ABCNEWS.COM June 13 — A desperate shortage of punctuation marks at The Associated Press resulted in careful rationing in the article headlined Beloved N.Y. Bra Lady Dies at 95. Conservation efforts included the following…

Several periods: Koch, who died Thursday, had been hospitalized since last week, when she fell and broke her hip at the Town Shop, whose threshold she first crossed in 1927, when she married Henry Koch and his lingerie business.

One comma, and possibly a period for good measure: But last year, after national news stories appeared about an old woman who still found a reason to believe in life, in work and in the importance of a bra that fits she suddenly became famous.

Two parentheses: She went to his successful business there were four stores then to handle his account.

One semicolon: “I always liked people. No sales pressure that we don’t allow,” she said.

According to a highly placed source at The Associated Press, the punctuation shortage was a temporary problem that has since been addressed. “.,:;.,(:;)…,” added one contact, who asked not to be identified, “!!!”.