The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-06
Messages Mixed.

stunning toque, because / was II
too great hurry 10 use paper AM
pen. But 1t seems to me they nigh
have had mere sense only men new
err do"
1T sounds slightly involved.
murmured her friend, wlinkling he
brow interestedly.
"Oh, " explained the girl In the new
gown, 'I'm speaking of the elabo
rate and thorough misunderstan dins
there Is between jeff Ha'rtrey and
Mr.. Ferguson and myself Nell wa,
| spending week with me and there
was one vacant evening that. had
to fill up. concluded that I'd have
a table of whist and that Ia get Jefl
and Mr.. Ferguson to make up the
| four. 1t was nearly dinner time then
| SO there was no use telephoning to
| their offices, | asked Augusta, our
new maid, TO take the messages to
| their homes. You know Jeff's home
Is just around the corner and Mr..
Ferguson's people live only three
blocks away. Augusta is an obliging
little creature and listened carefully
to orders.
:" Go TO Mr.. Ferguson's first, |
said, and tell him that Miss Bling,
ham would like 10 have him como
over and play whist this evening and
to please bring along the new deck
of cards his sister borrowed of me for
her party. Then go TO Mr.. Hawtrey s
aud tell him the same. Ask him also
IT. when he runs up to the corner for
cigars always does that, You
know. after dinner-'he would be so
good as to get me pound of
cheese. | thought a rarebit would
be nice, and know jeff so we'll that
l didn't mind asking the favor.
Nell and | got into our most
fetching gowns and | lighted all the
shaded lamps and made things as
nice as possible. There's no telling
Just what may impress a man. you
know, and Mr.. Ferguson we'll.
never saw any one quite like him.
He's So"
I've no doubt you arc right"
broke in the girl In the stunning
toque, as though stopping some
thing she had heard before "Well?"
We'll, we had dinner and waited.
Then we waited some more. 1t got to
be $50. Then | sought Augusta
Yes, she had done exactly as | tod
her. / couldn't imagine what had
happened, because If they had not
been coming they would have let me
know. Finally at $50 ! answered
the bell, On the step stood Mr.. Fer
guson and he lifted his hat politely.
Good evening. he said Here's
your cheese Then he started TO de-
part.
Wait minute!' | called wildly
Aren't you-didn't you-you're
coming in, aren't you?"
He seemed surprised and not at
all anxious to follow me into the
hall Just then JEFF came around
the corner out of breath and dashed
In.
Here's the cards, he said.
Best | could do-and I've no idea
what it all means-and what on
earth Miss GriswoId will do to me
don't know
by this time | had come par
TALLY out of my trance ! knew there
was something wrong all around.
Did you two men intend to accept
my invitation or not?' / demanded
point blank.
They looked at each other va
guely. Then | told them to sit down.
Next | began to ferret out the mys-
terry.
ut seems when Mr. Ferguson got
home his small sister was just leav-
Ing for a party and fred the novel
news al him that Miss Bingham had
sent word that he was to bring her
a pound Of cheese for rareblt and
not to fall. Augusta had mixed the
cheese and the deck Of cards. Well,
Mr.. Ferguson had an important en-
but his natural politeness
led him to obey orders got It out
Of him that he had been to ten stores
before he found the cheese wanted.
Thus he had missed his appointment
| gathered that only his early train
Ing restrained him from expressing
his feelings
AS FOR left, the cook told him
that Miss Pinkham wanted him to
come to party and bring a deck of
cards that had sister on them. That
slightly staggered Jeff There hap
pens to be a Miss Pinkham who has
moved into our neighborhood, an
awfully pretty girl whom he had
never met
Well he tore down TO the drug
store to find playing cards with
girl Of some sort on them. He didn't
know why Miss Pinkham specified
particular artistic design or why she
has specified any, and 1t was queer
all around, but he wasn't missing
any chances to oblige such stun
ming girl, even II she was eccentric.
He says words would fall II he ever
attempted to repeat the scene which
occurred when he reached Miss
pinkham's house After he con-
vinced her that he was not an insane
man she was very lovely. but-well,
JEFF felt edgewise toward me, and |