fool enough to tell my wife that 1 had done so. The .seconll prize was £5. I drew the money tliii. morning. 1 had taken three half-crown tickets, so that I had really won £-| 12s Gd. When I entered the office the lift boy—a child with tin itching palm —congratulated me. That congratulation cost me a shilling. "In the oj'fico the head clerk remindedl me of-an alleged loan of 10s dating back to Christmas. Two of the juniors found that tlicy were a little short till the end of the month. I lent them half a sovereign each—'lent' is a euphemism. The man who usually lunche: with me made it obvious that he expected to be my guest to-dav, and ] could not refuse. Everybody in the office seemed to think himself entitled to drink at my expense. "This afternoon my wife telephoned to me. On the strength of the £5 s ]] t had 'bought a new hat and a blouse, and she had promised our hoy the model aeroplane he lias been asking for. "The last straw was the- guv'nor. 'Hullo, Blank,' he says. 'Surely you are not going to walk to London Bri(lg e on such a day? You can give me a lift in a taxi.' I gave him a lift and got to the station 10 minutes too earl v." ] calculate that I have lost about £3 a ]_ ready by winning that, £4, and goodness knows what I shall find my wife has bought when I get home. "The awful thing is that to-day there must have been hundreds of men like me in London—poor beggars who have been unlucky enough to win prizes in i 'sweeps.' But the worst is to come. I \ have drawn Princess Dorrie in the of- 1 free Oaks 'sweep,' and tfcev tell me she lias a food chance. If she wins I air ruined." ' i