The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-07

Eyes, sir Wilkes looked up at
the psneled 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," 1 managed to get out.
Wilkes face lightened understand
ingly. "Oh-h, I see, SIR he said, nod
ding with his jolly chin hanging; 80
that's how you got him off was a.
wondering!" He looked at me, his
fshy old eyes twinkling admiration.
every neat, if 1 may say, sir-making,
as it were, sort Of alibi-very neat,
indeed! OF 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 1 did! The only thing
I saw was that it 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
Il did not like that. Could it 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 1 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
I had offered over the telephone, had
run down and recovered her pajamas.
It was a relief that they were out OF
his hands, anyhow could get them
again, but he couldn't. By Jove!
Alone in my room, I stood before
the mirror, hands in pockets and
rocking on my toes-kind Of smiling,
you know-and thinking what dare
devil, reckless thing it had been
clever, too, dash tin getting them
away from old Jack, and right under
his nose. By Jove, I felt bit proud
about it-sort of exultation, don't you
know-and I had just got of 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 1 take his message to, you at
once"
"Message?" I repeated, SOLDERING.
"Yes, sir-something about some
pajamas-"
"Pajamas?" faltered, and I drop
ped into chair, "Oh!"
Wilkes looked grave. ''Pajamas
seem to be the thing with him this
time, sir-it's the queerest go! That's
a new one, that isl" He shifted con-
templatively. The last time it 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,
pajamas, gets mel" He shook his
head obviously. And he won't take
his of-you can't get him to; he just
gets kinder peevish and goes OF on
the Queerest streak Of freak talk you
ever heard. Perkins tried to coax him
to take a bath, but he said he never
had taken a bath in his life-and he
called Perkins something awful
some name about a yard long. 1t
squelched Perkins so that he"
But the message?" I suggested
nervously.
81 was just a-coming to that, sir.
He asks me if I knew whether you
were still on the place; and when
said you we're, he says to me kinder
excited and impressive like: We'll,
you go to him at once-at once-and
tell him I'm on the trail Of the mys-
terry of those pajamas, and I'll soon
know as much about 'em as he does.
Just tell him that-he'll know what 1
mean"
"Oh!" I gasped shortly.
"Yes, sir" Wilkes nodded, "but that
amt quite ALL He says: Tell Mr..
Lightnut that when l first saw those
pajamas in his rooms" Wilkes
paused inquiringly. did you say some
thing, sir?"
had not-I had only groaned!
He went on, repeating as by rote:
"'When I found and took them away,
1 was curious and amused, but skep-
tical-frmly skeptical-of there be-
ing any dark mystery about them. But
now know l let myself be deceived
and I mean to get at the bottom Of
the whole thing"
Wilkes seemed to kind of waver
and fade before me, and then go out
like candle. Then he came back
into view, and 1 heard his voice again:
"'And what's more, you tell him l
say"
The butler hesitated and seemed
embarrassed-his heavy jowls red
dened little He looked beyond me
and coughed.