The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-01
A VAUDEVILLE SKETCH

n MELLOW moonlight night It had
~ been. a clear. clean. beautiful
II night, with plenty Of stars s.tI,ns aans
4 y wide in the sky. and gorgeous
big moon glowing bright enough
10 reveal both keyhoIes 10 tho staggering
ewes OF late. convivial home seekers. And
no one enjoyed that bright night more
fully than private watchman Hopkins
who had a round on ROYAL street which
irei,ded The big New Orleans Antique
exchange the Louis XIV furniture fac
tory. a small shop for old-fashioned jew
elry. a molasses warehouse and the old
Dubois home.
Moonlight nights and pay days cleaned
with almost equal luster TO Hopkins.
There was certain relief for him In rcao CHI
ing out for door-knoo IN plain sight;
there was suro satisfaction In passing
the trap corner between the furniture
factory and the jewelry store. where some
one might be lurking with a gun TO stick
in his face unseen on moonless nights
but, best OF all. he could see plainly the
Vicious great Dane which Armand Du-
bois, cowardly miser that he was. kept
TO protect the hoardngs In his house.
There Is. just before dawn. a breath
the moon is making ready TO surrender
her silver scepter 10 the sun: for the
time the stage is dsrkened, the world
is stllled and the omlnous pause can
be heard, seen, fcl;. il is the period
OF darkness before dawn that strikes
4 chill down the hacks OF various ac-
customed night -prowlers. for in that
moment the elimination OF more than
al
forced.
IL was at this swesome hour that
private Watchman Hopkins unlocked
The front gate 10 the Dubois home,
slipped softly UP the front steps and
t.ied the doorknob for the twentieth
time that night. At his nrst step on
had Growled and bounded toward him
on the long wire 10 which he was
chained so that he could run the length
cf the house end guard the rear door
aud windows The great beast chafed on
his chain while Hopkins passed within
six feet OF hts swapping Jaws, To Try the
side door As he ascendcd the steps
Alert ground out a series of sutturaI
Growls and barked In II low, vicious rum
tle. as was his inysrIable custom
When Hopkins mechanically tried the
door and passed back along the walk,
the dog raced beside him on his wire,
stra!ning, Jerking 20 lessen that slX-toot
gap. struggling 10 get at MIN. Swapping,
efowling. Armand Dubois had trained
and he himself stood ten yards ava"
and threw meat at him through win
dow at meal times. IL was the knowledge
OF this that caused private watchman
Hopkns's relief on moonlight nights,
when hc could see the dog and make
sure that its chain WAS fast; but on
every night he was Intensely ieariul that
the chain would snap under the strain
OF AIerts lunges: indeed he had spo-
ken 10 miSer Dubois about II many
times. but Dubois laughed. because now
L.. III n
TO go through the yard himself at
night.
When Hopkins had gained the front
gate he took his customary deep breath
OF relief and continued oil his round.
Fifteen minutes later he was back,
aud Alert greeted him with his usual
srowl. and disputed every step he took
toward the side door. Perhaps u was
the Influence of that uneasy period just
before dawn. but Hopkins felt that Alert
WaS the least bit fiercer than usual. lie
shuddered as he thought of any stranger
entering the yard at night; Alert. ac-
cuStomcl for three years 10 his fifteen
minute rounds. still tried 10 get At him.
Two years before "A predatory cat dropped
over the garden wall or mousing ex-
petition, and Alert made such a rum
pus. and barked and tore about so vlo-
lenily. that half the neIGhborhood was
alarmed out OF bed, and wcathcr-vaue-
headed householder ran out In his night
shirt 20 turn in n fire alarm. And only
six months before, when Hopkins had
been sick ard a new man had taken his
place for one night. Alert had aged so
that the relief watrhmau stood trembling
al tho gate. afraid TO enter. and Du-
bois threw up his bedroom window. and
sc~ea ued 10 tho man not 10 come In. that
tho dog would Kill ANYBODY In the grounds
bat Hopkins. and he had 10 throw
big chunk Of meat 20 Alert 10 quiet
ham so the neighborhood could get 10
slecn
Aii this fitted vivldly through Hopklns's
active thoughts as he remarked Alcrt's
Increased fury. and wondered II a night
bird had fitted across the garden and
enraged him, or N mosquito had slipped
into his domain unnoticed and irritated
The brute.
f.u, everything was all right the doors
had not been iampered with, though
Hopkins laughed at the notion OF anybody
>ard without Alert arousing all Royal
street
Just as he vas approaching the front
gate again and gasping for his usual
deep breath OF relief. a window on the
second floor Of the Dubois house few
M Alert made nm instaueous bound.
flung himself in the air toward The
nightapped vision framed In the sash,
WAS isrkcI back 10 the ground by his,
chain and lay stunned for moment
Help Robbers, Thlevesi Robbers
Windows In several nearby houses
popped up. Night Waterman Hopkins.
Eisncing at the dog. dropped his electric
stick. pulled tis gun. and dashed toward
The front stairs. The dog scrambled 10
81 fours. emitted lion-llke roar. hunched
together. and with dripping jaws and Wild
riaring eyes sprang for Hopkins lust A.
he EraSped the porch The running
wire drew taut. held. and then snappeI
with loud report. Alert, free from