the doctor sat reflecting upon the outrageous impudence
of the men who name their horses after respectable people.

While he was thinking about it, another sensational occurrence
attracted his attention.

A man sitting in the same car with the doctor had placed a bottle of
tomato catsup neck downward in the rack above his seat. Presently a
friend came in, and in a few moments the friend, who was cutting his
finger-nails with a knife, introduced the subject of the races. The
discussion gradually became warm, and as the excitement increased the
man with the knife gesticulated violently with the hand containing the
weapon while he explained his views. Meantime, the cork jolted out of
the bottle overhead, and the catsup dripped down over the owner's head
and coat and collar without his perceiving the fact.

[Illustration: AN EXCITED OLD LADY]

Soon a nervous old lady on the back seat caught sight of the red
stain, and imagining it was blood, instantly began to scream "Murder!"
at the top of her voice. As the passengers, conductor and brakemen
rushed up she brandished her umbrella wildly and exclaimed,

"Arrest that man there! Arrest that willin! I see him do it. I see him
stab that other one with his knife until the blood spurted out. Oh,
you wretch! Oh, you willinous rascal, to take human life in that
scandalous manner! I see you punch him with the knife, you butcher,
you! and I'll swear it agin you in court, too, you owdacious rascal!"

They took her into the rear car and soothed her, while the victim
wiped the catsup off his coat. But that venerable old woman will go
down to the silent grave with the conviction that she witnessed in
those cars one of the most awful and sanguinary encounters that has
occurred since the affair between Cain and Abel.

* * * * *

Dr. Dox recently was called upon to settle a bet upon a much more
serious matter than a horse-race. During a religious controversy
between Peter Lamb and some of his friends one of the latter asserted
that Peter didn't know who was the mother-in-law of Moses, and that he
couldn't ascertain. Peter offered to bet that he could find out,
and the wager was accepted. After searching in vain through the
Scriptures, Mr. Lamb concluded to go around and interview Deacon Jones
about it. The deacon is head-man in the gas-office, and in the office
there are half a dozen small windows, behind which sit clerks to
receive money. Applying at