Egypt -- Description and travel -- Humor; London (England) -- Description and travel -- Humor; Voyages and travels -- Humor
While Henry Billkamp was in the steam chamber engaged in the
superfluous task of further reducing himself, Bob Grimley came into the
bath department carrying a suit case. The suit case habit is very
strongly intrenched in busy towns. To go all the way out home and then
come back would use up two hours.
Bob Grimley was a short man, weighing about two hundred and fifty
pounds, and shaped like an olive. He wanted his vapour in a hurry,
because he had to grab a train and go away out to Oak Park and then
dress in a hurry and have a bite of dinner and play poker. So he made
a running splash and jump through the bath department, came out, hopped
into his garments, picked up Henry Billkamp's suit case, and rushed
away to Oak Park.
It was half past six when Henry Billkamp arose from the plunge and
hurried to the dressing-room. The dinner was to be at seven. He
opened the suit case and began to take out balloon-shaped garments, and
then he shrieked for an attendant. Where was his suit case? No one
seemed to know. Oh, yes; Mr. Grimley had come out of that room with a
suit case and had gone--no one knew whither. Henry stood there with a
huge article of raiment clutched in each hand and slowly froze with
horror as a full understanding of the situation grew upon him. In less
than a half-hour he must join them--bride, relatives, friends. The
lights were already up, the flowers on the table, the wine cooling, the
carriages beginning to arrive. It was to be the night of his life.
Could he appear at this glittering function as a chief attraction in an
eight dollar sack suit and make some lame explanation about losing his
other things in a Turkish bath? He had an old suit at home, but he was
miles from home. The carriage man sent in word that Mr. Grimley and
suit case had gone to a railway station. That settled it. Henry
decided to jump into the plunge and end it all.
While he was lamenting, a friend came in from another dressing-room to
find out what was the matter. Henry, scantily attired, leaned against
the wall and in a voice choked with sobs and cuss words outlined his
frightful predicament. The friend, listening, suddenly emitted a glad
shout.
"I have it!" he exclaimed. "There's only one man in all the world with
a figure anything like yours, and he happens to be right here in the
building. Come! Get into a dressing gown. We have twenty minutes!
We can make it. Come!"
A few seconds later two agitated persons, one attired and the other
semi, burst into my room. It was a long story, but could they borrow
an assortment of evening clothes? Could they? I was delighted to know
that someone in the world wanted to wear that suit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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