Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22
HE COULDN'T FOOL HER

TN tell you what" said young + street
business man to his wife the other evening.
I've got q mighty good notion to take
few hundreds of the 8 to that they're Of
fering on McKinley's election. It's q
mighty goo1 gamble, anyhow. whether
Bryan's got any chance or not, and"
But that would be betting, would 1t
notr inquired his wife.
well, in way" said he. But It's not
genuine gambling, you know. Betting on
elections isn't really gambling. Everybody.
almost. bets on elections. Fellows that 'ud
never dream OF betting on horse race and
who don't much more than know one poker
hand from another don't make any bones
about betting OH elections. But what was
going to say was this: II take few
hundreds of the to l that's on offer now
at the hands Of the chaps who think the
election OF Mckinley is a certainty. why.
can walt until short time before the cleo
ton, when the ODDS are bound to be evened
up whole lot, and then bet on Mckinley,
and IN stand to win comfortably. no mat
ter which Of the candidates WINS
bet on them both and win?'' said the
young mans wife. looking up at him in
credulously." Now. what a BOBBY you must
think am, 70 be sure! How could you
possibly bet on both men and win? Only
one can be elected, suppose? Well, if"
Just wait a minute and I'll explain it to
YOU. interrupted her husband. Well sup
pose
Nov, don't be so foolish, Jack, as to
suppose that you can talk me into believ-
Ing that you can bet on two political candi-
dates and win. whichever of them is elect
ca, cut In his wife. Il know that you're
awfully eloquent. and all that, and i don't
pretend to be so everlastingly strong at
ngures. but any infant knows that what
you say Is impossible. If you"
say, won't you just hold on minute, until
have chance to show your" broke in
the young business man. It's just as plain
as the nose on your face, once you see into
It. Listen. The prevailing odds on the re-
so ~ u the coming presidential election are
. 10 against Bryan That is to say, the
men VINO are firmly of the opinion that Nc
kinney Is to be elected are so cock-sure
;ne their proposition that they are offer
ing TO bet to l on it. That is to say, for
instance. that the Mckinley bettor is will
ing TO give the Bryan man $500 to 500 on
the proposition that the presidential incum
psnt VIII be reelected. Now, those are rat
ling ern soou odds, aid It's not often that odds
are so much one-sided in a presidential
year. Very we'll.
.,n NOW. suppose were to bet Jim Jones
sioO TO his $500 that Bryan would be
elected. All right. I'd have to take big
chance to win my money IL I let II stand
that way. But wouldn't let 1t stand that
way. BY the time the day of election rolls
around. there's bound to be a big change
IN the odds, and we'll suppose that 1t gets
to be matter OF even money on both can
o'dates and take your pick. o. K If the
odds should be hammered down that wav
pet some Bryan man $50 to $50 that
tota! investment of $3.50 on nv part.
wouldn't it-$10O to $500 that BRYAN Would he
elected. and $50 to $50 that Mckinley would
De elected All right If Bryan is elected,
l maui down. all told. $500. which, being
Just $loO above the total amount of my
Investment, makes me $50 winner, doesn't
1t? II Mckinley is elected, 1 yank down
S50. that is to say, the $50 1 have bet on
no 7 ho1
winch Is just $50 more than my entire in
vestment you see It's only a mat"
NO, don't see." put in his wife. "And
WHAT'S more, l think you are talking the
most ridiculous stuff and nonsense l ever
heard. If you bet 500 on Bryan and $3.50
on Mckinley, and Mckinley is beaten, why
It's perfectly clear that you lose $50 and
L hope you will not be so foolish for we've
got to get all of our fall clothes, and
Hold on-just wait a minute, won't
your interrupted the young business man,
beginning to chew his mustache nervously.
Cant you see that you've got 1t all
wrong-that you're going on the assump-
ton that I'm betting on Bryan at even
money, whereas I'm getting 3 to 1 against
him! That's where 1t all comes in-the
shifting Of the odds. OF course, If bet on
them both at even money, and bet the same
amount on each, I'd break just exactly
even. but it's all in the variableness of the
odds. and If bet on Bryan now. why.
can't you see that get the benefit Of the
shortening of the price on Mckinley. which
is bound. in the nature Of these things, to
take place between now and"
Il just do wish you'd not try to make
me out so foolish, so do, Jack" protested
his wife, looking at him In real grieved
way. You Just seem to consider me
born ignoramus, and 1 am perfectly certain
that you trying to get chance to
laugh at me later on when you try to tell
me that it's possible to bet on two people
and come out even or win, but not lose, no
matter which is successful, and think it's
real mean Of you, so I do, and"
But. great Caesar. I'm not trying to o
anything of the sort" protested the hus-
band. It's so dead easy that 1t gems. to
me the fox terrier pup ought to be able to
There you go, saying that I've no more
sense than a dog" she said, getting out her
handkerchief and beginning to dab at her
eyes, land you didn't to talk to me in
that way. and 1 don't know what's come
over you lately, and
Then he had to spend twenty minutes
squaring himself and telling her that he
was only fooling and that he didn't know
what he was talking about, anyhow, and
when 1t was all over he resolved to keep
still about election BETS and the odds
thereon. in the bosom Of his own family in
the future.