The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-08-09
CHAPTER VIII.
Her Brother Jack.

Her Brother Jack.
Good night. Dicky." came up the
elevator shaft. And then more good
nights" growing fainter with their
laughter as the car shot down.
Good night" | called after them.
"Devllish sorry you fellows won't stay
longer,"
Jolly good lie. Jenkins | said.
yawning sleepily, as ! dropped back
into my apartment.
Yes, sir" assented jenkins demure-
= iy. It's sleeping on the divan the
other night. sir. Eight hours there
amt nothing like eight hours in bed
and in your pajamas."
"~Paiamas!" ] calculated. startled.
For all day I had been thinking OF
her. ] wondered II Billings would hap.
pen to invite me up for the week end.
But he had so many times. and / had
never gone.
by Jove, that reminds me-" ] said.
Those red silk pajamas!"
Yes, sir" jenkins face hardened
IN an odd, wooden way.
II was wondering. Jenkins, II those
pajamas were torn any In our little
row the other night"
Poor jenkins WINGED a little. Il
think not. SIR" he muttered humbiy-
"leastwise. they were all right last
night when Mr." He seemed to catch
himself abruptly. Il mean when |
found them this morning, sir"
He returned with the garments I
had received from Mastermann. and
again we spread them under the
lamp on the table. They looked singu-
iarly smooth and unwrinkled. There
was not a single tear or break, not
even with the delicate cords that
twisted TO form the frogs OF the seat.
MY, sir, But amt they red!"
breathed Jenkins. Them cords look
like little red snakes"
cut an anxious glance at jenkins,
for ! did % like his reference TO
snakes. Seemed ominous, somehow.
reassuring. And, by Jo7e. come to
look. the cords did look just like tiny,
coiled serpents Of glowing fire. Why.
they were 20 jolly red they hurt your
eyes. Fact. And thin as the beau.
thul stun was, this brighter red ran
all over the other, covering every inch
of 1t and forming the closest, finest
whst-you-call-it embroidery. II was as
faint and dainty a pattern as that on a
soap bubble! Fact is, ! could not
trace II, even with my glass.
The only part that wasn't covered
with this embroidery business was the
stun used 70 cover the knots. or little
balls. over which the cords were
meant 10 hook. In working with
some of those cords. idly fastening
and christening them. I got a little
impatient with that seemed tight.
you know, and I used my manicure
knife TO Pull the knot through.
Careful. SIR warned Jenkins.
Likely 10 cut something"
BY Jovc. No sooner said. than I
did IL,
The dashed blade slipped somehow
and cut into the threads that tied the
cover or caps or whatever.you-call-
ems, over the knots. And when I
pulled, the beastly piece OF siik came
on In my fingers.
And then-oh. but ! say! Just
gave a sort OF yell ard dropped the
whole thing,
Ever have some silly ass try TO
scare you by poking a red hot cigar
ct you in the dark? Know how you
Jerk back? Well. there you are. For,
give you my word. when I peeled on
the little cloth cap, regular blazes of
crimson nre seemed to shoot from
the end Of the knot.
Fact ig, II wasn't a knot at all. but
q button-a devtlish CLASSY button,
something bigger than q dime. per.
naps, and thick a. the end Of your
little ringer. And there IL lay against
che silk. burning its way through II
Nike q red coal Of IRE.
And II was just then that Billings
rolled In.
I say rolled IN" because II always
hscks that wy. That's the way Bill
lngs % hunt. you know.
Il say. Dicky." he painted. Just
nlsssA another Internal expross!
vsDnty nsFs trains. but I had . great
mDtlrstson strike me that ia lst you
- - - ~ to night. Hat. Jsa-