Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-05-04
BETTING.
Story Of q Man who Knew thae what He
Said was True.
HIS FINAL DIsCOMFITURE AND LOSS
OF MONEY.

In the British army in India bet
ting among the officers often runs to
an extreme of vice that is sometimes
fearful to contemplate. Perhaps it
is no worse than in club life in Lon
don, where the most amusing as
we'll as tragical stories are told of
the curious bets that are made. Bet
ting on certainty is held to be un-
fair. unless the avowal is distinctly
made. so that no undue advantage is
taken.
An officer in the army had i'm
ported for his private apartments a
new and beautiful mahogany table.
A day or two after it had arrived and
had been duly installed in his quar-
ters. brother officer, a great swell
and very unpopular, dropped in
familiarly, and greatly admired the
beautiful table. The owner was
shaving himself at the glass with his
back to his visitor Colonel Brown
but continued the conversation until
the colonel withdrew, the latter re-
marking that he hoped soon to have
his legs underthat elegant mahogany.
The owner of the table, whom we
must call Major Jones, made up a
little dinner party in the course Of
few days, and Colonel Brown was one
of the number. 1t was natural that
the new table should be the subject
of remark, and Brown, who affected
to be a connoisseur in all matters,
said the table was perfect, with one
exception.
Jones. And pray what is that,
colonel?"
Brown. 1T is just a little too
high"
Jones. do you think so? How
high would would you suppose it to
be?"
Brown. Il presume it is the usual
height. just thirty six inches, and it
ought to be less than that by at least
half an inch"
Jones. THAT is the exact height,
thirty y-five and half inches, not
thirty six, as you suppose"
Brown. pardon me. / am GER
tain it is three feet high; I will make
you bet on it"
Jones. "You will lose if you do,
for l give you notice that I know its
exact height to half an inch, and if I
bet I shall bet Oh dead certainty"
Brown. Il am Just as sure as you
are; 1 am betting on certainty
also: my eye never deceives me. I
will lay you hundred or thousand
pounds that this table is thirty-six
inches high; no more, no less"
The major sought to dissuade his
guest from his purpose to bet, assur-
ing him that he knew the height of
the table. and did not want to bet on
a certainty, but, when the excitement
grew furious. the wager was finally
laid at an enormous sum- have
heard it stated as high as $4,000
10000. That seems preposterous,
when such a trife was the subject,
but the gambling spirit does not stick
at trihes. When the betting was
finally arranged, Colonel Brown ex-
claimed, exultingly, Il told you I
knew the table was exactly thirty
six inches high; I did know it, be-
cause when I called, just after it ar
rived, took its measure on my cane
as I sat by it, and after I went out I
measured, and found it to be, as I
have said, precisely thirty six inches
high"
YES" said Major Jones, Il was
sitting with my back to, you, but
was shaving before the looking glass,
and I saw you taking the measure of
the table with your cane. Suspect
ing that you were preparing for a bet
as to its height, after you left had
half an inch taken of, and it is now
precisely thirty five and half inches
high"
The applause that followed this re-
suit was tremendous, and completed
the discontinue of the unpopular
colonel. It was evident that he had
been laying a plan to cheat, and
would have pocketed the money if he
had won. He was sent to Conventry.
He sold his commission and returned
to England, being unable to stand up
against the contempt of the officers,
who thoroughly despised his charac-
ter Editors Drawer, in Harper's
Magazine for April.