The Ordway new era., 1911-10-06
SAVING HER
RECORD


In fact. her superhuman punctuality
becomes as intolerable at times as
the moral courage OF the person who
takes cold plunges In the morning and
boasts OF the fact. Her satisfaction
rises to Its sublImest height when she
can show off before some unfortunate
mortal who Is invariably late.
Therefore she beamed condescend.
ingly upon Mrs. Loffett and said: "Oh.
certainly. I'll be able to meet you ut
the State street entrance of Long.
cloths ut 1880. 1t will DO perfectly
easy!"
We'll. l didn't know" apologized
Mrs. Loffett. There are always 30
many things to do around the house
mornings that it's hard"
Not II you use the proper sys.
tem." interrupted Mrs. Jenklnson
firmly.
The Jenkinsons had just taken
small fiat after long siege OF board.
ing and were not entirely adjusted.
The worst trouble was that there were
four bells which rang and Mrs. Jen.
kinson's ear had not had time to be
trained to the difference between
them. When one rang she invariably
answered all four. as always 1t was
the last one she answered. This gave
her plenty OF exercise.
The morning she was to meet Mrs.
Loffett ut 1890 Mrs. Jenkinson was
aroused from late slumber by the
ringing OF a bell. She sprang up
blinking and puzzled and then con.
seriousness came.
MY packages from DOWNTOWN" she
murmured. The back door bell. OF
course!"
Slipping into dressing gown. she
rushed to the back door. There was
nobody there. She opened the front
door with the same results. Then she
attacked the speaking tube leading
to the front entrance downstairs.
There was no response to her hellos.
"Oh!" she said shortly few sec.
onds later. as she gazed from the front
window where she had wandered and
got view OF the postman sigzagging
across the street below. 1T was his
ring! ! might have known!"
Mrs. Jenk!nson proceeded to turn
the faucets In the bathtub and let 1t
NIL with water. AS she splashed
bell rang. MY goodness!" she
moaned. It rang again peremptorily.
and finally some one pounded on the
front door.
We'll. you Just pound!" she NUT.
tered. Historically. THE ideal"
little later she opened the door
and stared upon the vacant hall
searching for clue. There was no
clue.
Who on earth could that have
been?" she asked herself. "Mercy-it's
after ten o'clock"
AS she was making coffee a bell
rang and 1t sounded like the one
downstairs. When she had shrieked
hello" into the tube till her throat
hurt 1t rang again and some one
pounded on the back door. The icy
and infuriated individual who stood
there snorted as he brushed by her.
Telephone election" he explained
briefly. II climbed three flights OF
front stairs once this morning an
now I've climbed three flights Of back
ones and it's no fun. I can tell you!
Mrs. Jenkinson. wildly searching for
her purse. found 1t at last in the shoe
bag. where she had hidden it. Her
head was humping as she ushered out
the telephone man and hurried back
to her coffee. 1t had boiled over. She
| dropped the toast she was making to
answer the next bell
Dress from the cleaners for
Smith," announced voice through
the tube.
Smiths don't live here" called back
Mrs. Jenkinson. Presently there was
ring at the front door and she found
boy holding out the cleaners box.
'It isn't mine," insisted Mrs. Jen.
kinson.
The boy regarded her reproachfully.
This is the number an I've climbed
three flights of stairs an it's two
fifty"
Take 1t away!" ordered Mrs. Jen-
kinson. Indignantly. II don't know
anything about it," She banged the
door on the boys protests and tore
to the kitchen, which was full of
smoke. The toast was cinders.
"1'd-Td like to cry!" moaned Mrs.
Jenkinson.
| She discarded her kimono and start.
ed to dress for downtown, accelerated
by the last glance at the clock, which
said 11:15. She had As minutes be-
fore the suburban train was due.
Things hid themselves with that mad
dening ingenuity they always develop
when one is in hurry. In ten min.
utes the bedroom and closet looked
like Culebra cut in the process Of ex.
cavation. Then the telephone rang.
She missed her train and ragged for
20 minutes waiting for the next one,
When. breathless and disheveled. she
dashed into the entrance to Long.
cloths. she was trying to conceal her
/ humiliation To ho lata ..-I4l ILL.,