Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-08-13

private Waterman Hopkins, who had
a round on Royal street which IN
Guided the big New Orleans Antique
exchange, the Louis XIV Furniture
factory. a small shop for old-fashioned
jewelry, a molasses warehouse, and
the old Dubois home:
There was certain relief for him
In reaching out for a door-knob in
plain sight, there was sure satisfac-
ton in passing the trap corner be-
tween 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 hoardings In his house
There is, just before dawn, breath
less space, an awesome gap, in which
the moon is making ready to surrender
her silver scepter to the sun; 1t was
at this awesome hour that private
Waterman Hopkins unlocked the
front gate to the Dubois home,
slipped softly up the front steps, and
tried the door-knob for the twentieth
time that night. At his first step on
the walk Alert, the vicious great Dane,
had growled, and bounded toward him
on the long wire to which he was
chained SO that he could run the
length of the house and guard the rear
door and windows. The great beast
chafed on his chain while Hopkins
passed within six feet of his swapping
Jaws, to try the side door. AS he as
cended the steps, Alert ground out a
series of cultural growls and barked
in low, vicious rumble, as was his
lnvariable custom.
When Hopkins mechanically tried
the door and passed back along the
walk, the dog raced beside him on his
wire, straining, jerking to lessen that
six-foot gap, struggling to get at him;
swapping, growing. Armand Dubois
had trained his dog to make friends
with no one, and he himself stood ten
yards away and threw meat at him
through window at meal-times.
When Hopkins had gained the front
gate. he took his customary deep
breath of relief and continued on his
round.
Fifteen minutes later he was back,
and Alert greeted him with his usual
growl, and disputed every step he took
toward the side door. Perhaps 1t was
the influence OF that uneasy period
Just before dawn, but Hopkins felt
that Alert was the least bit fiercer
than usual.
But everything was all right, the
doors had not been tempered with,
though Hopkins laughed at the notion
Of anybody getting as far as his first
step into the yard without Alert arous-
ing all Royal street.
Just as he was approaching the
front gate again and gasping for his
usual deep breath Of relief, window
on the second floor of the Dubois
house few up; Alert made an instan.
taneous bound, flung himself in the air
toward the nightcapyed vision, framed
In the sash, was jerked back to the
ground by his chain and lay stunned
for moment while the nightcapped
figure screamed:
Help! Robbers! Thieves! Rob-
bers"
Windows in several nearby houses
popped up. Night Waterman Hopkins,
glancing at the dog, dropped his cleo
trio stick, pulled his gun, ard dashed
toward the front stairs. The dog
scrambled to all fours, emitted a lion
like roar, hunched together, and with
dripping jaws and wild glazing eyes
sprang for Hopkins just as he grasped
the porch-rail. The running wire drew
taut, held, and then snapped with a
loud report. Alert, free from his chain.
sprang for Hopkins. The nightcapped
old man In the window threw up his
hands, screamed Mon Dteu!" and
dropped limp, half over the sill. Hop
kins threw himself back, and pulled
at the trigger of his gun with both
hands. a
A crash Of bone. an agonized groan,
and Alert bumped over in heap on
the cement walk at Hopkins feet, his
massive skull crushed in by q big bull
let.
Hopkins few up the steps and
pounded on the door, fumb1ing his key
chain blankly. and trying to force the
door, for Dubois nature was so sus-
picious that he would not even allow
his Waterman q key to his door, lock-
ing everything from the inside with
bolts and padlocks.
Keeping one eye on the quivering
heaD at the foot of the stems Hopkins
pounded until the soft clap Of hustling
steps in shiftless slippers came to his
expectant ears.
THAT you, Hopkins?" came an anx-
ious cry in a cracked voice from with
in.
Yes. Mr.. Dubois, for the love of
heaven, open UP! I told you this would
happen If you"
The door was opened crack before