Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-08-19

tOEctueI Vu OuC Skuc u e AA&A Woss
dividing the stage; 1t Is the garden
wall separating their court from the
miser'R The man, being an acrobat,
climbs up to the top SO skillfully that
the dog lying below on the other side
hears nothing until q skin full OF liquid
bursts on one OF the pointed studs OF
his collar, big stone drops at the
same instant on his head and stuns
him, he opens his mouth and gags for
breath with which to bark. sucks in
the chloroform and succumbs.
THE man gives a signal to the wom-
an: she climbs to his side, together
they drop over into the court; the man
in his dog-skin suit unsnaps the Great
Danes chain, and attaches II to .
duplicate collar about his own neck.
HE has no sooner attached the
chain and dropped to all fours when
the sharp click OF key in the front
gate announces the approach OF the
Waterman on his regular fifteen-minuta
round. The woman darts to rear win
dow they have examined from their
room with glass and found to be .
weak point, guarded only by the dog.
and she works quietly while her hus-
band leaps forth boldly. snaps at the
Waterman, initiates the dogs bark ex-
actly. and RACES back and forth angrfly
In the moonlight to convince the
watchman that all is well and the
house perfectly protected. He had
practiced the part for weeks, you see.
and was ietter-perfect In 1t. saw the
sketch when it was produced in Lon
don, and could not tell him from the
real dog. This scene occurs at that
fearful moment, the darkness before
dawn; the Waterman notes that the
dog is bit fercer than usual, and
draws deep sigh OF relief AZ he
reaches the gate. The stage IL dark
ened and the audience hushed.
Before the Waterman makes his
next round the trick Ia done. The
nervy, desperate woman has chloro-
formed the miser and rified his mat
tress. The real dog is fast reviving
from the effects of the chloroform. The
whole thing has been nicely timed,
and the pair just disappear over the
wall with their booty in black apron
like that In the corner there, when the
dog, whose collar has been reattached
to the chain by the man when through
with his little impersonation, leaps out
and barks at the Waterman, who Is
just arriving on his rounds. The ami
N, al rooddopad IN b;c rcooy,r,y 1,x-noe,
at the Waterman. and barks SO furious
ly that the noise brings the old miser
out of his stupor; the dog leaps In the
air and breaks his chain as the miser
throws up his window to cry for help.
As grand finale the dog is shot just
before he leaps on the Waterman, thus
giving tangible proof that the animal
had been on guard all the time, and
covering up the real entrance and exit
of the burglars. Then the curtain goes
down amid great applause"
There was dead silence as Christie
pher Poe finished and stood up, his
eyes darling beneath their bushy
brows from one to the other OF the
Twirley Twins.
I'm afraid you've missed the six
fifty" he said In hesitant tone. II
thought you'd let me into the room to
sort of prove an alibi If you needed one
Il mean in skipping your board bill
or some other crime you may haze
committed--so accommodated set
my watch back half an hour to cover
the minutes during which the crime
might have been committed. I knew
you would both be relieved to near mo
announce that it was only fire-thirty.s
Neither spoke. Suddenly Mrs. Twir-
ley swung around and demanded:
well. how the devil did they prove
the crime on the team in your precious
sketch?"
"Ch, there wasn't any crime at all.
The couple reconsidered their action.
decided they could make more monay
on the stage with the sketch, and re-
peating the crime in acrobatic panto-
mime every night for FIVE or six years
at fifty dollars a night with perfect
security OF physical and mental free
dom. So in a little third scene in the
sketch they called a messenger how.
and sent him round to the miser with
two suit-cases packed with his money.
That pleased the audience and"
Mrs. Twirley stared at him as
though he were unreal, and threw her
hands to her head in a frenzy, scream.
ing:
How in heaven did you ferret ont
all this, you-you weasel?"
I've got a room looking out into
the Dubois court myself" smiled Poe
turning toward her frankly, now that
she had given in. TITS just next door
I've heard Dickie bark In imitation ar
Alert to entertain the landlady. i've
seen you both examining that Dubois.
window with the telescope. was
more or less prepared, and being some.
what OF a night-prowler myself. I ,ns,
happened around with a skeleton key
or two and gathered bit of materia,
for a-vaudeville sketch. | can get
you booked either way you like ~
Billy Ryan's Vaudeville agency or the
station house. It's up to you,"
The woman looked sharply from Pa
to her husband, and then fursiye,v st
the two suitcases which she had t.f,
ulCuartind in tho norra~