South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-25

\ ms at the dog. dropped his electric
stick, pulled his gun. and dashed
I toward the front stairs. The dog
scrambled 10 all fours. emitted
hOn-like roar. hunched together and
with dripping jaws and wild glazing
eyes, sprang for Hopkins just as he
grasped the porch rail. The run
ming wire drew taut. held and then
snapped with a loud report. Alert,
free. sprang for Hopkins The
night-caped old man in the win
DOW threw up his hands. screamed
/ MON DIEU" and dropped limp,
half over the sill Hopkins threw
himself back and pulled at the trig-
ger OF his gun with both hands
y A crash Of bone. ar agonized
grOan and Alert hulched in a heap
on the cement walk at Hopkins feet.
the massive skull crushed in by a big
bullet
/ Hopkins flew mp the steps and
pounded on the door. fumbling his
} key chain blankly and trying TO
force a key to fit, for Dubois nature
was so suspicious that he would not
even allow his Waterman key 10
his door. locking everything from
the inside with bolts and padlocks.
Keeping one eye on the quivering
heap at the foot OF the steps. Hop
kins pounded until the soft clap Of
hustling steps in shiftIess slippers
came TO his eXpectant ears.
THAT you Hopkins?" came an
anxious cry in a cracked voice from
within
yes. Mr.. Dubois. for the love of
heaven. open up. ! told YOU this
would happen if you"
The door was opened crack be-
fore he finished and the frightened
face that had appeared beneath the
night-caD in the window stared out.
For Gods sake, come in" cried
old Dubois querulously. grasping
; Hopkins shoulder with palsied hand
and pulling him within. there's a
nasty crowd collecting in front
Bring in that porch chair, 1 don't
. know how 1 forgot it last night, they
might get through the gate and
steal it, Hurry"
Where are the robbers"
"Gone!" cried Dubois straining
his wrinkled neck forward and
mOistening his throat i'm an effort
as ne spoke
Are you sure? What did they
get?'
Everything, Look" Dubois had
pushed him tremulous finger up the
stairs to the second floor and pointed
through an open door. holding to
the wall for support and struggling
for breath, Everything! Look! All
my money. in bills; stacks stacks
and stacks of bills"
There was rickety antique
Sheraton four-pOster Dubois bed,
and on it was the cloth covered box
of a bed-spring, gaping open. half
filed with a scattering of crumpled
papers. The bed clothes were
thrown in a heap in one corner OF
p the room. Hopkins stepped back in
surprise, his foot came down on
wad of cotton, he picked it up and
stood lingering it absently as he
} stared at the wrecked bed.
Then you did sleep on YOU money
{ ways said?" cried Hopkins
Yes, yes For Gods sake be
3 quiet! There is no use the quak-
ing old man stood CLASSY eyed. glar-
ing at the vacant spring box.
but there is no use TO deny it,
< kept verything-all-in that box
1 packed in among the springs. I did
7 did he stopped, clawed for
-. ward one OF his great. Tapping ears
and stood straining to catch the
[ repetition OF sharp sound his eager
ear had plucked from other noises
rising from below
Hopkins was shifting at the piece
3 Of cotton he had found
5 "Chloroform! he exclaimed. drop
D ping it.
9Th" cried old Dubois. jerking
his hand from his ear and thrusting
o it into the opening in his night
shirt.
They chlOrOformed you and threw
! YOU in corner with your shoes and
the bed-clOthes. while they ritled the
t essure chest"
Eth yes IL heard them at my
u d-side, then l was on the floor and
d couldn't use my arms, my less. my
> tongue his voice rose TO a shrill
< screeCh, and I knew they were tax
Q ing my bills. in stacks. stacks and
o stacks of them" fis vein-ridged
d hand shot TO his tapping ear. ne
% broke off again. Listen. What's
e that? What's that? There's some
q body foolng with the front gate"
Q He rushed 10 the window. which
. he had again carefully locked after
o recovering from his faint when Alert
D sprang at Hopkins, craned his cordy
neck toward the front Of the house.
and tottered as he shook his CULVER
b ing fist at a slight. square chested
- fellow IN q neat business suit of the
4 distinctive cat and an ordinary
A derby hat The stranger must have
clambered over the locked iron gate,
i regardless Of its pricking points. for
q he was busily al work by the porch
: stretching out the limp form Of Alert
as though he were a taxidermist.
Leave that dog alone, Get out
-.