Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-06-07
VIII.

Her Brother Jack.
Good night. Dicky!" came up tn
elevator shaft. And then more "goot
nights" growing fainter with thei.
laughter as the car shot down.
Good night" called after them
"Devilish sorry you fellows won't stay
longer!"
Jolly good lie, Jenkins" / said
yawning sleepily, as | dropped back
INTO my own apartment.
Yes, sir" assented Jenkins demure.
ly. IT'S sleeping on the divan the
other night. sir. Eight hours there
Amt nothing like eight hours In bed
and In YOU pajamas."
"Pajamas!" | calculated, startled.
For all day | had been thinking Of
her. wondered II Billings would hap.
pen to invite me up for the week end.
But he had 80 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.
Il was wondering, Jenkins, II those
pa1amas were torn any In our little
row the other night"
Poor jenkins WINGED a little. IL
think not, sir" he muttered humbly-
"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 |
had received from Mastermann. and
again We spread them under the
lamp on the table. They looked singu-
larly 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 not like his reference to
snakes. Seemed ominous, somehow.
But his appearance was composed and
reassuring. And. by Jove, come to
look, the cords did look Just like tiny,
coiled serpents OF glowing fire. Why,
they were so jolly red they hurt your
eyes. Fact! And thin as the beau
tiful stun was. this brighter red ran
all over the other. covering every inch
OF 1t and forming the closest. finest
what-you-call-it embroidery. It was as
faint and dainty a pattern as that on a
soap bubble! Fact is. | could not
trace 1t. ever with my glass.
The only part that wasn't covered
with this embroidery business was the
stuff used to cover the knots, or little
balls, over which the cords were
meant to hook. In working with
some OF these cords. idly fastening
and christening them, | got a little
impatient with one that seemed tight,
you know, and | used my manicure
Knife to pull the knot through.
Careful, sir" warned Jenkins.
Likely to cut something"
by Jove! No sooner said, than |
did IT,
The dashed blade slipped somehow
and cut into the threads that tied the
covers or caps or whateyer-you-calL- |
ems, over the knots. And when II
pulled, the beastly piece of silk came
on in my fingers.
And then-oh. but | say! | Just
gave a sort of yell and dropped the
whole thing.
Ever have some silly ass try 10
scare o by poking a red hot cigar
at you in the dark? Know how Won
Jerk back? Well, there you are! For.
give you my word, when | peeled on
the little cloth cap, regular blazes of
crimson fire seemed to shoot from
the end of the knot.
Fact Is, 1t wasn't a knot at all. but
a button-a devilish CLASSY button,
something bigger than a dime, per.
haps. and thick as the end of your
little finger. And there it lay against
the silk, burning It's way through It
like a red coal of fire.
And 1t was just then that Billings
rolled in.
| say rolled In" because 1t always
looks that way. That's the way Bill.
ings is built, you know.
Il say, Dicky." he painted, lust
missed another Internal express!
Plenty more trains. but | had q great
Inspiration strike me that I'd let you
out me up FOR +hs night. Hat. sJen. ]