The Irish standard., 1915-10-23

q elass:iIke substance which made It
easy to handle and much less din.
agreeable.
Poe dropped down before q study.
table, and turned on the strong cleo
trio light above. He held the glass
encased thumb IN his fingers, ana
studied 1t carefully, finally tracing an
outline Of It ON . piece Of paper.
Below the drawing he made a few
notes, as follows, before adding It to
his collection Of reproductions:
Classification; Clubbed Thumb.
characteristics, on comparison:
Wilful, brutal, unreasoning, I'm.
comfortable temper, vicious, lack
Of reasoning powers-paralysis,
unbalanced. partial insanity.
He leaned forward over the glass.
covered thumb and the poker chip,
his eyebrows held high, and two deep
wrinkles Joining the corners of his nos
tsils and lips.
The Human yfosl Let's seq" b
mused. Stepping to low bookcase.
he removed . thin. neatly bound
volume lettered "F," and bearing ON
the hy-leaf: Vaudeville. Burlesqus
and Music Hall performers with nc
centric. Unusual Acts" CHANGING
through the carefully indexed pages,
he stopped finally at the sobriquet Of
THE Human Frog" Only q few
words appeared in reference to the
mas act. then = foot.note referred
him to "Volume H." Picking out tho
wellused book, he quickly found the
Frogs" history, and read how the
performer had rapidly descended
through the theatrical armament like
. falling star. and had landed at last
az q dime-museum entertainer. At
the final entry In the Frogs history
Poe dwelt for full minute, reading It
ever twice:
won $4,000 lottery in Texas,
90. No good since. Often seen
In low dives. So. Clark, Chicago;
Ursulines st., New Orleans; We
ter St.. Milwaukee; Canal st., But.
falo; Lower End Ave-. N. Y. Tall.
thin, and light on his feet"
Closing volume H" abruptly, and
dropping the thumb and poker chip
into loose outside pocket, he re-
marked aloud to himself, "Yes, he's q
negro all right It ought to be easy"
and strolled out Of the house, cross
ing to Broadway and walking down as
far as Forty-third street. Just west
Of Broadway he came to a row Of
typical theatrical stone fronts, most
Of them cheap theatrical boarding.
houses. He rang a seemingly use.
less bell, and waited until tiny
peep hole in the door had been open.
ed and his face had been recognized
by the locker out.
Then the dilapidatedlo looking door
slid open, and Poe stepped in, the
lookout greeting him deferentially az
"Mr. Hardy"
From the bare cellar Christie.
pher Poe went upstairs, where things
were different. There a deep-napped
carpet caressed the feet, and low.
voiced darkeys brought seductive
liquors to lash jaded palates and kin.
die the fire of the betting passion.
Nodding to group of men playing
poker at round table beneath q
bright light. Poe went on up to the
second floor, where there vas q
roulette layout. with eight players al
ready seated on high stools along the
table, opposite the croupier
Poe took q seat on q high stool al
the extreme end of the table beside
q thin man bent over small stack Of
chips, his greenish eyes glinting con
tinually back and forth between the
pile of white chips he had placed on
the red space before him. and the
bouncing marble
Poe bought some chips, and scat
tered few about among the straight
numbers.
"Black wins!" cried the man at the
wheel again.
The ghoulish-looking fellow beside
Poe gave a grunt Of surprise, and
jerked out both hands to pull in his
slight winning, then changed his
mind and made parlieu. leaving all
the chips on the black.
Christopher Poe noted in the flash
of a second, before the greedy hands
were pulled back, that the left one
was encased in glove. and that the
man sunk his goved hand deep in his
coat-pocket Immediately afterward and
did not remove it again.
Half an hour later he of the un
healthy, blanched countenance lost his
last chip, and with another vile oath
pushed back his stool in savage dis
gust. A watchful waiter came softly
behind him, and asked him in a sooth
ing tone what he would drink with
the proprietor"
TELL the proprietor to go to hell!'
shouted the thin man, smashing his
ungloved fist against the tray in the
walters hands. AS it crashed to the
door, one Of the cappers swung round
and caught the ghoul's arm.
THAT stuff don't go here, Frog! Come
back when you feel BETTER" he warned
with threatening emphasis.
iii go when get damn good and
ready" the dead.faced gambler
shouted in high-pitched tone, snatch
Ing his arm away, and flinging himself
down again on the stool, his treacher
GUS face knotted and glowering witt
passion.
! Picking up twenty-cent chip from
his stack. Poe turned to the youns
fellow next to him and remarked
In the manner of q typical sporting