The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-26
Her Ten-Mord Message.

Mr.. Blodgett twirled the slip of yellow
paper thoughtfully around between his
thumb and forefnger, and when he looked
up Mrs. Blodgett saw that he was about
to communicate something of considera-
BILE importance, says the Chicago Tribune.
Caroline" he said, sit isn't often that
] find fault with you because of your eX-
penditures. l like to see you dress well
and keep the house up in good style, and
l never begrudge you the necessary funds.
Now, do I?''
And Mrs. Blodgett admitted he never
did.
But there's one thing I do kick about"
went on Mr.. Blodgett, land that is the lit
eral 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 Robert: Come directly up to
the house from the depot. 1 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 l should have apprecia-
ted it just as much if you hadn't wasted
so much money in telling me about it.
don't mind the money so much, but do
hate TO give it to the telegraph company
Hereafter, Caroline, when you find it nee
sage to ten words. It's a very easy mat
ter 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 energetic
oally that meeting with several gentle
men at the Planters hotel on the even
ing of the fourth day would, in all prob
ability, bring the deal to successful is
sue. Several hours before the time of
his appointment he received a telegram
from Mrs. Blodgett. 1t read:
Fire Sam frightened Joey badly hurt
no one escaped uninjured."
Mr.. Blodgett pored over the unpunct-
uated message for several minutes 1t
was a decided puzzle. At last his anxious
mind evolved this out of the chaos:
Fire. Sam frightened. Joey badly
hurt. No one escaped uninjured."
Then his fatherly heart was troubled at
the thought of his little boys lying at
deaths door and the wife of his manhood
passing into eternity without his being
there. He hastily scribbled notes of ex-
PLANTATION 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 Thanksgiving assembled on high
anu TIC AOpSu tlllH5S were NOT quite SO Ddu
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 children?"
"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 replied.
Fire. Sam frightened Joey badly. Hurt
no one. Escaped uninjured." If l hadn't
wished to confine myself to ten words
| 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 1 had to leave out words.
| | thought you'd understand it all right"