Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-04-12
Betting on a Certainty.

In the British army in India betting
among the officers often runs to an ex-
treme of vice that is sometimes fearful to-
contemplate. Perhaps it is no, worse than
In club life in London, where the most
amusing as we'll as tragical stories are
told of the curious bets that are made.
Betting on certainty is held to be un-
fair, unless the ayowal is distinctly made.
so that no undue advantage is taken.
An officer In the army had imported
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 quarters, brother,
officer, great swell and very unpopular
dropped in Familiarity, and greatly ad--
mired 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 remarking
that he hoped soon to have his legs under
that elegant mahogany.
The owner of the table, whom we must.
call Major Jones, made up 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 connoisSieur in all
matters, said the table was perfect, with
one exception.
Jones. "And pray what is that, Col
oneIP'
Brown. cit is just a little too high
Jones. "Do you think so? How high
would you suppose it to be?'
Brown. 81 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-fve and half inches. not thirty
six, as you suppose"
Brown. pardon me. I am certain it
is three feet high: I will make you bet
On it."
Jones. 'eYou will lose if you do, for I
give you notice that I know its exact
height to half an inch, and if [ bet [
shall bet on dead certainty
Brown. 81 am just as sure as you are;
am betting on a certainty, also: my
eye never deceives me. I will lay you a.
hundred or a 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 make bet, assuring
him that he 6rse1U 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 enor--
nous sum- have heard it stated as high
50,000-G10,000. That seems prepos-
ferrous, when such trife was the sub
ject, but the gambling spirit does not,
stick at trifes When the betting
was finally arranged, Colonel Brown ex-
claimed, exultingly, 81 told you l kne1O~
the table was exactly thirty-six inches
high: I did know it, because when L
called, Just after it arrived, took its
measure on my cane as [ sat by it, and
after | went out measured, and found
it to be, as I have said, precisely thirty
six inches high"
eyes" said Major Jones, ''I was sit
ting with my back to you, but I was.
shaving before the looking-glass and L
saw you taking the measure of the table,
with your cane. Suspecting that you
were preparing for bet as to its height,
after you left I had half an inch taken
off, and it is now precisely thirty-fve and
half inches high"
The applause that followed this result
was tremendous, and completed the dis
comfture of the unpopular Colonel. It
was evident that he had been laying
plan to cheat, and would have pocketed-
the money if he had won. He was sent
to Coventry. He sold his commission
and returned to England, being unable
to stand up against the contempt of the
officers, who thoroughly dispised his char
acter.-Harper'S Magazine.
--s %--