The Forrest City times., 1912-05-17
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" l called after them. "Devilish sorry you fellows won't stay longer!"
 Jolly good lie, Jenkins" l said, yawning sleepily. as dropped back into my own apartment
 Yes, sir" assented Jenkins demure- ly. Its sleeping on the divan the other night. sir. Eight hours there aint nothing like eight hours in bed and in your pajamas."
 "Pajamas." l calculated, startled.
 For all day I had been thinking of her. l wondered If Billings would hap pen to invite me up for the week end. But he had so many times. and l had never gone.
 By love. that reminds me" said, Those red silk pajamas!"
 Yes. sir" Jenkins face hardened an an odd, wooden way
 ''I was wondering, Jenkins, fl those pajamas were torn any in our little row the other night"
 Poor Jenkins winced little. II think not, sir" he muttered humbly- leastwise, they were all right last night when Mir" He seemed to catch himself abruptly. Il mean when 1 found them this morning, sir"
 He returned with the garments l had received from Mastermann, and again we spread them under the lamp on tfe table They looked singu- larly smooth and unwrinkled. There was not a single tear or break, not even with the delicate cords that twisted to form the frogs Of the seat
 My, sir, But aint they red." breathed Jenkins. Them cords look like little red snakes"
 cut an anxious glance at Jenkins, for 1 did not like his reference to snakes. Seemed ominous, somehow But his appearance was composed and reassuring And, by love, come to 'ook. 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 stun was, this brighter red ran all over the other, covering every inch of it and forming the closest, finest whatyou-callit embroidery. It was as faint and dainty a pattern as that on a soap bubble, Fact Is. I 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 md christening them, I got a little impatient with one that seemed tight. you know, and I used my manicure knife to pull the knot through.
 Careful. sir" warned Jenkins Likely to cut something"
 By. love! No sooner said. than l did 1t,
 The dashed blade slipped somehow and cut into the threads that tied the covers or caps or whateyer-you-call- ems, over the knots. And when l pulled, the beastly piece of silk came of in my fingers.
 And then-oh. but l say, l 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? We'll. there you are, For give you my word. when l peeled on the little cloth cap, regular blazes Of crimson fire seemed to shoot from the end of the knot
 Fact Is, it wasn't a knot at all, but a button-a devilish glassy button, something bigger than dime, per haps. and thick as the end of your little finger. And there 1t lay against the silk. burning its way through il like a red coal of fire
 And it was just then that Billings rolled in.
 ..,- I say rolled in because it always looks that way. That's the way Bill ings is built. you know
 T say. Dicky.". he panted. just missed another internal express iPlenty more trains. but l had a great inspiration strike ne that I'd let you pu. zae D for the night. Hat Jen-