Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-26
The Daily
Short Story
HOW THE BET WAS WON,
By Sadie Olcott.

ly been let out OF medical college to
practice their profession on an unsus.
pecting public were sitting over lsts
supper discussing problems that had
mystified physicians for hundreds n,
years. They passed from one prob.
lem to another, falling last on in
sanity.
Il believe. said DR.. Meriweather tn
DR.. Hotchkiss, that there are many
| persons confined in lunatic asylnms
who are as sane as l am"
Quite likely" replied DR.. Hotcb.
kiss. .facetiously.
'Humph," replied DR.. Meriweatba,
III bet you that | can get myself mn,
in an insane asylum simply by asking
questions of strangers in which thers
is nothing impossible or improbable
There was a discussion between ,hs
two doctors as to what would be con-
sIdered impossible. at the end of which
a bet of $40 was made between fhsm
the money to be spent on a dinner
that DR.. Meriweather would get him
self locked up for insanity. When bs
Hotchkiss to be at a certain plaoe nm
a certain day and hour that he might
see for himself that the bet was WON
fairly.
A few days later DR.. Meriyeather
stood on the sidewalk of a compars-
lively unfrequented street, and DR.
Hotchkiss sat on the porch of an IN
occupied house within a few Yards of
him. Presently "a woman came hv
pushing baby carriage Meriweather
accosted her.
You haven'teseen house going BY
here lately. have your he asked.
The woman looked at him with a
puzzled expression.
"A house?" she repeated.
: yes, small frame house, painted
1 gray, green blinds, lace curtains, porch
D in front and small addition in rear"
The woman instinctively placed her
r self between the doctor and her child.
e and went on-slowIy till she had got
some distance from him, then as rap
idly as she could go, fear evidently
e squirting her on.
: The next passer was a man of q
: benevolent cast of confidence. DR..
Y Meriweather accosted him.
0 MY friend" he said, have you seen
t. a woman and a couple of children go
by here?"
NO. I have not, sir" said the man
d politely, pausing to learn if he could
r be of service
It They were riding; riding in house
Y painted gray"
r You mean in an. auto or a carriage"
s said the gentleman
S mo, I don't; l mean a house,
gray house, with green blinds and lace
curtains in the windows"
Il The mans face changed from be-
- nevolent to serious expression.
r. THE woman" the doctor continued,
4 was trying to keep the children quiet.
/ but there was nothing TO get excited
! about; the house was not running
q away; it was going very slowly"
4 Il am afraid l can't assist you in
"A finding these persons, my friend said
Fl the gentleman. "Good-day sir" And
he passed on. Dr. Hotchkiss heard
: him mutter: Poor fellow"
. Il see your game" said Hotchkiss to
+, Meriweather. but you can't get your
"a self put in bedlam in that way; the
:, world is cold; they'll all leave you to
: take care of yourself, even if you are
- mad"
"a Wait, was Meriweather's reply
- The next person was an elderly lady
a Meriweather put the usual questions
II Like the last person he had tackled,
r. she supposed that he meant some sort
"a of vehicle; but he corrected her. and
added that he was fearful that the &C.
cupants of the house might be burned
alive, since the chimney was shakey.
~ The woman seemed Immediately to
y take a deep interest in one who had
Ie evidently host his reason. She asked
Ae him if he would not go with her to a
" place where he would have attention.
~ Madam" he replied, you think me
le crazy. / am perfectly sane
{! The woman passed, on shaking her
~ head negatively
" DIR. Meriweather was beginning TO
a fear he would lose his bet, when he
ne saw policeman coming.
What are you doing here?' asked
IL the cop authoritatively
ees Waiting for some people to come
~ by riding in a frame house
~ NJ You're the man I've heard about
~ from several persons. Come along
It's not my business to leave such as
p you loose. You might hurt someone.
- Meriweather protested that he was
III perfectly sane, but policemen are USED
'in 10 all sorts of stories from those they
gu take OF the street, and he led hlH
oH away. Calling a black maria" h'
I put the doctor in it and drove him t
IN an insane asylum. Hotchkiss called
!ln cab and followed When his friend va
lsi taken into an asylum and was exam
e ined by the doctor in charge, Hotch
~ kiss was present, but said nothing
lot Finally Meriweather was told h
'e- would be held for further eIamina
ton
"That'n do said Hotchkiss. "You'y
won the bet" and he told the story
W. how Meriweather had done il, an
ON proved the identity OF himself and HI
- friend as recent graduates OF the Co
u, lege of Physicians.
Ial Meriweather had learned that pei
s .he NIT had been granted to move a hou5
.oI through the street on which he Ia
WIS VI, taken his stand, and that the famil
~ would remain in it during the remoVa
lo1 The house doctor was invited 10 pal
wy take of the dinner to be given by In
w loser of the bet.
led =-=-==-===-===-
len the cork by tradition and custom, .
on must not disobey his master the pr
at oHA Ip4t