The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-03-19

| WITH more uellcdcy tuaI thought Hiil
capable Of had kept the whole mat
ter to himself One thing only was
certain: the sleuth hounds OF the law.
stimulated by the extravaganza reward
| had offered over the telephone, had
run down and recovered her paiamas.
! 1t was relief that they were out OF
his hands, anyhow ccuid get them
again, but be 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 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, | felt bit proud
about it--sort OF emulation, don't YOU
know---and | had just got OF wink
j at myself. when Wiikes appeared
again.
Pardon, sir, for disturbing you. but
Mr. Eitlings Is acting SO queer, Ne
| are afraid to cross him: and he Just
| insisted take his message to you at
once"
"Message?" repeated. SOLDERING
Yes, sir-something about some
pajamas--"
"Pajamas?" / fa.tered. and 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
new one, that Isl" He shifted con.
templativeIy 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 ofr--you can't get him to, he just
gets kinder peevish and goes off on
the Queerest streak OF freak talk you
ever heard. Perkins tried to coax him
to take bath, but he said he never
had taken bath In his life-and he
called Perkins something awful
some name about yard long. 1t
squelched Perkins SO that he"
But the message?" | suggested
nervously.
II was just a-coming to that. SIR
He asks me II | knew whether you
were still on the place; and when |
said you were. he says to ME kinder
excited and impressive like: Well,
you 20 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 EN- as he does
Just tell him that-hell know what
mean"
Obi" | gasped shortly.
Yes, SIR" Wilkes nodded. but that
ain't quite all. He says: Tell Mr..
Llghtnut that when | first saw those
pajamas In his rooms" Wilkes
paused inQuiringly. Did you say some.
thing, sir?"
| had mott had only groaned!
He went on, repeating as by rote:
when | found and took them away
was curious and amused. but skep
tical-tirmly skeptical-of there be
Ing any dark mystery about them. But
now know 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 a candle. Then he came back
\ into view, and heard his voice again
land what's more. you tell him
say"
The butler hesitated and seemed
embarrassed-his heavy iowls red
dened little. He looked beyond me
and coughed.
"Of course, you know. sir" he said,
shifting uneasily, "Mr Billings amt
exactly himself. 30 to speak. so you
mustn't mind. Fact is---if | may say
so-hes got the most considerable
case Of jimmies | ever see him with,
| So"
| "Oh, go on!" I breathed miserably.
Eyes, sir-h'm!" Wilkes heaved dis
tressfully, then drove doggedIy ahead:
"Oh, well, sir, what he says was that
1t was his duty, he thought, to tell
the family the truth about those pa
| jamas. SO that they would know that
the man they were harboring under
their roof wasn't what he seemed to
be-" His gaze bored higher over my
head, his voice tapering off so family
could hardly hear
But heard all right! Oh, yes, |
got the full devilish force OF it; but
couldn't speak My dry lips touched
wordlessly and / hunched deep into
the hollow of the big leather rocker.
would have liked to get even deeper,
and | studied wistfully tiny floor
crack under the radiator. thought l
could make 1t II were alone!
Wilkes coughed again. WINGED
there was evidently more!
"Yes, sir" he murmured, as cut a
| quick glance upward. "He did say
further that II you weren't satisfied.
though, and would prefer another
| trial"
"Eh?' I bounded out OF the chair.
whats thatr Oh, dash 1t, yes--I
would, by Jove!".
very good, cir" Wilkes looked re-
lieved, himself I'm that case, he
said he was willing to experiment
| again--that was his word--experi.