Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-07
The Vain Dutchrnan
By SCOTT w. RYALL
9 Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
WNU Service.

PhS Ills HdnuS WIN great care,
Ihey were pink from cleaning beer
glasses in very hot water and he was
not accustomed to giving them such
attention.
But he was watching one Of the
hght-fingered gentry side up to vic
tim by the first table, down from the
BAR. He was little man with a mean
rat face and stood close to a player
leaning across the table to place q
,dlff1cult shot. The shot missed and
nothing else seemed to have happened
but the little pickpocket was idling
away toward the bar and Big Fritz
Heine had stopped polishing his pink
hands.
"Beer?" invited the bartender So
licitously.
mo thanks, Fritz"
The bartender grinned. The man
called him by name yet he was GER
tain he had never seen that lean face
before. He wiped at the glossy bar
top and knocked a shaker of salt over
the front
That's all right" he called as the
other stopped, "T'll get It."
He came around the bar bent to-
ward the article, then suddenly whirled
to catch the little man in the grip OF
his massive hands. Keep quiet, mis-
ter" he ordered calmly and held one
arm while his free hand searched for
a possible gun. There was no gun but
| Fritz hPnVHuhk n Hok % 80 ITCH
Mister" called Fritz toward the
pool players, "'Is this yoursT
He tossed the wallet to its aston
ished owner and having made sure It
was In proper hands, said 1t was lying
on the floor and the gentleman had
picked it up.
Then he escorted the gentleman"
to the sidewalk and stoically applied
a boot He came back wiping his
hands. That was all there was to 1t
so far as he was concerned. He had
no lingering thoughts of the little
mans vile curses or those wickedly
flashing eyes.
Fritz Heine was too experienced a
bouncer to think long of those he
bounced. But if the big bartender for
got the man so quickly, the pickpocket
did not forget the affront of that kick.
He waited around the place skulking in
dark doOrways, and as the hours
passed, the furious flame within
seemed famed by his brooding.
He had length Of pipe in his pock-
ct and fingered it thoughtfully. II the
big Dutchman had minded his own
business he wouldn't have 1t coming.
But he did have it coming Nobody
was going to boot Felix Wyman and
get away with IT. Not q big Dutch
bartender anyway. He'd put dent in
that big, round head that would be
remembered for while and when
Heine came to he wouldn't know what
hit him. That is, if he came to.
At last Heine locked up. He stood
on the walk few moments talking
to the last customer then they took
separate ways and he, walked by the
little man who was hiding in door
way.
Felix let Heine get hundred feet
/ oACdu LhCu lOllOWeus Lie llRuL was
too bright there. No use following too
close. There would be plenty of oppor-
tunities In the last dark blocks before
Fritz got home.
The big Dutchman walked slowly.
1t irritated the man behind as II 1t
were an additional insult. He pulled
the pipe from his pocket and stuck it
! up sleeve. 1t would be handler. He
liked the feel of the cold metal and
looked forward to its crushing descent
on that big head.
Felix started closing the gap be-
tween as they approached the corner
where he knew Fritz would turn. The
big man was walking more slowly but
he did not look around. He even
stopped beneath street lamp and
looked at his hands, Then he took out
a handkerchief and started wiping
scrupulously.
What vanity. to bother over big paws
like those, as If they were the hands
Of a womanl The little sneak-thief's
lips curled CONTEMPORARY as he
stopped in the shadow Of a pole.
Then Heine went around the corner
and Felix crossed the street before fol-
lowing, just in case the other sus-
pected, but he saw the big figure down
the block.
Here 1t was darker. He sneaked soft
ly, quickly after. The pipe was in his
hand now. He clutched 1t until his
fingers ached. The distance closed.
Fifty feet. Twenty. Ten.
Heine walked stolidly on. He was
still looking at his hands, the vain
DutchmanI Then Felix closed, his arm
lifted and the big man whirled as II
on springs.
The pipe went flying. The scuffle
was short. No cry came from either.
Only soft gruntlngs and a gasp from
Felix as the big hands closed on his
throat, clenching until the very blood
in his veins seemed stopped. Then
everything whirled into black empty
space and an officer stopped over him
when consciousness returned.
Fritz was there too. Assault with
intent to commit murder" he was say
ing in his cultural voice, then saw
! that the prisoner was conscious and
bent down.