Year: 1876

@I rolled it up and put it on the chair
I'm positive of that And now this one
is gone That makes nine shirts in as
many days! At this rate in another
two days L shan't have a shirt to my
back A comfortable prospect this for
q man on the eve of matrimony It's no
use my sitting up night after night
Watching for the thief-if thief there be,
of which I'm by no means sure I've
tried that dodge long enough, and must
think of something else. Perhaps Frank
might suggest something! *
= No, no, that won't do I'd rather
not broach the subject to him or any one
else. x By Jove. I
have it How strange I didn't think of
it before - and a CLEAN of hope lit up
the speakers face, as he exclaimed, 81
won't take off my shirt at all I'll sleep
in my day shirt. Of course that's the
plan, and if anybody should take it Off
my back I'd better leave off wearing
shirts altogether.


Mr.. Alfred Jackson, the gentleman
who was in such trouble about his shirts,
was good looking young man of TWEEN
ty-live, OF independent means and aver
age abilities. He was staying, at the
time of which I write, with his friend,
Mr.. Heathcote, between whose family
and his an intimate friendship had long
existed, and to one of whose daughters
the young man was about to be married
The wedding day, indeed, was fixed,
and in two days time the joyful event
was to take place. The parents and
some other relatives of the bridegroom
were to assemble at Mr.. Heathcote's 3
house on the morning of the marriage,
and to proceed from thence to the
church, but at the express desire of tho
bride, her future husband had been ask
ed to spend few days at Heathcote
Hall previous to the wedding, and for
more than week he had been Mr..
Heathcote's guest.


Frank Heathcote, who had been at
Eton with Jackson, and was his sworn
friend, was to act as best man, and with
the latter was to meet the bridal party
at the church.


Having given the reader these brief
but necessary particulars. I will now re-
vert to Mr.. jackson, who in the awk-
ward predicament in which he was plac-
ed through the disappearance of his
shirts, had suddenly resolved, as we have
seen, to sleep in his DAY shirt, instead
of changing it. as wa3 his habit, when
retiring to rest. The result of this reso-
luton on his part will appear from the
following brief dialogue which took place
between him and his friend Frank Heath
cote, on the ensuing morning.


GIVE got q favor TO ask you, Frank"
began the former, "and you really must
not refuse it.


'eFhere's nothing in the world I
wouldn't do for you, old fellow, and
you know that" returned tho other.
s'What is it :? Nothing serions, hope2"


swell, that's as people may regard it.
Some may make light of it, as I did Mt
first, though don't do so now; but I
hardly like mentioning the subject, even
to you, Frank, as it would seem as if I
thought some of tho servants were dis
honest brt tho affair has gone too far
now, and must really tell you, and get
you TO help me out of my trouble, if you
can.


Jackson then proceeded to inform his
friend of the mysterious disappearance
eyery night from his bed chamber of the
shirt he had worn on the previous day,
and of the various steps he had taken,
though hitherto without effect. to dis
cover whittier they had gone, and how
even the expedient to which he had re-
sorted on the previous night of sleeping
in his day shirt had also failed, that one
also having shared the fate of its prede
decessors, and disappeared in the same
unaccountable manner.


eff didn't see By your manner that
you were thoroughly in earnest, should