Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-08-16
CHAPTER XXI.


ed; "at least. l hope SO. Perkins is
with him-we've been trying to per-
suade him to have a bath and lie
down. But l don't know"
He shook his head gloomily. then
turned to me.
IF you will come with me. sir"
Then he added. and 1t seemed a ques-
ton: You must have made quick
run, sir. Seems like only few min
utes since we got Mr.. Jacks phone
message. His voice dropped: From
the station house. you know"
"Eh-what's that?" l paused with
/ my foot on the first tread of the
stairway. Jacks phone message
blankly. What are you talking
about?"
Wilkes coughed reproachfully.
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 furtive
backward glance at the trump. but
she was enjoying herself berating
fat girl she addressed as Flora" He
looked at me eloquently and whis-
pered: About his-h'm-stealing
some black silk pajamas.'
My monocle dropped. and l almost
did myself.
by Jove!" l gasped feebiy.
"Yes, SIR" Wilkes looked up at
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 are
his own" l managed to get out.
Wilkes face iightened 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
fishy old eyes twinkling admiration.
Very neat. II may say. sir-making,
as 1t were. sort OF alibi-very neat,
indeed! OF course. when they puts
| 'em on him. they see for themselves
they are his'n. ana not any lady's
what had been stolen oh, I see.'
Dash me, II | 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 confiscated them? 1t
looked devilishly. ominously like It!
Or perhaps he. himself. had recov-
cred them from Foxy Grandpa. and
with more delicacy than thought him
capable of. had kept the whole mat
ter to himself. One thing only was
certain: the sleuth hounds of the law,
stimulated by the extravagant reward
/ had offered over the telephone, had
run down and recovered her pa1amas.
1t was relief that they were out of
! his hands, anyhow could get them
again, but he couldn't. BY Jove!
Alone in my room. | stood before
the mirror. hands in pockets and
| rocking on my toes-kind of smiling.
you know-and thinking what a dare
devil. reckless thing 1t had been
clever, too. dash it-in getting them
away from old Jack. and right under
his nose. By Jove. l felt bit proud
about it-sort OF exultation. don't you
know-and | had just got off wink
at myself. when Wilkes appeared
again.
Pardon, sir. for disturbing you, but
Mr.. Billings is acting SO queer. we
are afraid to cross him: and he Just
insisted take his message to you at
once"
Messenger" l repeated. SOLDERING.
Yes. sir-something about some
pajamas-"
"Pa1amas?" l faltered. and | drop
ped into a chair. Obi"
Wilkes looked grave. "Pa1amas
seem to be the thing with him this
time, sir-it's the queerest go! That's
new one, that isl" He shifted con.
| templatively. The last time 1t was
lizards and the time before blue
dachshunds, but his main standby, SO
to speak. is piebald rattlesnakes-
them we're used to; but this new turn,
paiamas, gets mel" He shook his
head dubiously. And he won't take
his off-you can't get him to; he Just
gets kinder peevish and goes off on
the uueerest streak OF freak talk you
ever heard. Perkins tried to coax him
to take bath. but he said he never
had taken a bath in his life-and he
called Perkins something awful
some name about n yard long. 1,
squelched Perkins SO that he"
But the message?" suggested
nervously.
81 was just a-coming to that. sir
He asks me II / knew whether you