The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-16
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" 1 called after them
"DeviIish sorry you fellows won't stay
longer!"
"Jolly good lie, Jenkins I said,
yawning sleepily, as I dropped back
into my own apartment.
eyes, SIR" assented Jenkins demure-
ly. "Its sleeping on the divan the
yother night, sir. Eight hours there
amt nothing like eight hours in bed
and in your pajamas.'
"Pajamas!" I calculated, startled.
For all day 1 had been thinking Of
her. 1 wondered if Billings would hap
pen to invite me up for the week end.
But he had so many times, and had
never gone. I
''By Jove, that reminds me- said.
Those red silk pajamas!"
eyes, sir" Jenkins face hardened
vim an odd, wooden way.
"I was wondering, jenkins, If those
pajamas were torn any in our little
row the other night
Poor Jenkins WINGED little. I
think not, sir" he muttered humbly-
'leastwise, they were all right last
night when Mr." He seemed to catch
himself abruptly. Il mean when l
found them this morning, sir"
He returned with the garments 1
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 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. Then cords look
like little red snakes"
I cut an anxious glance at jenkins,
for l 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 stuff was, this brighter red ran
all over the other, covering every inch
of it and forming the closest, finest
what-you-call-it embroidery. 1t was as
faint and dainty pattern as that on
soap bubble! Fact is, could not
trace it, even 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 unfastening them, l got 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
; aad cut into the threads that tied the
covers or caps or whatever-you-call-
ems, over the knots. And when I
pulled, the beastly piece of silk came
of in my fingers.
And then-oh, but I say! I just
gave a sort of yell and dropped the
whole thing!
Ever have some silly ass try to
scare you by poking a red hot cigar
at you in the dark? Know how you
Jerk back? Well, there you are! For,
give you my word, when l peeled of
the little cloth cap, regular blazes OF
crimson fire seemed to shoot from
the end of the knot.
Fact is, it wasn't knot at all, but
a button-a devilish CLASSY button,
something bigger than dime, per
haps and thick as the end Of your
little finger. And there it lay against
the silk, burning its way through 1t
\ like a red coal Of fire.
And it was Just then that Billings
piled IN.
say rolled in," because it always
Blocks that way. That's the way Bill
ings is built. you know.