Morris tribune., 1896-11-25
HER TEN WORD MESSAGE.
An Instance Where an Attempt toa SkeIe-
tOnize Was False Economy.


tonize Was False Economy.
Mr.. Blodgett twirled the slip OF
yellow paper thoughtfully around
between his thumb and forefinger,
and when he looked up Mrs. Blodg.
EFT saw that he was about to COM
municate something of considerable
Importance.
Caroline, he said, 1T ism It often
that I find fault with you because
of your expenditures. like to see
you dress we'll and keep the house up
In good style, and never begrudge
you the necessary funds. Now, do II"
And Mrs. Blodgett admitted he
never did.
"But there's one thing I do kick
about went on Mr.. Blodgett, and
that is the literal throwing away of
money. Listen to this last telegram
you sent me and tell me what you
think of it, viewing it in the light of
common sense:
DEAR RoRERT-Come directly up to the
house from the depot l have invited some
friends for O'Clock dinner. Joey had tooth
extracted yesterday. Your loving wife.
CAROLINE.
"Of course / was glad to see our
friends at dinner. and it was all
right about Joey's tooth, but should
have appreciated it just as much if
you hadn't wasted so much money
in telling me about it. don't mind
the money so much, bat do hate to
give it to the telegraphic company.
Hereafter, Caroline, when you find
it necessary to send telegram, limit
your message to ten words. It's a
very easy matter to express yourself
with that number of words if you
only think so.
Then Mr.. Blodgett went to st.
Louis on business. He had been
there three days and had pushed his
schemes so theoretically that a
meeting with several gentlemen at
the Planters hotel on the evening of
the fourth day would, in all proba-
bility, bring the deal to a successful
issue. Several hours before the time
of his appointment he received tel
egram from Mrs. Blodgett. 1t read:
Fire Sam frightened Joey badly
hurt no one escaped uninjured.
Mr.. Blodgett pored over the un-
punctuated message for several min
utes 1t was a decided puzzle. At
last his anxious mind evolved this
out of the chaos:
Fire. Sam frightened. Joey bad
~ hurt No one escaped uninjured.
Then his fatherly heart was trou-
bled at the thought of his little boys
lying at death s door and the wife
of his manhood passing into eternity
without his being there. He hastily
scrubbed notes of explanation to his
business associates and took the first
train for Chicago.
His pulse throbbed wildly and |
tears coursed down his cheeks as he
neared his home, and when he saw
that the house, at least externally, |
was not damaged, a prayer Of thanks
giving assembled on high and he hop
ed things we're not quite so bad as
represented. He let himself in and
hurried up stairs His wife was in
her room. He clasped her in his arms
and wept aloud.
THANK heaven you are not badly
hurt!'' he cried. where are the
ohildren?'
"Out in the yard playing" she
said. why, what on earth ails
your"
"Out playing so soon?" he said.
"What did you mean by this?" And
he gave her the telegram.
'Why, just what it says, she re-
piled Fire. Sam frightened Joey
badly. Hurt no one. Escaped unin-
jured. If I hadn t wished to contine
myself to ten words I should have
said that the fire was around the
corner, that Sam frightened Joey
with a new false face, and that all
escaped uninjured, but I had to leave
out words. I thought you'd under
stand it all right. Chicago Trib-
une