The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-09
Chapter 20
Fall OF The Mighty

POISON" said the bartender
A filling a bar-glass in front o.
Jumbo.
"Eh?"
The bartender amp1ified his re-
mark. This stuff's poison. ! knew
a man onct drank it day and nigh
for forty years. He died ravin'
They looked at his stomach after
wards only he didn't have nc
stomach for them to look at. It was
all ct away by this here poison"
An icicleish feeling proceeded
up and down Junbo1s SPINE. He
reached hurriedly for his drink. s
Well" he said to the bartender,
happy days!'
The bartender squinted and es-
tir1ated conservatively.
Il amt had a happy day, in
fifteen years." he computed. mot
since the time I was to Washing
ton"
Jumbo opened his mouth to re-
ply. And suddenly he became
conscious of a phenomenon. It was
impossible for him to reply. For in
some unaccountable manner his
mouth had become completely in
habited by cheese popcorn. Right
then Mr.. Jumbo Cutler realized
the terrible authority of ones
subconscious self.
The act of opening his mouth
had let little Of the cheese pop
corn escape and fall to the ma
hogany of the bar. Perceiving this,
the bartender highhatted him.
You didn't ought to open your
mouth when you eat" he said re-
provingly.
Jumbo swallowed the cheese
popcorn with an air of semi-guilt.
He was aware that he had sinned.
But, somehow, the sin did not seem
of great moment now.
See herel" he said to the bar
tender, with asperity. do you
presume to criticize my method of
eating?"
The bartender showed no fight.
We'll" he said, I'VE won't argue
about it,
mo sir!" said Jumbo, a little
stridently. "We won't argue about
II" He finished his drink.
Have another?" inquired the
bartender. cycling the empty glass.
We'll, now I don't know !"
Jumbo bega.i.
"Oh, mean on the house" said
the bartender.
jun b o looked at him closely.
Was it possible that he heard
Alright? In all his dealings with
New York bartenders, no one of
them had ever offered him a free
drink before.
"Why. why thanks" he said, a
little dazedly.
The bartender prepared the
drink, then leaned confidentially
over the bar.
Don't thank me-" he said.
THANK Monyhan. The only reason
I'm giving you this here drink is
because hate Monyhan."
Who's Monyh an 2" asked
Jumbo.
THE guy that owns this dive"
"Ohi" said Jumbo. He sampled
the drink. His stomach was feeling
decidedly better. True, he was still
hungry bat. taking it all around,
life seemed a much brighter prop
osition right now. He t1ok another
handful of cheese popcorn.
What's wrong with this Mony-
ham," he demanded of the bar
tender.
Plenty" said the bartender
darkly.
wouldn't" said Jumbo, snatch
ing at the cheese popcorn, take
any lip from guy named Mony-
han. What if he does own this dive?
I've been kick e d out of better
dives than this"
Same here" said the bartender.
Dictati6n From Nobody
IT ISTEN," Jumbo said reckless
II ly. ''have a drink with me-"
Don't care if / do" the bar
tender admitted.
Now Their" said Jumbo, getting
a strangle-hold on Drink Number
Four, whats this Monyhan done
to your"
'iHe dictates to me-" said the
bartender, looking as if he were
about to weep.
Jumbo pounded the bar.
"Hah!" he said fiercely. "Dic-
tates. does he? Now that is some-
thing ! win not have. Nobody's
going to dictate while I'm around.
i take diptation from nohndv0 a
fieeting vision of Luella West
danced before his strangely-mist-
ing eyes, but he dismissed it. mo,
sir, if anybody gives orders, give
'em. I'm my own lord and master.
And"-he thumped the bar again
- do as I please and what say
goes. Pass me those sandwiches"
The bartender rendered the
sandwiches.
''You got the right dope" he said
admiringly.
'sYou bet I have said Jumbo,
with belligerence. Nov you listen
70 mel I'm a fat man, ami / not?"
The bartender agreed hastily.
"Goodl" said Jumbo, I'm glad
you perceive that. Now get tEisl
There are in my life certain-um
-er- forces who constantly at
tempt to make me thin man. !.
They don't want me to eat. They're
irving. in ali manner of insidious
ways, to stafve me 70 death. And
T-he grabbed q sandwich and