midnight
But the brethren knew nothing of this , and could n't be persuaded to listen to it ; and , in fairness , it must be owned that the spectacle of a deacon with a black eye and a handful of poker chips expounding the text in prayer-meeting was -- well , let us say that appearances were against me . Still , I might have come through it all right had it not been for Mac . Mac was the dog . It never rains but it pours ; and just at this time midnight burglars took to raiding our suburban town , and dogs came into fashion . Mac came into it with a long jump . He had been part of the outfit of a dog pit in a low dive on the East Side which the police had broken up . Sergeant Jack had heard of my need , and gave him to me for old acquaintance ' sake , warranting him to keep anybody away from the house .