The Irish standard., 1915-10-23

went down with the weight and
reached the ground. readily rishting
itself again.
Poe tested the working of the extern.
sion stairladder, and calculated with
quick eye that IL an agile man were
to run out rapidly. not giving the
ladder much time in which to descend
with his weight, he might. II he were
wonderfully dexterous of limb, fall hat
forward from the end of the descend.
ing ladder and catch at the ledge to
the middle window In the bank op-
posite, thus spanning an apparently
unbridgeable gap Of eighteen feet.
Having assured himself that this
was possible, Christopher Poe climbed
the four fights Of reescape stairs,
and finally emerged ON the theater
roof. There he inspected the door
leading below, and found it securely
locked from the inside. Then he made
q circuit Of the roof space. search
ing everywhere for certain traces he
hoped to discover, but finding moth.
Ing. He seemed disappointed In this,
and made second careful search, but
that too proved fruitless.
Without further loss Of time he
hurried down 6e flre-escape, entered
by the window that had been opend
for him, and asked the janitor to take
him up the inside stairway. The man
did 80. and Poe examined the pad,
fock on the trap-door opening to the
sky.
I'm superintendent here. There's
my room." said the man, kicking
open nearby door, and pointing into
q bare hall with three or four rooms
leading OF It.
As Poe looked in, . harsh voice
cried:
Hello! What are You up tor
Tracing the raucous voice to huge
wicker cage sitting in one corner, the
banker saw a sedate, grim-faced par
rot blinking at him from it.
by the way, I was going to ask
where you keep the key to that roof
door?"
"Oh. right here!" smiled the janitor,
In reply to the abrupt question. point
ing to a nail on the kitchen door on
which hung several keys. TITS the
top one; them other two is misfits. My
woman keeps 1t handy to hang out her
clothes"
Il see." answered Poe. STOPPING be:
fore the corner cage to say. Hello.
Polly!"
Hello yourself, and see how you
like it! oh. you kidd" Polly cackled
back.
Don't pay no attention to him, sir."
said the janitor nervously. HE don't
mean nothin' by 1t. Some Of the
boys teaches him that talk"
1.-THE boys? What boys do you
mean?" asked Poe.
"Oh, there's some always hangs on
behind the stage. sir. There's Billie
that used to do q song an dance, an
Professor Hertz that walked on with
an animal turn one time. an the HUI
man Frog-all old friends of mine in
manner of speakin'. They belong to
the bufldin' as much as I do; most OF
'em seen better times an they can't
get away from stage props. They
sometimes comes up here fer can o
beer an a little friendly game o
pinochle. It's happy-go-lucky place,
sir"
Il see. Play poker tooY asked
Poe. taking out his pencil, and work.
ing q white poker chip along the bot.
tom of Polly's cage toward the wires.
Polly snapped at the chip with her
beak, but finally Poe managed to ex.
tract it. and hold it up for the janitor
to see, Polly screaming:
Hello! What are you up TOT"
mo. They amt none of 'em plays
poker here" The janitor scratched
his head, and looked at the chip. Dom
know where she could a picked that
up. 1t weren't here yesterday. That's
the trouble Of keepin' birds where
folks goes an comes as they pleases.'
You're sure that chip wasn't there
yesterday"
eyes; l cleaned her cage"
DO any Of the boys you speak Of
play poker anywhere?" queried POI
quickly.
"Oh. s'pose SO. Some of 'em aim,
got nothin' else to do-the Human
Frog, for instance; he amt had an en-
gagement in twenty years."
"All right, thank you," replied Poe
stepping to the door, and making 6
mental note of the relative position Of
the parrots cage and the key hanging
on the wall. He slipped the janitor {
half-dollar. turned, and hurried abrupt
ly down the stairs. e
On the street again Poe walked VI
Broadway, and entered saloon neal
Forty-second street, we'll known as 3
rendezvous Of the sporting fraternity
"Slivers!" Poe beckoned aside 8
faccid-faced man, with a confidence
begettfng iron-gray mustache who wal
leaning against the bar chewing ,
tooth-pick.
'Slivers, a "pickerup" for q gambling
house in the neighborhood, bowel
and hurried to Poe's side, glancing VI
at him in the swift, anxious manner
Of fortune-follower seeming some
thing in the shape of oblong money
Poe extracted the poker chip he hat
rescued from Polly's cage, and held II
toward Slivers on the palm Of hil
hand. 1t was quite distinctive coun
ter, thick and substantial-looking, witt
three minute rings Of red in the cen