Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-08-02
CHAPTER XXI.
A MESSAGE and a Warning.

ed; at least, | hope 30. Perkins Is
with hlm-we've been trying to per-
suade him to have q bath and lie
down. But | don't know"
He shook his head gloomily. then
turned to me.
III you will come with me, sir"
Then he added, and 1t seemed a ques-
ton: You must have made a quick
run, sir. Seems like only a few min
utes since we got Mr.. Jacks phone
message, His voice dropped: From
the station house, you know"
"Eh-what's that?" / paused with
my foot on the first tread Of the
stairway. Jacks phone message
from the station house?" | repeated
blankly. What are you talking
about?'
Wilkes coughed rep%roachfully.
Why, you know. sir. he told about
being arrested in front OF the Kahoka
Apartments. He mentioned that 1t
was about-h'm!" He stole a furtive
backward glance at the trump, but
she was enjoying herself berating a
fat girl she addressed as Flora" he
looked at me eloquently and whis-
pered: About Misunderstanding
some black silk pajamas."
My monocle dropped, and l almost
did myself.
by Jove!" | gasped feebly.
Yes, sir" Wilkes looked up az
the paneled ceiling and stroked his
chin. HE mentioned that they found
them-or thought they found them in
the bag he had with him."
But he's got them on. and they arc
his own" l managed to get out.
Wilkes face llghtened understand
ingly. "Oh-h, l see. SIR" he said. nod
ding with his jolly chin hanging; so
that's how you got him Off was a.
wondering!" He looked at me, his
flshy old eyes twinkling admiration.
Very neat. II | may say, shrinking,
as 1t were, a sort Of alibi-very neat,
indeed! or course, when they puts
'em on him, they see for themselves
they are his'n, and not any lady's
what had been stolen Oh, | see!"
Dash me, If l did! The only thing
| saw was that 1t must have been
jenkins that had ~telephoned and the
message had been twisted. What he
had said, OF course. was that Billings
had almost been arrested. But the
police finding the pajamas in his bag
i did not like that. Could 1t be that,
after all. Billings had found his sis.
ter's pajamas in the guest-room and
had quietly contiscated them? II
looked devilishly. ominously like It!
Or perhaps he. himself, had recov
cred them from Foxy Grandpa, and
with more delicacy than I thought hin
capable Of, had kept the whole mat
ter to himself. One thing only wa!
certain: the sleuth hounds of the law
stimulated by the ~extravagant reward
l had offered over the telephone. haC
run down and recovered her pajamas
1t was a relief that they were out o
his hands, anyhow could get then
again. but he couldn't. BY Jove!
Alone In my room. | stood befor,
the mirror, hands In pockets ant
rocking on my toes-kind of smiling
you know-and thinking what a dare
devil, reckless thing 1t had been
= clever, too, dash tin getting then
away from old Jack. and right undo
his nose. By Jove. l felt a bit prou'
+, about it-sort Of exultation, don't yo'
+, know-and | had just got off a win
at myself. when Wilkes appeare
p again.
! Pardon, sir, for disturbing you, bu
t Mr.. Billings Is acting so queer, W
are afraid to cross him; and he Jus
I insisted | take his message to you a
once"
r Messenger" l repeated. SOLDERING.
Yes, sir-something about som
pajamas-"
"Pajamas?" l taltered, and l drol
Il ped into a chair, OH"
Wilkes looked grave. "Pajama
seem to be the thing with him TIL
Q time, sir-it's the queerest go! That
d a new one, that Isl" He shifted col
templatively. The last time 1t wa
d lizards and the time before blu
dachshunds, but his main standby, S
i to speak, Is piebald rattlesnakes-
e them we're used to; but this new turl
d pajamas, gets mel" He shook h
head obviously. And he won't tab
a his on-you can't get him to; he tuI
gets kinder peevish and goes of c
n the queerest streak Of freak talk We
T. ever heard. Perkins tried to . hi
to take a bath, but he said he new,
y had taken a bath in his life-and
70 called Perkins something awful
some name about a yard long,
n. sQuelched Perkins so that he"
. But the message?" suggest,
,r nervously.
Z Il was just a-coming to that, S
* He asks mo n knew whether y,