RANSVESTIA

"I'll bet you $50,000 that you couldn't even get into the five finalists in this contest and would probably be laughed right off the stage the first time you appeared," Dave came back.

"Whether I could or not doesn't seem to matter, since you don't have the $50,000 to bet with anyway,” I told him.

"I am willing to put up the money and my paper's reputation if you are willing to bet me," Dave persisted.

Feeling that I was in somewhat of a bind, I had to think fast. I turned to Dave and said, "I couldn't get up there now, anyway-the contest has already started and the contestants were picked two weeks ago."

But Dave wanted to make me squirm a little so he wouldn't be put off. "Okay, Rick, I'll bet you you can't place in the top 15 in next year's con- test. I'll give you one year to make a miracle happen and all you have to do is end up in the top 15."

"You must be crazy," I said.

"You are the one who started this," Dave countered. “Doesn't your paper stick to its word, or is it true that it is full of liars like everyone says."

"You're on!" I said, stung by his challenge, "but no one is to know about this until after the pageant next year and I want it in writing that if I do finish in the top 15 that you will move your paper to another city!"

"Now wait a minute, Rick," Dave protested, "you must be..." "Well now," I interrupted, "now who is the one chickening out? Or are the stakes too high for your little old newspaper?"

“Okay, you little wise guy, you're on, and when you get laughed off the stage I'm going to let the whole population of this city know what happened and your boss will be forced to move his paper to another city. Not to mention the suit he will probably file against you!"

After the pageant I was walking back to the office when the reality of what I had bet really hit me. I started to run and when I got back I went straight to Mr. Stockton, the owner, and Mr. Peters, my boss, and told them what I had done. "Well Rick" Mr Stockton said, "you know that this is impossible, you had no right to bet with him in the first place.