Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-15
spaniard weakened: he asked to De

home on St. Charles avenue: and when they reached the number and the faker saw a splendid residence. he looked craftily at Poe. who was successfully posing as g gay man. about-town. and sullenly accompanied him to the door. where Farley himself admitted them. controlling his sur. prise with evident effort
 Hello, Doc," cried Poe in feigned hearty good-fellowship, giving the re served bank president the cue to his part, T brought a fellow along with funny bird; 'Geueral Phillips, he calls him. Shoots a gun and picks up most anything with that strong beak of his"
 Farley played his part poorly. and the little Spaniard was warily sus- picious. acting as though he had seen Farley before and was afraid of him.
 Show him your trick, Have the General fire the gun," said Poe. push- ing the two-dollar bill into the faker's hand. which closed over it like . trap.
 The Spaniard sullenly took General Phillips from his pocket, and repeat ed the gun-fring stunt
 What do you think of that for a bird?" queried Poe. looking up sharp Iy at Farley. whose gaze was fixed thoughtfully on the parrot.
 T don't just get the connection" he said slowly.
 You will in a minute" Poe turned abruptly to the performer. who had craftily returned the bird to his pock- ct. and was lingering something in his belt as he clung to his little box of birds and fortHAe-telling cards. He edged toward the door. and Poe asked:
 "Senor. what do you feed your birds?"
 Seeds was the sullen reply, as the little fellow tried to open the door. which Poe had thoughtfully locked behind him.
 What kind?"
 Why you ask7" cried the Spaniard. facing about with a snarl
 oh. I'm interested in the seed business today Are they funny lit- tie white seeds?"
 No. black"
 Like these7" asked Poe idly. ex- hibiting a pinch of the sample he had taken from the big bag in the maca- roni box pantry in the old fellows room.
 President Farley stepped back dis creetly as the little Spaniard dropped his bird box. thrust his face toward Poe's. and. wicked little eyes snap ping. demanded:
 Where you get those'"
 Oh. just brought them along in case the General became hungry" said Poe larguidly. dropping into his usual tone of speech to the great sur prise of the Spaniard. and to the re- lief of anxious. uncomprehending Mir. Farley. Those are poppy seeds. the blue nav variety. very fine seed for small parrots. as any bird-seller around town will tell you. If a man had thousand-dollar bill. or twenty of them. he couldn't buy better food for parrakeets than this"
 President Farley started at mention of blue nav poppy seeds. The little Spaniard. cords standing out In his neck as he strained up toward Poe, hissed through clenched teeth:
 What you mean. you devil?"
 Nothing. Only when General Phil lips hurried to obey your order of Fire. General" at the bank this noon. by pulling the trigger of the real re. sr l4p h now. and then popping out his head amid the resulting confusion and grabbing the bunch of bills through the grating as he had been trained to do, he accidentally spilled two blue nav poppy seeds out of the little feed box you rigged up in that handy pock- ct of yours"
 There was flash of fire. loud re- port. President Farley reeled back against the wall. and Christopher Poe threw the little Spaniard suddenly down on his back. crying:
 No harm done, Farley, you weren't shot: he fired the gun from his pock- ct, as I expected; the bullet only took a chip out of that chair. Cut that telephone cord, and we'll tie him down SO he can't kick while pull off his boots"
 Farley helped as best he could, and inside of two minutes they had the old faker tied up and his foreign boots removed
 Poe picked up the pen-knife with which Farley had cut the telephone wire. and handed it back to its owner, indicating the thick sole of the Span iard's left boot
 Suppose you rip open those hastily made stitches in the red Morocco cuff about the top of that shoe and see what you find" With trembling hands Farley did as directed. Poe placing a shortlegged couch over the struggling. straining form of the Spaniard. effectively hold 1 ing him down.
 A cry escaped Farley. He held up a quivering hand which contained neat packet or thousand-doiiar bills. Poe reached over and took the bills from the bank presidents fingers.
 You found them neatly folded up and sewed in between the two thick layers of ieather?" !