The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-04-26
HI. .Tm's-saving
- Plan

I rarely read a letter through.
Grampell has said many times. If 1t
Is from girl. can always gather
from. the first three lines what she IS
going to tell me, and | let the magma
ton do the rest This plan works par
ticularly well II the letter is in reply
TO an invitation. II | see that the
note Ia short | know she accepts. II
1t is long. know she can't go and is
wasting four pages explaining why.
Usually | don't care why--and think
of all the time | save by not reading
explanations,
GrampeIl found his plan excellent
when 1t came 10 dealing with JEAN
cite Trips. She wEs an especially
nice girl, but she possessed super
abundance Of language. Jeanette al
ways took 500 words to tell one 20
words OF news and when she had pa
per and pen before her she rioted In
her verbal wealth It was after she
wrote Grsmpell six large pages con-
veying the regretful news that she
was unable TO 90 to the theater that
he inaugurated his plan. Grampell
never did more than tear omen the en-
velopes of Jeannette's notes. II the
writing was of formidable iength he
merely threw it into the waste paper
basket and asked himself: Who'll
ask now to go with meF
Grampell invited Jeanette tojoin an
opera party recently and when her an
syer came he knew it was short be-
fore he opened It
Good" he murmured, pulling out
the sheet. He fingered over throwing
II away, because for some reason OF
late Jeanette had grown to interest
him good deal. But Grampell hates
to break habit There were about six
lines on the front page and he tossed
the missiye away cheerfully
II was eight o'clock when Grampell
In full regalia drew up at Jeanette's
house and mounted the steps The maid
delivered her message as soon as she
opened the door Miss Trips" she
recited. said when you came you
were to go to Mrs. Smiths IL you
please"
Oh" said Grampell blankly. Then
he decided that she must be dining
out. The only Smiths who gave din
ners were the Algernon Smiths, and
they lived 20 blocks away.
Three policemen strained their
voices shouting after Grampelrs taxi
Is he shot through the streets. He
was host at the opera party and would |
be late as 1t was. Dashins up the
steps of the Algernon Smiths, on |
whom he had not calling acQuaint-
ance, Grampell was ushered in From
the dining room came the click and |
hum Of large dinner party. Present
~ Smith appeared. He was polite, but (
decidedly curious. Most evidently he /
could not recall having invited Gramp- |
ell TO dine. Also Miss Trips was not /.
there.
II was very awkward. Grampell had |
the consciousness that Smith would |
tell the servants Immediately On his !
departure to watch the upstairs win |
dows and tie silver safe. Once out |
side Grampell wiped his wet brow and |
gazed wildly about In the cold night. |
Where In creation was jeanette? Find |
Ing drug store he called up her |
house Nobody was at home. The maid |
be had talked with was out The 9TH |
er maid didn't know anything about 1t. |
Grampell arrived at the theater pale |
and melted as 10 collar and he skunk
down to his block OF six seats like a
criminal. The four persons already
there greeted him with becoming haut-
eur and said: "Sht' when he agonized- !
Iy started TO apologize.
Something was happening on the !
stage, but Grampell never knew what
It was, He was picturing the wrath Of /
jeanette waiting. hopelessly waiting
for him at some mythical Smiths, |
Waiting and growing to hate him. /
Then the curtain fell and the lights
went up
Directly across the aisle from him, !
two rows down, sat jeanette! Turning
her head she saw him and smiled
sEeetly 1t was not at all look Of