The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, June 11, 1912, Page SEVEN, Image 7
"TheQL
orjhe\
by FRANCIS PI
. ILLUSTRATIONS
cary/?/cy/r /?// sr ?aa&5-sf/y?A
CHAPTER I.?Richard Lightnut, an
r American with an affected ?iiglish accent,
receives a presnt from a friend
in China.
CHAPTER II.?The present proves
to be a pair of pajamas. A letter tanis
of surprises to the wearer.
CHAPTER III.?Lightnut dons the paJamas
and late at night gets up for a
moke. His servant, Jenkins, comes In
and, failing: to recognize Lightnut, attempts
to put him out Thinking the servant
crazy, Lightnut changes his clothea
Intending to summon help. When he reappears
Jenkins falls on his neck with
Joy, confirming .ughtnut s belief that h? I
> crazy.
CHAPTER IV.?Jenkins tells Light nut
Of the encounter he had with a hldeoun
Chinaman dressed in pajamas.
CHAPTER V?In a message from his
friend. Jack Billings, Llghtnut Is asked
to put up "the kid" for the night on his
way home from college. Later Lightnut
finds a beautiful girl in black pajamas ift
^ his room.
m CHAPTER VI.?Llghtnut is shocked by
?!i- the girl's drinking, smoking and slangy
K talk.
iitj i CHAPTER VII?She tells him her name
IS 1* Francis and puzzles him with a story
i|; i| of her love for her sister's room-mate,
B named Frances. Next morning the girl
Is missing and Lightnut hurries to the
Bboat to see her off. He Is accosted by
j-fi'W* husky college boy, who calls him
|Hr "Dicky." but he does not see the girl.
CHAPTER Vm-Jack Billings calls to
- spend the night with Ligrhtnut. They dls- *
?over pricesless rubies hidden in the but>
A I
WUI VI WAW ^jOUlW.
CHAIfl^flR rx?Billings dons, the pa- ;!
Jamas and retires.
CHAPTER X?Llghtnut later discovers j
!n his apartment a beefy person in mutton-chop
whiskers and wearing pajamas.
Jenkins calls the police, who declare the
Intruder to be a criminal, called "Foxy
Grandpa."
CHAPTER XI?The Intruder declares
, he Is Ligbtnut's guest ana appeals to uie i
nitter In vain.
CHAPTER Xn?He Is hustled off to
JalL
CHAPTER Xin-In the morning Lightnut
is astonished to find Billings gone,
and more astonished when, he gets a message
from the latter, demanding his
clothes. Llghtnut, bound for Tarrytown.
Billing1* home, discovers "Frances," the
girl of the pajamas, on the train.
CHAPTER XIV?Llghtnut speaks to
* her and alludes to the night before. She
riooinroq indlcnAritlv that Liehtnut never
saw her in black pajamas. At Tarrytown I
Prances is met by a husky college youth, t
who hails IJghtnut as "Dicky." The lat- j
ter ignores the boy, who then threatens i
to thrash him for offending Frances. !
Wfhtnut takes the next train home.
CHAPTER XV?Billings storms over ;
.the outrage of his arrest. He and Light- I
nut discover mysterious Chinese characters
on the pajamas.
CHAPTER XVT?Professor Doozenber*
ry is called in to interpret the hieroglyphics.
CHAPTER XVII?He raves over what
be calls the lost silk of Si-Ling-Chi.
CHAPTER XVIII?The writing declares
that a person wearing the pajamas will
Ull UIC -ocuiuiajivc vi vtiv y4v?*vv?k/ i
wearer. The professor borrows the pa- I
Jamas for experiment.
CHAPTER XIX?"Billings" dressed In
pajamas is found in the professor's room
and is taken home in an automobile with
Frances and a woman Lightnut calls
"the frump."
CHAPTER XX?Lightnut is angered by j
"the frump's" slanderous talk about
"Francis."
CHAPTER XXI?"Billings" is tanen to !
W~ hla room. A servant tells Lightnut that
'J * message has just been received stating
that Billings was under arrest in New
York for stealing a suit of black paf
Jamas. w
CHAPTER XXII?Judge Billings astonishes
Lightnut with a tale of Francis' escapades.
Lightnut asks permission to
fcV A J.UUV.VW*
CHAPTER XXIII?The judge declares
that not another living person would
tackle the job, and Lightnut. his mind
occupied with the beautiful Frances, is
greatly mystified.
CHAPTER XXIV?Policeman O'Keefe
returns the black paja;nas and Lightnut
sends them to Billings' room. ]
I
CHAPTER XXV?Lightnut has an in?
teresting hour with Frances.
CHAPTER XXVI?He tells of the thirds
the judge has been saying about
"Francis," much to "Frances'" amusement.
CHAPTER XXVII?Judge Billings refuses
to intercede for a man under ar
rest claiming to be his son Jack. Light- 1
nut is disgusted by ihe judge's praise of
Miss Kirkland. thinking "the frump" is
referred to. The judge promises "JaeK"
to wear the pajamas that niflht.
CHAPTER XXVIII ? Next morning
Jenkins tells Lightnut he saw him (Lightnut)
fighting with a youth in the library
during the night. Lightnut is bewildered. I
CHAPTER XXIX.
V
; I Touch Bottom.
* "Pardon, sir, for not waiting tilJ
* you came down," the butler was saying,
"but Mr. Billings was just so set
on me bringing this to you, 1 had to."!
He had entered, responding to Jen
kins' invitation, bearing in his hand a
gray paper parcel.
| "For me?" I questioned, as ne laid
it on the table, and I eyed it omintms
ly. Yet it could not be the same I had
sent Billings myself?I could see that
?for it was smaller, more compact, j
fand in a different wrapper. But I was
^afraid to examine it.
j "Yes, sir?he's very bad this morn
;ing, sir; the?er?that is, something i
last night seems to have excited him." j
His eye roved eloquently between
Jenkins and myself. He continued
soberly:
"He's locked me and Perkins out of
his rooms again, and wouldn't open
the door only wide enough to stick this
through. And his message"?hesitat- j
' "* ?
mgiy? ne saia jusi ten juu ;uu uou
a ybetter get these pajamas back where
they came from just as quickly as you ;
could?you would if you were wise:
lie said."
tk "Oh!" I uttered, dazed by this new !
9 blow. So it was her pajamas.
|| But there was more of the message j
nrv fv^'T T\r -r ?/%mm.
bWMT EMAUri
' 47 fttyw/fans
VZJL COSf/M/Yy
?I could see it in Wilkes** eye.
"Yes, sir," he went on aa I gave
i?ilVBIiIHH?liiIlI I
^ :
( Sat There a Moment Swallowing
Hard.
him a nod. "Mr. Billings called
through the door-crack?and his voice |
was particularly shrill?screechy-like
?very unnatural, sir?and he said:
'You tell him I say he'll find it very j
dangerous to keep them hy him a moment;
tell him my advice is to return
them immediately!'"
Her? the butler hesitated an instant
and*added: "And he said for me to
try to remember three letters I was
to mention?said you would understand."
'Three letters?" I repeated dully.
"Yes, sir, 'three letters?I did remember
'em, too, because they happened
to be the. Initials. of a young
woman I?h'm! Q. E. D., sir."
"Q. E. D.?" I said, puzzled and miserable.
"What's Q. E. D.?" And then
an idea startled me.
"Oh I say, you mean?er?P. D. Q.
?eh, Wilkes?" It sounded like Jack!
But he seemed sure he didn't; insisted
on Q. E. D. When he had withT
a of fhara a mnmont cU'fll
Ui CL TV LLy A. saw |,uvi U ? uavamvmvj W
lowing hard. By Jove, when a chap
has had the hardest blow of his life,
and that, too, from his best friend,
it's devilish hard to come up smiling.
Presently I pulled myself together,
Jenkins, as he helped me dress, eyed
me in a frightened way, his face kind
of pale and greenish. Neither of us
said a word, but I knew I had his
sympathy, poor fellow?and it helped!
Then, with the parcel in my hand, 1
marched slowly down the stairs, forgetting
even some instructions I
should have~given Jenkins.
She was there in the living-room?
oho and tho frnmn And when I saw
hepr dear face and realized what disaster
had come between us, I felt
things whirling around me like a jolly
what's-its-name and dropped my hand
on a chair-back hard, until I could
1 stiffen and smile up. But, by Jove,
she was on!
"Is anything the matter, Mr. Lightnut?"
she asked, coming toward me?
and how kindly, almost tenderly, her
x n ^A ?
sweex. lace suneueu;
"Is it anything about Jacky?" snap*
ped the frump.
I shook my head and just gently
placed the little wrapped parcel in
Frances' hands. My hand shook so J
almost dropped it.
"Some?Fomething of yours that was
lost," I said, and I knew my voice
shook a little, too. "I was fortunate
i-annvarinor if " T InnVptf her?
IJLX * v * ?- ?
for the last time, I knew?and it was
just my devilish luck that she got
misty and dim. I whispered hoarsely:
"Open when you are alone."
And then I walked straight out of
the house!
! A gardener directed me to the park
gates, but there were so many dash<d
curves and terraces I got hopelessly
twisted, and pretty soon didn't know
whether I was leaving or coming,
don't you know. I sat down on an iron
bench to think it over, and, by Jove,
I must have dozed off, for the first
*-^ nr T l-nnw cnm n />n rv 1 tYlV
LU1U& JL ZVX1C '? OWXXAtx vuc J V/l ft - J
I name, and I looked up to see?Billings!
He was looking a bit soiled and disheveled.
and his eyes had a haunted
look.
"What the devil are you doing, sitting
here?" he demanded.
"I?I'm going." I said, hurriedly getting
to my fee:. "Just resting?I?"
"They told me I would find you
here," he said. "Here you are, sit
ting out here in the hot sun without
any hat! Good thing, Dicky, you
haven't got any?h'm!" Then he
panted at me: "Say, nice way you
and my sister treated me?I don't
think! But I'll forgive you this time-"
Here he linked his arm in mine. "I'll
forgive you, if you never say anything
at the club about those damned |
black pajamas?nor in the family,
either. Great Scott! I wouldn't have
tms gei oui:
"I wouldn't think of such a thing!" i
I exclaimed, immeasurably relieved, j
but indignant, as well. He led me ;
across the turf.
"Oh, I've had an awful time, Dicky!
Awful!"?he lifted his Jbands?"Oh, I.
i
I don't want to tell you about it?I don^t
want even to tbink about it myself!" I
I inurmured something sympathetic, 1
for I felt sympathetic with anything; :
! besides, there still lingered a bit of j
i 1 J ? ^ fVrtm tho T-T o i H O ] 1> P T p" nil T1P h
iiuiu 0 r
i and I could imagine from that what
! his feelings must have been,
i "By George, Dicky," he burst out
[ again, "the way I've been shut up and
; treated just seems like some infernal
! conspiracy. Good thing Jack Ellsworth's
dad had a pull with the mayor
?tell you all the whole rotten busi- I
ness when I can talk about it quietly." J
"That's right! that's right!" I said i
soothingly, "wouldn't think about it at |
/?!???.(> XT/-w nen I
I ftil iJOW, viu Liiay. 11 v uog avxuiu'u |
ing him, you know, that he had shut j
himself up Besides, the wandering j
of his mind to Jack Ellsworth and his |
father showed me that even yet he j
was not quite himself.
I Billings mopped his forehead. "My, !
but it was hot in that hole!" he ex- j
claimed. "And that reminds me? j
have you seen the governor this morn- j
ing? No? Well, talk about hot! j
George, but the old man was hot un- 1
der the collar when I saw him just
nr., ) And ha lnnlre HVp h? had been
dropped from a shot tower! It's this
case he's working on, I guess, or else i
it's about Francis. He's found out
what I knew."
"Do?do you think so?" I questioned !
nervously.
"Pretty sure," said Billings care- j
lessly. "Fact is, he's already fixing j
up to send Francis to some kind of I
reformatory?heard him making the
arrangements over the 'phone"?I was i
glad he didn't look at me as he rat-!
i,-J ?? TITntr fho cnv* I
U6U UU auu, vj iuc TT uj , vuv ow |
ernor told me to tell you not to say j
a word to Francis?I suppose you'll
understand."
Understand? Oh, yes, I understood!
"And he said he wanted to see you." j
"Is-?-is he here?" I stammered, pull- j
ing back. i
I
"Thank goodness, no. Gone to meet
i Colonel Francis Kirkland?say, don't
say anything about it?wants to sur!
prise his daughter, you know. On his
way to London via San Francisco?
arrived at Washington a few days
; ago." v [
Oh, the frump's father! Much I;
1 cared! But knowing how interested
i he was in her, I tried to show an In-1
terest.
| "Colonel \ Francis?er ? isn't his
I daughter named after him?" And I j
| felt myself grow jolly red, for I re|
membered that she had told me that j
j about her friend as she sat on the j
i arm of the Morris chair and In the i
j black pajamas.
"Hanged} if I know," said Billings,
| carelessly.' "I don't know what her j
I name is?don't remember that I ever;
, heard." He whistled. "Say, but did
I you ever see anything as stunningly j
! pretty in your life?"
I balked. By Jove, I had been do!
ing some mild lying within the past
j twenty-four hours, but this was ask-1
I iris too much. Dash me if I just could
it that's all. But he didn't.seem
ov ? v - .
: to notice.
He slapped me on the back. "By
i George, Dicky, there's just the girl
cut out for you, old chap?take my
| tip. I think she likes you, too?
could see it just now when I was
talking about you."
So that was it, I reflected gloomily.
; The frump now was to be worked off
: on me, and I was expected to stand
! for it. I was to be a sort of what-youI
call-it offering on the altar of friend-j
j ship. That was the condition upon
i which lie was paiuumg up tmxi&o.
, Billings laughed suddenly. "But,
! oh, I tell you it would be hard on
i Francis?a regular knockout, by
| George!"
Devilish brutal for him to say so, I
i thought.. I
! "Do you chink so?" I questioned
; dismally. "Would Frances really1
j care?" ?
"Oh, yes," he said lightly. "Soon
: get over it, though?puppy love, you
j know."
Puppy love, indeed! By Jove, how
I I hated Billings!
He went on: "Suppose you ,never
heard anything of the professor and
; the pajamas?"
I had not, and I was devilish sick
of pajamas, anyway.
"And say, Dicky, I don't remember ,
that I ever thanked you properly, old
; man, for putting up my kid brother
the other night. He says you treated
him like a brick and that you and he
I got to be great pals. So much obliged,
, old chap, because he wanted to go
running around, you know."
4,Your brother?" I questioned, astoni
ished, and I guess my face must have
| showed it, for Billings' eyes, first,
opening wide, narrowed, and his
countenance began to gather an angry
red. He stopped short.
"Didn't he stay with you?" he snap-,
ped. I
I stared blankly. -Why, Billings?
I didn't know?I didn't remember you
had a brother. I never have seec
mm.
Billings' face swelled redder, and lie
struck his fist down witn an oath. He
looked angrily toward the house. Then
he stepped hurriedly In advance of
I me. ;
"Excuse me, old chap, will you?'" ;
he said, his voice hardened. "W11J
see you at luncheon?make yourself
at home, won't you?"
I
CHAPTER XXX.
Under the Pergola.
Make myself at home! I sneaked
under the quiet shade in a convenient
pergola, and, dropping upon a bench,
gazed gloomily at the sunlight patches
at my feet.
"Oh, here you are, eh?" broke harsh,
ly upon me.
I looked up, startled from my mood.
There, hands upon his hips and scowling,
stood?the chauffeur!
I frowned, but the fellow just
moved nearer.
"I guess mamma's baby don't feel so ;
spry this morning!" he jeered. "Does
Its little heady-cums ache-ums?eh?" j
I grunted rather wearily. "If It J
does, my good fellow, it's none of your i
business. Don't bother me!" I shifted !
the other way. I
"Oh, isn't it?"?his tone quickened
truculently?"Well, maybe I'll make j
it my business!" He jerked his arm i
at me, continuing sharply: "Look here, j
you glass-eyed monkey-jack, don't you
get flip with me this morning"?he ]
lauirKaH /?Aoraolr?"nr T'll think VOU i
AUUfjUVU WUA wv*J W* A. . ? w. J
want some more! Do you?"
I turned my head and, polishing my j
monocle carefully, gave it a tight
screw and took him in slowly, beginning
with his yellow mop of hair and
ending with the toes of his soiled
canvas shoes. By Jove, I was sure
they'd never been whitened since he
bought them.
I seemed to anger him. He uttered
a sort of snort with a mutter uncomplimentary
and strode forward, tow-,
ering above me where I sat.
"Answer, when I'm talking to you, j
you sapneaaea iooi," ne Denowea, or i
I'll wring your neck! I asked if you
wanted some more." I
I stretched my arms, trying their |
muscle room in a lengthy yawn, ana
blinked at him with my free eye, won- j
dering where the deuce he got the!
crimson hat band. By Jove, that was
the most dashed Impertinent thing of!
all! |
"More what?" I drawled indifferent-!
ly.
"More?of that!" ? viciously ? and
thwack his knuckles struck against
the iron back of the jolly bench. For
I wasn't there, don't you know.
"Huh! Think you're some smart,
don't you?'' he sneered, hitching his
trousers band. "Now, look here"?
he leveled his finger?"you're a guest
here and I know I oughtn't to do it,
and I hate it for Jack's sake, but I'm
feeling I'll just have to give you another
trimming this lovely morning!"
He chuckled, rolling his lips and
spreading them till I could see every
tooth. He moved toward me leisurely,
slipping up his sleeves. "What you
got last night, sonny, was for your
own sake, but this time it's going to
be for Frances'?you fishworm!"
"Guess we'll leave Miss Frances out
of it, don't you know," 1 remonstrated.
Dash the fellow's impudence! Then,
remembering I was wearing a coat of
^oT?t- oVio'Hnt that was the very devil
UCU A VWVTAVW w? _ _
for showing every speck of dust, I
slipped out of it and looked about for
somewhere to hang it. Not a dashed
place, of course; not a thing, you
know, except nails here and there in
the wooden uprights of the pergola,
and of course nails wouldn't do to
hang a coat on. So I just folded the
jolly thing carefully?very carefully,
just as I had seen Jenkins do?and
then I held it on my arm.
The chap had been shifting about
me in a curve, clucking his tongue
contemDtuously and muttering, and
getting more jolly red-eyed and abusive
every minute.
"Be a man!" he snarled. "You
blamed tailor's dummy, be a man!"
And he struck his chest a blow to
rihow me what he meant.
And just then I remembered tc
smooth my hair-part.
"Oh, you?" With a growl lfke a
bear, he swept both his hands to his
Iiv/V i fl I'W
r/ N '1 ' 'MM*' tih
. f <s\r y \
"Be a Man," He Snarled.
head and whirled them through h!
great yellow pile, leaving each ha*,
standing on end like the quills of the
fretful what's-its-name. Then he
danced toward me, pausing irregularly
to double over with a chuckle.
"Oh, this is too good!" he yelped
"But I can't help it; I jest can't re !
' "A +Via mnnoir T .1 T>7io T j knnw t.hevT
1UOO l"C muuv.', jLiiuuiv. j. ? _.
send me away for this, but?Oh, mam
ma!"
And over he'd double again.
Oddest thing, isn't it, how youi
jolly active mind will wrander at the i
rummest times; and I had a thoughl
then of how, when I was a delicate
boy, bully old Doctor Dake and Doc- j
tor Madden had prescribed a punch- f
ing-bag, and -later boxing-gloves. And ;
T thought with a pang of what ripping
times the governor and I had, scrapping,
and of what knocks he gradu- j
ally began to give me until he forcec j
me to learn to come back harder
Jove, what corking hours we had! j
And then when Chugsey, the retired J
English light-weight champion, came
to butler?oh, what smashing threehanded
rounds we used to have! Bully
old governor, who was never so busy
1-?- ? 1 ? U.l I 1 J
on uxs stsimuiis uul wuai ue couiu
take a walk or a ride with me; or j
talk w^h me, or fight with me! Why, j
he?
By Jove, my dashed monocle got so i
cloudy of a sudden, I almost missed
the chauffeur's move?almost, don't
you know!
I
Ana men?
"I say, you know!" I said disgustedly,
as I screwed, my monocle at |
him there, his yellow mat sticking out j
of sight through the jolly vines. "Aw- j
fully raw thing to strike at a man
and leave your guard open like that
?I could have put it over your heart, j
don t you know!
I heard a little sound behind me and
there was she!
"Oh!" I gasped as I slipped into my
coat. And now I was miserable, for
I remembered how kind this chauffeur,
Scoggins, had been to heiT And
for her to have seen me in this vulgar
row!
"Yes, I saw it all," she said, as 1
moved toward her, murmuring some
jolly effort at apology. Her eyes were
sinning, i saw it an, sir?ana neara. i
And just when I had hunted you up
with these!"?and then I saw that he?
arms were burgeoning with roses.
"See what I've been doing for you,
sir!"
"For me?" By Jove, it was all I
could say as I took them!
"And you ran off!" She pouted
adorably?naturally, too, dash it. I've
seen them put it on when they looked
like they had toothache. "How am I
ever going to thank you about the pajamas?"
By Jove, her big blue eyes
looked me frankly in the face. There
I was never a quiver of embarrassment.
"It's wonderful?and to find them
here!"
"I'd?I'd have got 'em to you sooner,"
I faltered, ..swallowing, "but
they've been lost a day or two?thief
I stole them from my rooms, you know."
"How on earth did you ever get
hold of them? I never expected to
see those pajamas again. Oh, you
must tell me all about how you managed
it!"?and we moved away?"I
j just wish father were here!"
I didn't! Dash it, it made me squirm i
to think of his return.
A a wa l?kft th? -n^rcnla. h#?blnd. T
*? " ~ -y~~ ? * ?<=>? , looked
backward through its arch, and
j there was the chauffeur, standing in
; the shadows, looking after us. And
; long after, as we turned from the
! straight avenue leading through the
! pergola, I descried his figure, still
I looking after us, unchanged, imi
movable.
It was rum!
But I had other things to think of
as we sat out in the loggia?chiefly
I of her, herself; withal, wondering
gloomily what her father would say
; when he found I had disobeyed his in1
junction about not speaking to her.
Presently the summons to luncheon
: came, and we went in.
i From up-stairs came sounds indlcat-1
ing great hilarity on Billings' part, j
| In fact, we could hear him slapping i
his knee and screaming. The frump j
loo&ea at me auAiuusijr. (
! "Why, I understood he was all right |
agaiil," she said aside.
I shook my head dubiously. I had |
seen in the past day or two how rapid- j
, ly Billings' moods shifted. Twenty i
j minutes since he had looked enraged, j
"Oh, this is too good?but keep it j
mum!" we heard. "Come on, Professor!"
"Professor?" The frump looked at
Frances, then at Wilkes inquiringly.
"I didn't know, miss," he murmured
contritely. " 'S why I didn't mention
it"
! We were crossing the great hall in
the direction of the beautiful dining-:
' * * n T i.V.1^1. '
j room Deycna?Jiaizaoeiaan, jl uimiv.
Frances said it was. We all paused
' ?xpectajitly as Billings rolled down
I the stairs in his usual jolly, elephanI
tine way. And then on the landing ap|
peared an apparition?not only an ap- j
i parition, but, by Jove, a scarecrow, as '
well! t
Professor Doozenb jrry, blandly smil-!
ing?his rail-like figure shrouded flab!
bily in one of Billings' largest and
loudest suits! Billings went through
the form of introductions, chuckling;
1 i
. idiotically the while. 'But tne proiea'
sor scarcely noticed any one but th^J
frump. j
f "Don't wait, Wilkes," Billings di-'|
, rected. His nod beckoned me aside, j
"Gentleman sulking in his tent over j
here I want you to meet," he said.'
And I followed him to the library ^ A j
! figure pacing the floor turned sharply, |
i By Jove, it was the chauffeur, and
1 how he did scowl at me!
"Now, young man," said Billings
sternly, "perhaps you'll have the nerve '
to tell me before Mr. Lightnut himself
! that you were his guest on your way;
! home from Harvard."
"I certainly was!" He made the
i statement, chin up and eyes blazing.
"I was his guest at the Kahoka Wednesday
night, and he knows it."
Billings looked at me and shrugged
his shouMers.
"Don't bother denying it, old man,"
he said. "It's all right."
"Oh, but I say?it isn't!" I ex-;
claimed in disgusted amaze. "Dashed ;
impertinence, you know?never saw
+V110 follow hofnrp the? morninsr at the
?er?boat, and day before yesterday :
when I?" I halted, remembering.
But the fellow was shaking his
finger at me.
"A-a-a!" he jeered like a school-j
boy. "Why don't you finish? Bet you
don't know, Jack, that this paragon
rriend of yours was up here oil the
train day before yesterday." Billings !
stared, for he did not know.
The chap grew more impudent.:
"Yah, see him turn red!"
"By Jove!" I exclaimed, warmingj
up, you know. "Say, Biilings, who
the devil is tils fellow?" And I advanced
angrily?dashed annoyed, you
know.
Billings interposed. "My brother,"
he said quietly.
"Yes, his brother," almost shouted |
the other. Then he lowered his voice
at Billings' command: "And I say,
you didn't tell jack you were on the
train yesterday, posing as a 'Mr.
Smith,' and that you insulted Frances."
He shcok off his brother's hand
1 **>??'t *
angrily. "Oh, yes he did?sister told
me about it! I knew It was you when.
l got to tninmng aDOut it :nis morning!"
He panted for breath. "I can't
call you a liar, Lightnut, when you
say I wasn't at your rooms, because
you're a quicker hitter than I am,
and?" He looked around and shrugged.
"And because we are in thia
house. But you're an infernal hyporritA
and T want .larlr tr? lrnnw it/*
He laughed mockingly and faced Ma
brother. "Ask your friend, Mr. Lightnut,
about that girl In black pajamas
in his rooms!"
And he flung himself from the room,
with a Parthian shot: "Ask him to
tell you about her as he did me. Aak
him who it was!"
Billings seemed to groan. "More
black pajamas!" he muttered.
T Vim nnrrnrlTT "T nnrnv" +a1H
JL iOV^CU U1U1 OagCi A J JL UV V Vi WVt\4
him about her?I'll swear I didn't,'*
I pleaded miserably. "You know all
there is to know, Jack. I wouldn't
tell anybody In the world a thing like
And This Was the Frump's Father.
that I?love her too well. Much less
would I go and tell her own brother."
"Wha-a-a-at?" Billings' fat body almost
leaped into the air. "What the f
devil?say, old chap, what are you
talking about?"
"And, besides, she's forgiven me," I
persisted gloomily. "And I love her?
and?and we're going to be married?
or I hope so, dash it!"
Billings stared at me with popping
eyes for an instant. Theu he lifted
my chin and looked at me'anxiously.
"Are you quite well, old man?" ha
asked. "Headache, or anything like
that? By George, it's from sitting oat
in the sun without a hat. Marry my,
sister?" He wagged his head lugubriously.
* "What?Elizabeth? Oh,
good heavens!" |- ' ' ?
"No?Frances," I explained anxlously.
j
He stared. "Francis?" Then his,
arm led me out. "Come along, old
chap," he said with an air of concern.
"We'll get a little ice?" I
1 i.1. UmII I
mere was a ousue near mo uau i
entrance, and I heard a commanding
voice I recognized as that of Judge!
Billings: I
"Come right in, Colonel, and we will I
try to make you forget that little ex-J
asperation?do you know I just can't 1*
get over the idea that I've seen you
somewhere and recently? Hello,
Jack! Colonel Kirkland,. my eldest
boy* Jack?named after his mother,
Johanna. Look here, Jack, has everybody
on the blithering police force
gone crazy about pajamas? Most Infernal
outrage?pardon me, Colonel
Kirkland?three policemen wanted to
arrest him on description?dragnet
order, they said?for stealing a pair
of silk pajamas. Even hear the like
? c O'J _
UI Liiat; - -?
Billings' voice murmured something,
and then I was dully conscious of my
.name being passed and of the fact
that I was limply shaking a hand.
, But I don't remember uttering a w d
?couldn't, by Tove, tar ?y j, tongue
was paralyzed. Didn't kno
what to <Iol didn't kSoW what to say,
you know, for there before mp eyes,
recognizable and unmistakably d?*
spite frock coat and white choker tT&?
was the figure of "Foxy Grandpa."
The beefy face, white mutton chop
whiskers and bald head were as indelibly
imprinted on my memory as
the sunburn line that fenced his fiery
face.
And this was the frump's father,
and it was for him she was scheming
to make a home!
(0 be continued;)
A COMMON ERROR.
The Same Mistake Is Made by Many
IVewberry People.
It's a common error
To plaster the aching back,
To rub with liniments, rheumatic
joints,
If the trouble comes from the kid- I
neys.
It's time to use Doan's Kidney Pills.
Here is convincing proof of merit.
W. P. Shealy, 426 E. Main St., Laurens,
S. Car., says: "My back was in
bad shape and I was hardly able to
get about. I was advised to try uoan s
Kidney Pills and did so. The contents
of one box brought me complete relief.
I recommend this remedy highly."
"When Your Back is Lame?Remember
the Name." Don't simply ask for
a kidney remedy?ask distinctly for
Down's Kidney Pil's?thy same that
irfr. Sliealy had. ?0c all stores. Fosier-Milburn
Co., Props., Buffalo, N. Y.