The Irish standard., 1915-10-23

ar MIS- left start. HE failed in that,
but on account Of ungovernable tenn.
per succeeded in committing q muir
der"
You're . liar!" screamed the frog
faced man, leaping to his feet in .
burst Of trembling rage and crashing
his fist on the table. setting q stack
Of chips to rocketing back and
forth.
Christopher Poo stood up. smiled,
reached into his outside coatpockst.
and drew out the chip he had rescued
from Polly's cage.
There is the identical chin I was
telling you about" he remarked, look
Ing straight at the Human Frog, and
you are the murderer referred to-"
The Human Frog staggered back
from Poe In horror. slipping his un.
gloved hand behind his back. Then
with yell he lunged ut Poe, jerking
. razor from his hip.pocket, the bare
edge Of the wicked blade cleaning In
his grasp.
The banker-detective side-stepped,
and caught the madman's wrist.
The door.keeper and three "bouno.
ers'' from below dashed up. finally 90
cured wrestling grips on the Frogs
slippery. skin-creeping limbs, and at
last managed to wrest the murderous
razor from his hand, floor him fast,
and keep him down.
The proprietor had been summoned
from his favorite cafe across the
street, and by the time he arrived
on the scene the Frog was down, and
order was being restored.
my Gawd!" he yelled, taking in tho
cause Of the trouble In a flash. "Is
that Frog loose again? Who worked
him up? What's the matter! Who
in" The proprietor was strainine
toward q climax of towering rage,
when Poe caught his arm firmly, and
sopke low in his ear. telling him that
the Human Frog had. murdered the
Waterman at the Manhattan National.
and that he wanted to get him out Of
the place 40 soon as possible.
The owner turned and glared at Poe,
cutting him OF In the middle Of hid
sentence with, where's your proof
that Frogs murderer"
"Here!" said Poe coolly, stepping
back out Of range Of the proprietora
whisk breath, and taking from his out
side pocket the glass-coated thumb
. Remove the glove from his left
hand and you'll see-but be careful he
doesn't bite you" replied Poe, pointing
to the Human Fros. The proprietor
ripped the glove OF with brutal jerk
and disclosed an unstghtly wound
freshly dressed.
Its his thumb all right" agreed
the gambler hesitatingly. But how
does that prove he did for the Man
haitian National Waterman this morn
ing? read that the Waterman lost
a thumb. too. What's the dope?"
Poe took the proprietor aside, and
with shrewd wink explained quickly
in order to maintain his character al
Hardy, spender and sport:
I'm doing this to keep my stand
in with one of the Manhattan direct
ors, see! Poe, his name is, queer
guy. doped out this theory about the
Frog, an sent me over to get the
Frog out of here without making an,
trouble, see!"
Are you on the level, Hardy7'
asked the puffy proprietor suspi
ciously.
I'm giving you the straight of I,
as this friend Of mine doped It," sale
Poe convincingly. HE said from thu
first nobody but regular eel like
Frog here could w:iggle through q
little window in the bank where he
found the glass cut out. l was there
when he climbed ladder. rubbed hit
finger over the sill of the window, anG
found little threads where the rope
had rubbed. He said Frog used two
ropes, one tied high up on the frees
cape next door. which he used tt
swing back to the theater on. and the
other to hold the grating and glass
lin place, and give him something t
hold on to while he slipped down t.
get Summers, who was probably hall
asleep"
Poe spoke In the character of HARDY
with such vigor that the proprietor
drew him into chair. and leaned
close in intense interest.
"But the paper said 1t was Summers
thumb that was taken off," said thu
gambler. "Was there two thumbs
taken OFF,"
Sure! Listen! At the same sec
ond that the Frogs thumb is .take1
off, the Waterman works loose from
the ropes, and turns in a burglar
alarm in the wall near by. Frot
catches him. brushes in his skull will