Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-05-03
CHAPTER XIV.
BILLINGS SYMPTOMS Alarm Me.

MOSI luleEUdl Outrage Vi Tic SSu-
fury, | tell you'll" Billings stormed.
For an hour I had sat there in my
rooms, limp and bewildered under the
tempest Of his wrath, The wild and
that Jenkins reported upon my return
had sent ne on hunt for my friend.
| had found him sullenly dining alone
over at the club, and as soon as
entered he started to bolt from the
room. Only through the greatest
pleading had | managed to coax him
back to my chambers, hoping | might
screw out OF him some explanation.
l had received it, by Jove!
OF course, | recognized it all as i'm.
possible and crazy, you know, but
when l said so to Billings his remarks
were so violent, and he turned such a
dangerous apoplectic purple, dashed il
l didn't renege.
But then the old man, you know!"
/ protested weakly.
Billings leveled his big arm at me,
mouthing wordlessly for minute.
"That-that'I do, about that old
mani" he choked at last. "Not-not
another word about him." And final.
ly he collapsed into his seat from
sheer exhaustion. Just sat there
painting and glazing at me like jolly
bulldog.
Gradually he became calmer.
Tell you what: the only thing that
lets you out, Dicky, is the way Van
Dyne and Blakesley did, in turn, when
| got them there
He spoke savagely, but l frightened
little.
OH" l said. Didn't they recog-
nize you, either?"
Billings snort made me jump.
Recognized" he beloved. They
went back, mad as hell"
by Jove!" l said soothingly.
That's not ALL" continued Billings
grimly. Il was SO sure it was put
up job, some asinine, fool joke, l wrote
a cautious note to the governor. After
a lot of pleading, l got the fools to
send it. He came"
Billings paused dramatically.
ooh. yes, he camel" he went on,
fixing me with an excited eye. And
when staggered forward and did the
prodigal son act on his neck, he hand
ed me a punch that jolted off his silk
tile. Went straight up in the air with
IL How thnrn and ~
tracted to do things for them that Will
keep them active for a year. Threat
ened to have me sent up for forgery
this Is my own father now, mind
you-forgery of my own name! HUH"
Billings strobe to the end OF the
room and back. Then he sat down
again, beating with his foot upon the
floor.
They were pretty nasty after that
Billings went on gloomily; "and they
wouldn't send for any one else. Just
had to sit there in that internal bas-
tile with nothing on but pajamas and
a pair of bedroom slippers. Every
once in a while somebody would come
and address me as Foxy and want
me to send for my clothes or else
send out and buy some. Finally, big
brute came and threw me some dirty
rags and said I'd have to put on those
or else buy some others.
"And I had just got into the togs
and stuffed the rubies and pajamas
out of sight in my pocket, when the
particular brigand who had charge OF
my coop came back. He almost threw
a fit when he saw me- Where's Twen-
ty-seven?' he wanted to know. And
then, before I could say word, he
clustered up to me with: And say,
what business you got in here? Clear
out!' And you bet l didn't lose SIN
gle golden minute-I cleared. You
should have seen me beat it down
that corridor The fellow followed me
a little, grumbling to himself: Then
he called to cop who was just COM
ing in: Say, O'Keefe, run that young
fat freak out of here, will you! us
one of that bunch OF visitors that
went through just now. Fresh thing
shopping into the cells!
And so the same cop that brought
me there-the very same-Was the
one that showed me out OF the door,
warning me that I'd best not go pok-
ing into the prisoners cells again II
I knew what was good for me!
by the way, old chap" pulled Bill