The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-10-11
CHAPTER XXI.
A MESSAGE and . WARNING.


with him-we've been trying to per-
suade him to have a bath and lie
down. But don't know"
He shook his head gloomily. then
turned to me.
IF you will come with me, sir
Then he added. and II seemed n ques-
ton. You must have made a quick
run. sir. Seems like only a few min
utes since We got Mr.. Jacks phone
message. His voice dropped: From
the station house, you know"
! "Eh-what's that?" I paused with
my foot on the first tread OF the
stairway. Jacks phone message
from the station house?" I repeated
blankly. What are you talking
about"
Wilkes coughed re~proachfully.
Why, you know. sir. he told about
being arrested in front OF the Kahoka
Apartments. He mentioned that 1t
backward glance at the trump, but
she was enjoying herself berating a
fat girl she addressed as Flora" lie
looked at me eloQuently and whis-
pered: About Misunderstanding
some black silk pajamas."
Ny monocle dropped, and | almost
did myself.
by Jove," / gasped feebly.
Yes, sir Wilkes looked UP at
the paneled ceiling and stroked his
chin. He mentioned that they found
them-or thought they found them in
the bag he had with HIM"
But he's got them on, and they are
his own" 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 q,
wondering" lie looked at me, his
fishy old eyes ~twinkling admiration.
Very neat, IL | may say. sir-making,
as IL we're. a sort OF alibl-very neat,
indeed! OF course. when they puts
EN- on him, they see for themselves
they are his'n. and not any lady's
what had been stolen oh, see!"
Dash me. II / did! The only thing
saw was that It must have been
jenkins that had t~elephoned and the
message had been twisted. What he
had said, or course, was that Billings
had almost been arrested. But the
police finding the pajamas In his bag
Il did not like that. Could IL 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 IL!
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,
IL was a relief that they were out oil
his hands, anyhow could get then
again. but he 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 a dare
devil. reckless thing it had been
clever, too, dash tin getting them
away from old Jack, and right under
his lose. BY Jove, ] felt a bit proud
about it-sort OF e%xultation, don't you
know-and I 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 jus,
insisted I take his message 10 you al
once"
Message" | repeated, SOLDERING.
YES. sir-something about some
pajamas-"
'Pajamas?" | faltered, and ] drop
ped into a chair. oh"
Wilkes looked grave. "PaJamas
seem TO be the thing with him this
time. sir-it's the queerest go! That's
a new one. that Isl" He shifted con,
! tempIatively. The last time II was
lizards and the time before blue
d~achshunds. but his main standby. SO
TO speak. Is piebald r~attlesnakes-
them we're used to; but this new turn
paiamas, gets me-" He shook his
head dubiously. And he won't take
his oR-you can't get him to; he just
gets kinder peevish and goes or or
the queerest streak Of freak talk yor
v e heard. Perkins tried to "a hin
to take q bath, but he said he never
had taken q bath In his life-aud h<
called Perkins something awful
some name about . yard long. Il
squelched Perkins 30 that he"
But the messager' I suggested
n~ervousiy.
81 was just a-coming to that. sir
He asks me II I knew wbsther ycs
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