- Every day, Ben asks Maybelle if he's gotten any mail, and each day, her answer is the same—nope.
- He's bummed out since he wrote to his wife a week ago and wants a response.
- In the meantime, though, he's been busy with his report.
- He wrote a long letter to the President, giving him dates, times, locations—all the specifics.
- Ben goes over to Abraham's house to get his take on the report, but Abraham thinks it's way too long and suggests sending a quickie telegram, and the President should get the gist.
- With that, Ben realizes that Abraham's right; Roosevelt likes it when things are succinct and to the point.
- The only problem? A telegram has to go through a stationmaster, which means that everyone can see its contents.
- He figures he should send it from a different town so no one knows what he's up to.
- Luckily, in a nearby town, Mark Twain is scheduled to appear. It's a win-win, since that's Ben's favorite author.