The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-07-22

AucIO I'D lie luGHtlCdl cup Wd0
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 at Poe, jerking
a 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 "bounc-
ers'' from below dashed up, finally Sc
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 the
cause Of the trouble in fash. rs
that Frog loose again? Who worked
him up? What's the matter? Who
in" The proprietor was straining
toward 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 as soon as possible.
The owner turned and glared at Poe,
cutting him on I'm the middle Of his
sentence with, Where's your proof
that Frogs murderer"
"Herem said Poe coolly, stepping
back out OF range OF the proprietor's
whisk breath and taking from his out
side pocket the gIass-coated thumb.
Remove the glove from his left
hand and you'll see-but be careful he
doesn't bite you" replied Poe, pointing
% the. Human Frog. The proprietor
ripped the glove off with brutal jerk,
and disclosed an unsightly wound,
freshly dressed.
Its his thumb all right agreed
the gambler hesitatingIy 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 as
Hardy, spender and sport:
I'm doing this to- keep my stand
in with one of the Manhattan direct
ors, seei 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 any
trouble, see!"
Are you ON the level, Hardy?"
asked the puffy proprietor suspt-
ciously.
I'm giving you the straight OF It
as this friend of mine dnped ii" said
Poe convincingly. HE said from the
first nobody but regular eel like
Frog here could wriggle through q
little window in the bank where he
found the glass cut out. was there
when he climbed ladder, rubbed his
finger over the sill of the window, and
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 to-
swing back to the theater ON, and the
other to hold the grating and glass
In place, and give him. something to
hold on to while her slipped down to
get Summers, who was probably half
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 the
gambler. WAS there two thumbs
taken Off"
Sure! Liatent! At the same Sec
ond that tho Frogs thumb is taken
off. the watohman works loose from
the ropes, and TURNS Inn a burglar
alarm in the wall near by. Frog
catches him., brushes I'm his skull with
the butt of his gun, drags him back
to the safe;, and does some tall think
ing, helpedi out by the pain in his
thumb. He sees he was handed a
lemon by the crook that sold him the
keys and combination. he knows the
cops are coming, so it comes to him
all of a. sudden to make it look like
Summers did the work, so he takes or
the ropes, smashes the bull's-eye, and
puts 1t by the watchman's head. Then,
to make 1t even surer. as he hears the
cops outside, he sticks the dead mans
thumb into the whirling safe, it's
nippe6 OF neat. and drops at his feet.
It all worked fine. except that when
he greped around on the floor to pick
up his own thumb to keep It out or
evidence he got Summers by mistake.
and left his own In his hurry to make
his getaway
<4FIe was q sure enough fool" said
Ly>e> v>,>,rxick.x HicOua{odlv at oluovo