Baseball and Trouble (1915)

Jack Potts buys a ticket for the big ball game. On the morning of the game Wifie asks him for money to buy a new hat, but Jack, who intends to have a big time, tells her he has no money. He shows her the ticket, tells her he found it the night before, and induces her to telephone the boss that he is very ill. The boss is sorry for poor Jack, and telephones Mrs. Potts he is coming out to the house to see how her husband is. Jack is at the ball game, so Mrs. Potts pays a tramp a dollar, does him up in bandages and splints from head to foot, and explains to the boss when he arrives that Jack insisted on going to the office in spite of his illness, and was struck by an automobile on the way. When the boss sees the terrible condition of the supposed Jack he immediately tries to telephone his own physician to come with an ambulance and take Jack to the hospital, but the phone is out of order, and he decides to go out to the corner drug store and telephone. In the meantime Jack has "cleaned up" a bunch of money betting on the game, and tries to get Wifie on the phone, but, of course, is unsuccessful. He goes home, lets himself in quietly, and overhears the wife applying endearing terms to someone in the next room. He flies in a rage, but does not dare "butt in" on account of the boss. The boss goes to the drug store and Jack confronts his wife. Explanations follow, but the tramp threatens to expose the deception unless he gets more money, and keeps on demanding money every time he gets a chance. While they are arguing with the tramp the boss comes back and finds Jack. Mrs. Potts is first to recover her wits and tells the boss it is Jack's twin brother who has come in response to her telegram. Jack excuses himself, and goes out and makes some changes in the house numbers of a couple of other houses in the block to mislead the doctor, and succeeds in getting the doctor and the boss (who had gone out again to find out what was delaying the doctor) into the wrong houses, with the result that the doctor takes the boss to the hospital in the ambulance, thinking him mentally deranged.

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Summary Details
GenresComedy Short