Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

I\ Every Tuesday sigh of relief from the tensely watching circus folk. "Leave it to Aggie to think up sonic- thing new!" gasped Charlie Dugan, mop- ping his streaming forehead. Then Aggie Modeno, the tension break- ing, turned furiously on Terry. "You stupid child!" she cried, and slapped her sharply on the cheek. "But, Aggie," the girl protested, "I just wanted to tell you that two men are here to take your lions away!" "What are you talking about?" "They're outside, waitmg for you, now." Aggie s eyes flashed. "Come on!" Outside, Darlow and Jake walked away from the entrance. "So she's got a kid in her act, huh?" said Darlow viciously. "No wonder she walked out on my old man!" "But you got to admit it's a terrific idea," said Jake, a husky fellow who had been chosen for this trip because of his proficiency in rough-house tactics. "Yeah, it's a terrific idea for the last time," said his boss dryly. Aggie had been joined by Charlie and Barvin, the owner. "That's one nifty surprise you pulled on us to-night," said the Fixer. "That's the greatest act I've ever seen." "It was splendid, Aggie," said Barvin approvingly. "That's giving them circus for their money." Impatiently Aggie brushed away their compliments. "Charlie, somebody's trying to take my cats away." "No kidding!" said the Fixer incredu- lously. It was Terry who pointed out the two men standing in the shadows nearby. Aggie strode over and faced them angrily. "What d you want?" she snapped. "Oh, I just thought I'd drop down and pick up those lions you sold my old man," said Darlow airily. "The lions I sold your old man?" queried Aggie dangerously. "Yeah. Don't you remember the paper you signed?" "Listen," said the lion-tamer, "the only thing I signed was a promissory note for two hundred dollars. Those lions are mine, I tell you. Hey, Dugan! " Charlie Dugan strolled over. " What's this—a free outdoor exhibi- tion? Go back to bed, Terry." He watched the child return sulkily to Aggie's wagon. " Now, this is just a friendly little argument. That's all. What's the trouble?" "Charlie, I told you," said Aggie wearily. "They're trying to take my lions away." "They ain't hers any more," said Frank Darlow. ""They're mine. She made a legal sale." "I did not!" " Take it easy, Aggie, take it easy," said Charhe calmly. "Legal sale, did you say? D'you represent the law, young fellow?" "No, I don't," said Darlow wearily. "Show business?" Darlow nodded, and, to Aggie's utter amazement, the Fixer held out his hand in friendly fashion and shook hands with her enemy. "B. C. Darlow's United Shows," said Frank Darlow. "B. C. Darlow, eh?" said the Fixer in interested tones. " Know him well. Great showman. He's a square dealer, too. You're his son. eh?" "Yeah. Here." He handed over a paper. "It's a photographic copy of a bill of sale she signed in Lima, Missouri." "I never " began Aggie, but Charlie was already reading: " Let's see, now. ' I, Aggie Modeno '—■ and so on, and so on. This your signa- ture?" "Yes," Aggie admitted. "But I never signed that!" "You'll notice the signature was wit- nessed by a notary public," put in Frank Darlow. "Yeah. I noticed that." Charlie turned to find Jake breathing heavily over BOY'S CINEMA his shoulder. "Who are you, Nosey? The notary public?" "Nosey?" exclaimed Jake in wounded tones. "Aw, let me take a sock at this guy!" "Pipe down!" Darlow scowled. "He just came along to see everything goes all right." "The old man says: 'Stick close to Prank,' and that's what I'm going to do," Jake growled, glaring at the Fixer. " May- be you'd like to throw me out?" "No, I don't think so," said Charlie, to the disgust of Aggie Modeno. "You gentlemen seem to have a legitimate claim here." "But, Charlie," she protested, "you're not going to let them put this over on me!" "There's nothing else I can do, Aggie," the Fixer>shrugged. "Tell Smiley to keep those lions under lock and key and dont let anybody near them." "Do it yourself!" she flared. "I'm through here. I don't take orders from you!" Darlow watched her go with satisfac- tion. " I guess we'd better start loading them now, huh?" Charlie, with a confidential air, drew them aside, and indicated a post embedded deep in the ground. "Do me a favour, will you? I don't want the boss to know I got in a jam, see? But I'll tell you—meet me here in three hours. That'll be exactly one o'clock. I'll have the boys help you load them, see, right here by this post at one sharp." "Okay," said Darlow. "We'll be here at five to one." Charlie Dugan watched them go with a slight grin on his face. And when Jake and Darlow returned at one o'clock they found that the only thing left standing on the fairground was the post. The cuxus had packed up and gone—and the lions had gone with it! DARLOW'S CUNNING MOVE IN the small hours of the morning the circus train jolted to a standstill at a small wayside halt, and Aggie and Charlie Dugan got out to stretch their legs. Aggie was still angry with the Fixer. She con- sidered he had double-crossed her. "A fine fixer you turned out to be," she said scornfully. "Letting them take my act away without a peep out of you. A lot you care what happens to the per- formers! I quit an outfit to come with the Barvin Shows, and what does it get me?" "What did you want to sign that paper for?" the Fixer countered. "I had to have money to jump the show with. They told me it was a promissory note. Oh, Charlie, it was the crummiest outfit under canvas." "I know. That guy Darlow is one of the worst grafters in the business." "I gave liim my notice," Aggie went on. " Nord was sick—infected foot. You know Nord—the one I raised from a kitten. Well, why v/ouldn't he be? The ring stock was mangy; fever and distemper running through the menagerie, rotten canvas, leaky and windy cars, every lot like the last one, up to the hubs in mud " "Oh, cut the sob story," Charlie sighed, "and keep on the business." " Well, one day Darlow comes to me and says: ' What's this I hear about you quit- ting the show, Aggie?' He says; ' Haven't I always treated you fair and square?' He offered me two hundred to make the jump with, but he says: ' I got tohave a note.' " " Keep talking," said Charlie wearily. "And then he handed me a paper " "Which was not a note but a bill of sale," Charlie put in. "Aha! That old bill of sale racket! You performers will sign anything to get yourself out of a jam. Put your names on contracts all yoiu- lives and never read 'em. You'd think you"d learn some day." " Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself," said the girl bitterly as they climbed back 13 into the train. "Oh, Charlie, what are you going lo do about it?" For answer the Fixer pointed to the station signboard. "See that sign?" "Yeah. All it spells to me is Kansa.s." "You're just leaving Missouri," Charlie- grinned. "Any civil papers sworn out in Missouri will need a lot of working over before they're good in Kansas." Suddenly Aggie laughed and cried joy- fully : "Will you let a lion-tamer kiss you?" Charlie grinned. "You're sure I won't get distemper?" But the girl's joy evaporated somewhat when he broke further news to her. Barvin wanted to star Terry with her in the greatest lion act ever shown. "Just like in the show to-night," he said. "I haven't heard an audience applaud like that in years." "Listen, Dugan, ' she said warmly; "I'm not putting Terry in any cage with lions." "You're going to pass up a chance to have the greatest animal act in the busi- ness? ' he queried. "Now, look. Charlie," Aggie said earnestly. " I don't want to blow up now. Just—just forget about it. As far as put- ting the kid in the ajct—that's out!" "All right, you nflght as well know the truth,'" said Charlie Dugan grimly. "That's the only way Barvin wants the act. The way he's got the cage planned, nothing can happen to her. There'll be guys all around it with guns. Aw, look, Aggie, you know how business is. If you go, the whole show folds up; throw three hundred people out of work. What do you say, huh?" That was show business, all right. The new act went on. Town after town throughout the state saw the bills an- nouncing the "Barvin Greater Shows." "Watch The Ten-Year-Old Girl Hold Mad Lions at Bay! The Greatest Thrill of All Time!" Barvin spread himself; and the audi- ences, always seeking sensation, lapped it up. Charlie Dugan had twinges of con- science; only Aggie Modeno was unhappv about it all. She was afraid, too, that Darlow and his henchmen would turn up again and start making trouble. As it happened, Charlie was standing outside the pay-wagon one day when he saw the pair approaching, and there was no spirit of friendshio evident in their scowls. fully. "Twelve o'clock at night, Barvin decides to pull out stakes and cancel the next day's show." "Oh, yeah? ' said Darlow disbelievinglv. "Yeah," Charlie smiled. "Now. let rrie see, what was it you boys wanted?" "Let me take a sock at that guy," said Jake threateningly, using his favourite phrase. "Oh, I remember," said Charlie brightly. "You want to get those lions, don't you?" "Quit stalling! You know well enough what we're here for." "Nothing to get angry about, bovs," said Charlie. "Will you let me see that bill of sale?" Darlow handed him a paper. "It won't do you any good to tear it up. It's just a photographic copy." "Uh-huh! Yes. sir; yes, sir." Charlie rubbed his chin. "I'm sorry, boys, I can't give you those lions." "Where do you get that stuff?" Darlow snarled. "Nothing to get angry about, Mr. Darlow," Charlie said soothingly. "It's just that this little paper was good in Missouri, and it's no good in Kansas." "That paper's perfectly legal!" "Why, I'm telling you the paper is not legal. Is it, boys?" He turned to four burlv stakemen. carrying hefty clubs, who had just saun- tered up behind Jake and Darlow. He had October 21st, 1930.