Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-06-06

the bag he had with him."
But he's got them on, and they are
his own" l managed to get out.
Wilkes face lightened understand.
ingly. "Oh-h, 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, and not any ladys
what had been stolen Oh, l see!"
Dash me, II l did! The only thing
I saw was that It must have beel
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 1t be that,
after all, Billings had found his sis.
ter's pajamas in the guest-room and
had quietly contiscated them? II
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
I had offered over the telephone, had
run down and recovered her pajamas,
1t 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, l 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 it had been
clever, too, dash tin getting them
away from old Jack, and right under
his nose. BY Jove, felt bit proud
about it-sort of exultation, don't you
know-and had just got of a 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"
"Message?" I repeated, SOLDERING.
YES, sir-something about some
pajamas-"
"Pajamas?" l faltered, and 1 drop
ped into a chair. Obi"
Wilkes looked grave. "Pajamas
seem to be the thing with him this
time sir-it's the queerest go! That's
templRtively. 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 OF on
the queerest streak Of freak talk you
ever heard. Perkins tried to coax him
to take q bath, but he said he never
had taken bath In his life-and he
called Perkins something awful
some name about yard long. It
squelched Perkins SO that he"
But the message?" I suggested
nervously.
II was just a-coming to that, sir.
He asks me II knew whether you
were still on the place: and when 1
said you were, he says to me kinder
excited and iEpressive Hike: Well.
you 90 to him at once--at once-and
tell him I'm on the trail Of the mye-
terry Of those pajamas, and I'll soon
know as much about 'em as he does.
Just tell him that-he'n know what !
mean"
"Oh!" I gasped shortly.
yes, SIR" Wilkes nodded. "but that
amt quite all. He says: Tell Mr..
LiRhtnut that when I frst saw those
pajamas In his rooms" Wilkes
paused inquiringly. ibid you say some.
thing, sir?"
had not-7-I had only groaned!
He went on, repeating as by rote:
"'When found and took them away,
was curious and amused, but skep-
tical-firmly skeptical-of there be-
ing any dark mystery about them. But
now know let myself be deceived
and 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 1
say"
The butler hesitated and seemed
embarrassed-his heavy Jowls red
dened a little. He looked beyond me
and coughed.