Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-21
DAILY SHORT STORY
A SINGULAR VEHICLE.


green blinds go by here today:
Surely there was insanity IN his eye.
He was a thin little chap with a mel
ancholy look about him. At any rate
the man sitting on a wooden armchair
before a hook and ladder company's
station Of whom he asked the question
thought SO.
'No; l hain't seen no white house
with green blinds go by here today. II
had I'd "a stopped it to give it some
refreshment."
The questioner regarded the fireman
intently for moment. as though an
idea were being born in his brain.
Then he turned away and walked on.
He had gone but half block when
out of a fine residence came a young
man of rather sporty appearance, smok-
ing a cigarette. The wayfarer adj
dressed him:
Have you seen anything OF a WON
an with black hair and eyes and two
| kids, Il boy of FIVE and a girl of three,
! both looking like me, riding past here
today in u white house with green
| blinds:"
The sporty young man took his ciga-
the questioner with a blank stare.
You mean white horse and green
buggy"
NO: mean white house with
| green blinds
MY friend" remarked the sporty
man, III just bet you 500 to $40 that
| no family has ridden this way today in
| any kind of n house, and no family
will ride down this street in a house
| tomorrow or next day"
So saying he turned on his heel and
walked away. The man called after
| him:
Take you"
Turning. the sporty man saw the
! other holding a ten dollar bill toward
him. The former stood irresolute for Il
moment, wondering if he had better
call an ambulance to take the man to
Bedlam, but he was dead game
sport" and would not go back on his
| bet even with lunatic. He went into
the house for funds; then rs the luna
tic proposed that the fireman he had
| interviewed hold the stakes the sporty
man went there with,him.
| This gentleman said the Iunatic,
Diets me 500 to so that woman
and her kids haven't ridden by here
today in white house with green
| blinds or won't ride by here in Il white
house with green blinds tomorrow or
next day"
The fireman and the sporty man re-
tired for consultation, then returned,
and the fireman agreed to hold the
| stakes, which were deposited i'll the
| chiefs locker The lunatic departed.
| and the fireman and the sporty man
went to the telephone. where they re-
| ported the matter to the police station.
The consequence was that after tele-
phoning the various asykums for the
insane and not hearing of any escapes
| the inspector concluded the suspicious
person to be ii confidence man and sent
a policeman to shadow him. The po-
liceman who went on Tins duty, after
| seeing the fellow make several bets
that a family had ridden or would ride
within two days down the street in a
white house with green blinds, decided
to take him in. The man said that he
would make it hot for the police, de
claring that his wife would be worried
to death about him. Then they asked
him where he lived. He said he didn
know. The question, seemed to quiet
him. and he went to Jail peaceably.
The next morning the prisoner was
| brought up on Il charge of vagrancy.
He was not known as Il criminal, had
done nothing criminal, and there was
no other charge to be made.
Ten dollars" said the judge, land
in default thirty days.
The prisoner pulled out SO and com
placently paid his fine, much to the
aStonishment of the court, policemen
and spectators. Then he went away,
while the police authorities debated
whether to rearrest him or let him go.
They finally decided on the latter
course.
The same afternoon the Iunatic col
lected the persons with whom he had
made bets, telling them that his wife
and children would ride by in white
house with green blinds. They laugh
ingIy followed him. pretending to fall
in with his idea, some of them having
intended to turn penny by his folly,
others to return him his money even
tually. The lunatic posted them on the
sidewalk in the middle OF n long block
and asked them to wait a few min
utes. Presently q man emerged from
the next side street above and began to
plant n windlaas.
The bettors looked at each other, then
with one accord started to see what
was coming, the lunatic going with
them. There on rollers was n white
house with green blinds. In an open
door was a woman pushing back a
boy and girl.
Hello. Molly" said the lunatic.
They didn't get you started yesterday,
l see"
mo. But where on earth have you
been? Working all night againT
mo: in Jail. You see. the police
thought l was either a lunatic or a
cO,6danr., MAN o,5 ron mn in acLaSI