South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-25
The Twirley Twins
in Trouble
By Robert Carlton Brown

night. with plenty OF stars flung
wide in the sky and a gorgeous big
moon glowing bright enough TO re-
veal both key-holes 70 the stagger-
ing eyes OF late cornwall home-seek-
ers. flushed with Ramos fixes and
Sazzeracs.
And no one enjoyed that bright
night more fully than private watch
man Hopkins, who had a round on
Royal street which included the big
New Orleans exchange, the Louis
18th furniture factory. small shop
for old fashioned jewelry, a molass-
es warehouse and the old Dubois
nome.
Moonlight nights and pay-days
cleaned with almost equal luster
20 Hopkins. There was certain re-
lief for him 20 reach for a door
knob in plain sight, there was sure
satisfaction in passing the trap cor
ner between the furniture factory
and the jeweIry store. where some
one might be lurking with a gun "a
stick in his face unseen on mOonless
nights: but best Of all, he could see
plainly the vicious Great Dane which
Armand Dubois, cOwardly miser that
ne was, kept 20 protect the hoard
ings in his home.
There is, just before dawn a
breathless space. an awesOme gap OF
time in which the moon is making
ready TO surrender her silver sceptre
10 the golden sun; for the moment
the stage is hushed and darkened
the world is stilled, and that omin-
Gus pause can be heard seen. felt
10 is the period OF darkness before
dawn that strikes a chill down the
backs Of accustomed night prOwlers
even. for in that moment the Gull
minatiOn Of more than half Of al
night crimes is reached or forced.
IL was at this awesome hour that
private Waterman Hopkins unlock
cd the front gate TO the Dubois
home. slipped softly up the front
steps and tried the dOor-knob FOL
the thirty-seventh time that night
At his first step on the walk Alert
the vicious Great Dane. had growled
and bounded toward him on the Ions
wire to which he was chained so he
could run the length of the house
and guard the rear door and win
dows. The great mastiff chafed OF
his chain while Hopkins passed
within six feet OF his swapping jaws
to try the side door. AS he as
cended the steps the dog ground
out series of growls and barked
in "a low. cultural tone.
When Hopkins mechanically tried
the door and passed back along the
walk the dog raced at his side on
the wire. straining, Jerking, 10 les
sen that six foot gap between them,
struggling 20 get at him: swapping,
growing Armand Dubois had
trained his dog 10 make friends with
no man. and ne himself stood ten
Yards away and threw red meat 70
him through the window at feeding
times. II was the knowledge OF this
that caused private Waterman Hop
kius' relief on moonlight nights
when he could see the dog and make
sure its chain was fast; but on ev-
cry night he was intensely fearful
shat the chain would snap under the
strain Of AIerts lunges; indeed, h'
had spoken 10 miserly Dubois about
10.
When Hopkins had gained the
front gate ne took his customary
deep breath OF relief and continued
ON his round
Fifteen minutes later he was bacl
frutf.T frrnafnd hin
with a growI and disputed ever
step he took toward the side door
Perhaps Il was the influence OF tina
uneasy period just before dawn, bu
Hopkins felt that Alert was the leas
bit dercer than usual He shudder
ed as ne thought of any strange
entering the yard at night: Alert
accustomed for three years 10 hi
fifteen minute rounds still tried {,
get az him, and Hopkins could onl.
imagine what he would do 10 I
stranger from the fact that tw
wears before a predatory cat drop
ped over the wall on a mousinE eN
position and Alert made such
rumpus and baTked and tore abOu
so viciouslv that half the neigh Dor
hood was alarmed out Of bed and ;
weather-vane headed little Jew RAJ
ont in his night shirt and turned il
2 fire alarm. And only six month
before when Hopkins had been sicl
and a new man had taken his plaC
for one night Alert had ragged s.
that the relief Waterman stoo'
trembling at the gate, afraid 10 en-
ter and Dubois threw up his bed
room window and screamed TO tn
man not 20 try 20 come in, that tn
dog would kill anybody in tn
grounds but Hopkins, and he had q
throw a great chunk OF meat q
AIert 20 quiet him so the neigh
berhoOd could get 10 sleep.
All this fitted vividly through
HOPKINS active thoughts as he re
marked Alert's increasing fury am
wondered II a night bird had fiitte'
across the garden and enraged him
or n a mosquito had slipped into hi
domain unnoticed and irritated tn
brute by daring TO alight on IN
tail.
But everything was all right. IN
doors had not been. tempered with