Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23

volume lettered f. and bearing on
the fly-leaf: Vaudeville, Burlesque
and Music Hall performers with Ec-
centric, Unusual Acts" CHANGING
through the carefully indexed pages,
he stopped finally at the sobriquet of
THE Human Frog" Only few
words appeared in reference to the
mans act, then foot-note referred
him to Volume H." Picking out the
well-used book, he quickly found the
Frogs" history, and read how the
performer had rapidly descended
through the theatrical armament like
a falling star and had landed at last
as a dime-museum entertainer. At
the final entry in the Frogs history
Poe dwelt for full minute, reading 1t
over twice:
won $4,000 lottery in Texas,
'92. No good since. Often seen
in low dives. So. Clark, Chicago;
Ursulines St., New Orleans; Wa
ter ST., Milwaukee; Canal St., Buff
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 a loose outside pocket, he re-
marked aloud to himself, Yes, he's
negro all right. 1t 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 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 lapidated-looking door
slid open, and Poe stepped In, the
lookout greeting him deferentially as
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 a
bright light, Poe went on up to the
second floor, where there was a
roulette layout, with eight players al
ready seated on high stools along the
table, opposite the croupier.
Poe took a seat on high stool at
the extreme end of the table beside
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 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 second, before the greedy hands
were pulled back, that the left one
was encased in a glove, and that the
man sunk his gloved hand deep in his
coat-pocket Immediately afterward and
did not remove it again.
Half an hour later he of the I'M
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
floor, one of the cappers swung round,
and caught the ghoufs 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 with
passion.
Picking up twenty-cent chip from
his stack. Poe turned to the young
fellow next to him and remarked
In the manner of typical sporting
man:
"A little white chip just like this,
with the same three circles and all,
saved mans life once"
How was that?" asked the young
fellow, languidly interested.
THE man I'm speaking of was a
sport" began Poe. "He won $4,000 in
Texas in Mexican lottery. He was
crazy sort Of guy. Booze got him. He
dropped down till he was just a
hanger-on behind the scenes at a
vaudeville house where he used to act,
LII