Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

16 "I wouldn't be looking for a soft job —honest I wouldn't." Doc Owens nodded, satisfied. "I don't think you would," he said. "And the job isn't a soft one. Tommy. A doctor's job can be just as tough as they come. I think I can arrange for your transfer. And when you're here, you'll have a chance to find out whether it's farming or trucking or medicine that vou really want." Tommy felt his eyes getting wet. "Gee, doc, I don't know what to say," he stammered. Doc Owens smiled and patted him on the shoulder. 'Don't trouble to say anything," he said. "It isn't words that count, but actions. We'll see how it all works out." "Gee, thanks," said Tommy gratefully. There came a knock on the door, and the head guard thrusi in his head. "Another customer for you, doc." he announced, and ttoust a youth into the room. Tommy turned and stared. "Eddie!" he exclaimed. Eddie tried to meet his eyes, but some- how couldn't. He looked down at the floor. "Hallo, Tommy!" he stammered. The head guard looked them over with disgust. 'Two of a kind!" he scoffed, and indi- cated Tommy with a jerk of his head. "What did he have to come here for, anyway? Has he been playing sick?" "No, I sent for him," said Doc Owens quietly. "That's all. Tommy. You'd better get back to your work." "Yes, sir," said Tommv, and hurried out. He went back to the kitchen garden. He was feeling stunned. Eddie, at the reformatory! That meant Hearn again. Hearn had given Eddie one of his jobs, and Eddie had been fool enough to take it. And he had been caught by the police! He went on with his work in silence, wondering what was going to happen to his mother. Presently he heard Joey let up a yell. "Here's a new fish for the aquarium!" Joey said. "Let's give him the works!" Tommy looked up. Eddie was being taken by one of the other bovs to the store-room. He had to pass the kitchen garden on the way. "Wait a minute!" Tommy said. "You know him?" Joey asked. "He's his brother," said Knuckles. "That's right." Tommy's voice was grim. "And I want to talk to him alone." Joey nodded, and turned to the bov who was showing Eddie the way. "You heard what he said. Scram!" The boy, together with Joev and Knuckles, moved out of hearing. "Tommy looked at Eddie disgustedly. "Start talking," he said briefly. Eddie's voice became a whine. "It wasn't my fault, Tommy. Honest, it wasn't." "That is what I get for taking the rap for you," Tommy said contemptuously. "I ought to have let you get what was coming to you. At least there'd be some- body to look after mother then. Who's going to do it now?" . Eddie looked close to teai's. "I did what you told me to, Tommy." he said. "I didn't do anything wrong. I got that job working In the gas station. Everything was going swell, but I guess Heai'n didn't like me quitting, so he came with the boys one night and stuck the place up. The police said it must have been an inside job. I guess Hearn fixed things that way. They wouldn't believe me when I told them what had really happened." "You mean you named Hearn to the cops?" Eddie hesitated, then shook his head. "Well, no, not exactly," he answered. "I just said that I didn't know the guys. I daren't tell them about Hearn. He said he'd make things tough for mom if I did." Octul.cr L'Sth, i!i;;;i. BOY'S CINEMA Tommy stamped up and down. "I wish I was out of here," he said. Eddie shook his head. "It wouldn't do any good. Hearn would only make a sucker out of you," he said. "He makes a sucker out of everybody." "Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't." said Tommy shortly. "I still wish I was out of here." He paced up and down a little longer, then went on: "Listen, Eddie. You get on to the store-room, and don't say a word to anybody. Get me? I've got to figure this thing out some way." " Okay," said Eddie miserably, and went on his way. In the meantime, back in Hearn's place. Hearn and Spike were talking things over. Hearn was looking worried. "I've got to spring those kids, Spike," he said. "I'm scared. He can't take it. If they start cuffing him around, he's goin' to spill everything." "Too bad if he "does," Spike answered. "We'll make things bad for the old lady then." "And what good does that do us with the cops at our heels?" Hearn retorted irritably. "Well, it's your fimeral. You put him where he is." Hearn nodded. "It was a mistake," he said. "A bad mistake. And we've got to put it right." "All right," said Spike indifferently. "But how?" "You've got to go up there and bring back Knuckles and the two O'Meara kids." "Me?" Spike began to look uneasy. " Say, you're the big brain. It's your job." Hearn rounded on him fiercely. " You go up to that school, see Knuckles, and frame it," he said. "Get hold of the other lads. They're all back in town. Use the strong arm if you have to." Spike nodded slowly. "I get you," he said. "I've got to crash the joint or something. Okay. I'll see Knuckles right away. I'll tell them that I'm his cousin or something." Hearn sar down at his desk and lit himself a cigar. " Get out the road map. We've got to plan this thing carefully." Spike got the map and unfolded it. For ten minutes there was subdued murmur- ing while they studied it. When they had finished, Spike had a pretty good idea of what he had to do THE BREAK TWO days later, Knuckles went up to where Tommy was working, and spoke in a low voice. Tommy was in the surgery by then, acting as Doc Owens' assistant,, and he had the place to himself for most of the time. "Say, Tommy, I've got news for you," Knuckles said. "I've just seen Spike. They're springing us to-night. Hearn's sending a car to pick us up." "Who's us?" Tommy wanted to know. "Me ani Joey. You're with us, aren't you?" Tommy considered the point for a moment or two. Was it worth the risk? "I don't know. I'll think it over," he said at last. "How about Eddie?" Knuckles asked. "Will he come too?" "No." Tommy was quite definite about that. "He's no good. You'd better leave him here." "Hearn said we was to bring him." "He wouldn't be any good. I tell you— except for ducking cops all his life. He's too dumb for Hearn's racket." "Hearn's given his orders." Knuckles began to get back some of his bounce now that he regarded himself as almost free. "You'll do what Hearn says, if you're smart." "I'll fix things with Hearn in my own good time," Tommy retorted. "And now scram, before someone comes in." Knuckles scrammed. Tommy did some hard thinking. What was he to do? If he joined in the break. Every Tuesday he would be putting himself on the wrong side of the law again. And he had had enough of that. Besides, a^I the plans he had made with Doc Owens would come to an end. But would they? Supposing he did get out? And supposing he m.anaged to get enough on Heam to clear himself—and to clear Eddie too? That would put every- thing right, wouldn't it? Well, it would—if the break was successful. But if it wasn't, what then? Being caught meant loss of privileges, loss of all hope of being released on parole. In the end he went to see Knuckles again. And Knuckles told him that Hearn had hidden a car just behind a shed a quarter of a mile beyond the reformatory walls. He also told him that the break had been planned for two o'clock the follow- ing morning. That evening Tommy went along to the surgery, to find Doc Owens getting ready to go home. Tommy said : "I guess I'd like to read some of those books of yours, doc. Would you mind if I stuck around a bit?" "Of course not," Doc Owens replied. "So doctoring's beginning to get you. is it?" Tommy nodded. "I reckon it's what I'm going in for." Tommy answered. "Fine! Mr. Barnes will be around In a few minutes I'll tell him I've given you permission to be here." Tommy turned away to the bookshelves to cover his excitement. Usually the bovs were locked in the dormitory block at nights, and the chances of escape were slender. But here, in the surgery—well. Tommy knew where the keys we're kept which would enable him to get bevond the walls. The head guard looked in five minutes later, and Doc Owens indicated Tommy. "My assistant wants to study," he said. "So if you've no objection, I'll leave him here to get on with it." The head guard looked at Tommy sourly. * "It's against the rules. Doctor Owens," he said. "I'm sorry, but he's to go back to the dormitory." "It'll be all right," said Doc Owens. "I'll be responsible for him, and I'll see the superintendent in the morning." "Until you've seen the superintendent, he goes back to the dormitory," said the head guard firm.ly. Tommy realised that his plan was going wrong. He had to make his break before Knuckles and Joey attempted theirs. If he didn't, it would be no good. The regulations would be tightened up all I'ound afterwards. "Gee. Ml-. Barnes." Tommv said, coming towards them, book in hand. "I only want to do some study. The super- intendent said when I came here that I'd be allowed to do that." "Silence!" the head guard thundered. Tommy suddenly reached up his hand and flung the book clean into the head guard's face. The guard staggered back- wards, almost into the arms of Doc Owens. Before he had time to recover Tommv had snatched the gun from the guard's holster and was holding it level at his hip. "Don't start anything," Tommy warned. "I don't like you, Mr. Barnes, but I'd hate to see you badly hurt." Doc Owens stared at Tommy in amaze- ment. "Tommy, you must have gone mad," he cried. "It's all right, doc." Tommy said. "You'll understand everything in a few days. I'm not really doing anything wrong, but I've got to do this." He glared at the head guard. "Stand still! " Mr. Barnes stood still. Quickly Tommy went to Doc Owens' desk and took out a bunch of keys. Then he backed towards the door. "If you move," he said to the head guard, "I'll fix you. I shall have the