Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-07-26
From Whitaker's Journal.
MIR. JACKSON'S SHIRTS,

81 rolled it up and put it on the chair.
I'm positive Of that And now this
ones gone That makes nine shirts In
as many days! At this rate in another
two days shan't have shirt to my
back! A comfortable prospect this for
a man on the eve of matrimony It's
no use my sitting up night after night
watching for the theft thief there
be, of which I'm by no means sure:
I've tried that dodge long enough, and
must think of something else. Per-
haps Frank might suggest something
No, no, that won't
do; I'd rather not breach the subject to
him or anybody else.
By Jove, I have it! How strange I
didn't think Of it before!" and a.
CLEAN of hope lit up the speakers face,
as he exclaimed, 81 won't take off my
shirt at all I'll sleep in my day shirt.
Of course that's the plan, and if any
one should take it off my back I'd
better leave off wearing shirts alto
gether."
Mr.. Alfred Jackson, the gentleman
who was in such trouble about bis
shirts, was a good-looking young man
of twenty-five, of independent means
and average abilities. He was staying,
at the time Of which I write, with his
friend, Mr.. Heathcote, between whose
family and his ali intimate friendship
had long existed, and to one of whose
daughters the young man was about to
be married. The wedding day, indeed,
vas fixed. and in two days time the
joyful event was to take place, The
parents and some other relatives of the
bridegroom were to assemble at Mr..
HeathcOte's house on the morning of
the marriage, and to proceed from
thence to the church, but at the express
desire of the bride, her future husband
had been asked to spend few days at
Heathcote Hall previous to the we'd
ding, and for more than week he had
been Mr.. Heathcote's guest.
Frank Heathcote, who had been at
Elton with jackson, and was his sworn
friend, was to act as best man, and with
the latter was to meet the bridal party
at the church.
Having given the reader these brief
but necessary particulars, I will now
revert to Mr.. Jackson, who in the awk-
ward predicam ent in which he was
placed through the disappearance of
his shirts, bad suddenly resolved, as
We have seen, to sleep in his day shirt
instead Of changing it, as was his habit,
when retiring to rest. The result of
this resolution on his part will appear
from the following brief dialogue
which took place between him and his
friend Frank Heathcote, on the ensuing
morning:
"I've got favor to ask you, Frank"
began the former, and you really
mustn't refuse it,
There's nothing in the world Il
wouldn't do for you, old fellow, and
you know that" returned the other.
What is it? Nothing serious, II
hope?"
"Well, that's as people may regard
it. Some may make light of it, as i
did at first, though don't do so now:
but I hardly like mentioning the sub
iect, even to you, Frank, as it. would
seem as if l thought some of the serv-
ants were dishonest; but the affair has
gone too far now, and l must really
tell you, and get you to help me out
of my trouble, if you cam"
jackson then proceeded to inform
his friend of the mysterious disappear
ance every night from his bed-cham-
Der OF the shirt he had wora on the
previous day, and of the various steps
he had taken, though hitherto without
effect, to discover whittier they had
gene, and how even the expedient to
which he had resorted to on the
previous night of sleeping in Ills day-
shirt had also failed, that one also hay-
ing shared the fate Of its predecessors.
and disappeared in the same unac.
countable manner.
IF didn't see by your manner that
you were thoroughly in earnest, I |
should either suppose you were joking :