The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20
JIMSEY AND THE TWINS.
From the Washington Post.

Step into JOhnson's place. on the corner,
and If you have the price of round
Of beer in your clothes you can find at
least dozen men who will tell VOC the
story. But if you yearn for all the har-
rowing details, walk across the way and
knock on Haley's front door,
Haley's married sister will answer your
knock, and usher you into the room that
Haley says cost him more TO furnish than
the naughty Madigans spent in reJuve-
mating their "two-story'' brick that they
honestly consider the show place OF the
alley. If you doubt the truth Of Haley's
rather broad assertion his married sis
ter will call your attention to the furni-
ture and bric-a-brac. She viii point out
the marble-faced cathedral clock that
absolutely refuses to keep time, and the
center table with its gilded top ana spld-
er-like legs. Perhaps she viii ask you 20
sit on the red plush sofa, and II you 90
II is dollars to dimes that she VIII tel
the story of that age-stained wreath OF
wax roses that is hung to the wall with a
that wreath would make interesting
reading, but ii has nothing to 90 with
"Jimsey" and the twins despite. the
fact that il was a mute witness Of tues
days tragic episode.
It is meet and proper at this stage Of
the proceedings to state that Mike Haley
buried his wife a year ago this coming
Thanksgiving, and that the married SIS
ter keeps his house in order. Her name
Is Maggie Mclntire, and they do say that
she knows more about making bread ana
frying fish, than any two women IN the
neighborhood Her husband is the same
Dan McIntire who broke all the bottles
in JOhnsons place on that eVentful night
in September, when he saw snakes ana
crOcodles crawling over the bar. Dan
| got three months in the workhouse' for
that nights work, and, what's more, he
doing his time" like a man.
When Maggie came into her brother
] house with tears in her ewes ana bitter
words on her lips, Mike Haleys mother
/ less twins were just big enough to creep.
/ They were big-eyed, pink-cheeked TOD
/ oilers, and every night Haley would carry
/ them out on the front steps and Watch
/ them play with "Jimsey.' For "Jimsey
/ has known the twins" ever since the DAY
/ the carriage came back from their moth
| ers funeral, and their disconsolate hther
/ startled the alley by swallowing an even
/ half pint of raw brandy.
| 1t seemed as though Jtmsey couidn 40
| enough for the twins. He would let them
jab their chubby fists into his Nlle ~ zen
| eyes, and when they would try TO nj ms
| patrician ears with the fragments OF Jhelr
| papas copy of the Police Gazette ne
/ never even protested. Before the tod
| dlers had made their debut into the world
! Jimsey would not make 'treends Win
any of the alley children, and once went
/ out of his way to chase little Mlckie Maql-
gan into a mud-puddle. But II was dit
/ ferent after the twins were old enough TO
notice things Even Haley n onG oo Ine
at beats hill" he said, "how we'll jim
/ sic gets on wild der kids. He Wouldnt 40
a ting ter any guy as tried ter hurt
Hes butte. an so are de twins, re-
| piled Johnson. Der amt no use talkln
/ Haley: yer well fixed now dat Mag a
Life proved one long holiday to Jimsey
and the twins until a quarter OF o'clock
| hour Jimsey was out in the Kitchen
watching Maggie fill Haley's dinner pail,
| and Haley himself was over in Johnson
place reading the Morning Post The
/ twins were seated on the floor OF that
| wonderful parlor and the front door stood
! aiar, for Haley had neglected 10 close II
The twins were alone in their glory doing
| their best to tumble over every movable
| article in the room. Just as they had
| gained a firm grip on the legs OF the CEN
| ter table they heard succession OF low,
| venemous growls, and turning they saw
| Madigans pup standing IN the Doorway
] Madigan's pup is a canine with villa
| nous temper and an abbreviated tail. In
the language of his owner, ne Is as pig
! as der side of der house an ugly as der
| devil" His name is Pete, and all the
| women fear him.
Pete stood in that open doorway, show
| ing his teeth and wagging his stub of
| tail for the fraction of a second, and then
| he started in to have fun with the twins.
| He was friendly-like at first, but when they
began to pull his ears and jab their fng
| ers in his eyes, Pete lost his temper and
began to snap at them. The twins began
| complicated, for Pete evidently thought
| they were "kiddin" him. He snarled and
snapped and they tried to crawl under
the sofa. Just as they neared the haven
of safety Pete caught the dress of the
| blue-eyed one between his teeth and be-
gan to pull. The blue-eyed one began to
Maggie had gone out into he yard. but
Jimsey heard that scream and fairly flew
to the rescue. When he landed IN the par
lor and saw Pete trying to get at the
thoroughly frightened twins, he forgot
his dignity and his beloved ancestors. He
didn't stop to argue the point with the
canine, intruder, but sank his milk-white
teeth in Pete's shaggy throat and inaug-
urated the battle of his life. And what a
battle it was. Locked in that awful en-
brace they rolled over and over on the
carpet. In Jimseys Nile-green orbs
CLEANED the yellow glints of an awful
passion, and from under Pete's shaggy
eyebrows shot the glare of a courage born
of despair They knocked over the chairs
and stained the beautiful carpet with their
fresh, warm blood. They fought fair and
the fought foul. They fought until Mag
gle and Haley and Johnson were all in
the parlor, pleading with Jimsey to let up
Maggie got the thoroughly demoralized
twins into the kitchen and johnson kept
big Madigan from interfering. Haley
didn't do thing but stand in the doorway
and yell. His face was white as chalk
and the fringe of red hair on his temple
was wet with sweat
'em up fer der d-n cur was a tryin
ter give de twins hyderfober."
MdQlBdn got past Johnson ana landed q
left-hander on Haley's nose. Maggie came
in with a pan of boiling water, and at
sight of Jimsey allowed Johnson to pull
MIN out in the doorway.
Madigans pup lay limp and all but life
less on the carpet. Madigan himself was
having all he could do to duck Haley's
wild upper cuts, and Maggie put the pan
of hot water down and cried Murder
and thieves in mezzo contralto voice
Neighbors came in, and after a time two
policemen materialized
Johnson secreted Jimsey in the cellar,
and Madigan's boy carried Pete out Of
the house. Haley and Madigan went 10
the station house. Maggie leTt the twins"
with the woman who lives next door and
went down to the police court to ex-
plain the situation to Judge Kimball
1t so happened that the Judge was busy
with a man who had been brought to the
bar to answer to the charge of having sung.
Her Golden Hair Was Hanging Down
Her Back in a public thoroughfare. Al
ter he had imposed heavy fine his honor
felt better and listened attentively whiIe
Maggie told how it all happened She
told her story with a dramatic emphasis
all her own. She told it so we'll that
the judge dismissed the charges and adj
Vised them to go home and do better.
After it was all over .Jimsey came on,