The Washington herald., 1913-07-13

Ic.so WIN announcer VIC ootn pu9ne0 ooc1
nis stool I'm savage dissust. "A watchfu
waiter came softly behind him ana aske<
IN soothing tone what he would drinl
Il with the proprietor"
TEL the proprietor to 90 to hell!'
shouted the thin man, smashing his un.
Igioved INST against the tray in the wait.
iers hands- A. II crashed to- .he nool
one OF the cappers swung around and
Icaueht the shours arm.
Il That stun don't 20 here. Frog, Conn,
back when you feel better. Re warned
with threatening emphasis.
i CHAPTER NO. III.
TN 90 when I get damn good and
ready" the dead-faced gambler shouted
in hish-pitched tone. snatchine hi,
arm away and finging himself down
again on the stool. his treacherous face
knotted and glowerins with passion.
NoSone paid the slightest attention 10
him after that. The wheel rolled on
Poe won and lost with the others-most,y
lost. and turned his attention to the man
on the other side of him. wobbly-chIned
youth, evidently a nat" possibly a de-
fauiting clerk. surely q very injudicious
player.
| At length Poe's stock of chips Rrev
very low. waiter came to him with a
sandwich and a glass of beer, he pushed
back his stool and looked on idly as he
ate his sandwich. chatting meanwhile
with the young fellow beside him, whom,
ne finally advised to cease playing for a
few minutes until the run Of luck against
him should be over
Picking up a twenty-five cent chip from
his stack Poe turned to the young fei-
low and remarked in the manner of a
typical sporting man. "a little white chip
Just like this. with the same three circles
and all. saved a mans life once
How was that?" asked the young feeL
low! languidly interested.
THE man I'm speaking Of was a
sport" began Poe. moving back slightly
to make sure that the dead-faced man
at his left could hear quite plainly and
slipping into the vernacular easily. He
started as a boy turning hand-springs,
crawling through sewer pipes. wriggling
out Of straightjackets. bending his head
back to pick a handkerchief OF the floor
behind him. and things like that. He
got SO good he went on the stage as a
contortionist-" The man at Poe's left
shot q quick glance from beneath his
NANCY lashes and tried to pretend he
did not hear.
WELL" continued Poe, his success
went to his head. He,won 5000 in Texas
In Mexican lottery. He was crazy
sort of guy. Booze got him He dropped
down till he was just a hanger-on be-
hind the scenes at a vaudeville house
where he used to act, and at a couple
Of gambling dumps where he got q
chance once in a while to make a little
coin as capper. He did a bit of steal
ing. too The blanch-faced fellow was
now leaning toward Poe and listening
LII
trimmed eyes at each sentence. much
more interested than the fellow Poe ad-
dressed.
Finally" Poe continued. he got an
idea Somebody suggested that he rob
a bank. He'd never tried anything, that
big before. but this pal sold him the
keys and the combination to the safe"
Poe felt the frog-faced fellow at his left
start at this. He failed in that. but
on account Of his ssGngovernable temper
succeeded in committing a murder" Poe
saw out of the corner of his eyes that
the thin, pale gambler hunched on the
stool beside him trembling and had turn
ed his pallid face away.
well. he escaped through the door to
the roof of the vaudeville house where
he used to hang out. When he went to
replace the key he had stolen from the
rooms Of the janitor there was a parrot
In the room where the key was to be
Great drops OF perspiration
stood out on the pasty forehead Of the
man beside Poe. in the excitement of
his escape after the murder the man
had remembered to replace the key-but
he had forgotten the parrot The bird
heard him steal into the room and start |
I'd to holler What are you up to now. |
At that the perspiring man beside Poe |
xh& .Ho ,IA
his moist. shiny hand in a frantic grip. |
Quick as thought" Poe continued. !
'the murderer reached into his pocket |
and pulled out the first thing his fin-
gers struck; he pushed IT into the cage |
20 distract and silence the foolish bird |
he had overlooked. 1t happened to be
! poker chip. Polly may have taken
I for a cracker and"
You're a liar!' screamed the frog
'aced man leaping to his feet in a burst
II trembling rage and crashing his fist
IN the table, setting a stack of chips to
back and forth.
Christoper Poe stood up, smiled.
.eached into his outside coat pocket and
lrew out the chip he had rescued from
oolly's cage. There is the identical
hip / was telling you about" he re-
marked, looking straight at the Human
frog. land you are the murderer I re-
erred to-"
The Human Frog staggered back from
Poe in horror. slipping his ungloved hand
,ehind his back. Then with a yell he
unged at Poe. jerking a razor from his
lip pocket, the bare edge of the wicked
'lade cleaning in his grasp.
The banker-detective side-stepped and
aught the madmah,s wrist. But the Hu-
nan Frog was too dexterous for him.
With a suddent twist he slashed the fazor
through the fieshy part Of Poe's arm.
Poe leaped for his throat. but before
70 could reach it two powerful arms had
cen locked around his own neck from
ehind and he was dragged to the floor.
The Human Frog. eyes afiare, thick
ps chaflng madly, welded his weapon 9
and struck at Poe's pros !
rate form: the second blow did not land. !
or the croupier and two cappers had c
urled themselves at the Human Frog !
topping him back. But !
hey were not enough for him, the Hu- q
nan Frog thrashed and thumped his =
ody about with the elastic strength Of
n aligator's tail. He wriggled and
ought. like great, frantic, twisting eel
[e slipped from their grips with incred-
lie suppleness and slashed. slashed.