Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

18 "I'm going to drive Rosic home," replied Moe. "You're nol—it's me that's driving lier lionie ! I'll punch j-our head if you don't clear off !" " You can punch from now till Christmas," retorted Moo defiatitlj', "but you ain't goin' to punch me away from Rosic !" "Ycali? Well, now I'll tell one. I'm driving her home to-night !" His fist waf unpleasantly close to the young Jew's face, but Moe only flinched and fumbled in a pocket. "Look here, Terry," he said in a conciliatory tone, "we've got to be fair with each other. I'll throw up a nickel and let that decide." The nickel had been lent to Moe by the crafty Kaplan, but Terry was not to know that. Declaring that he could beat Moe at anything, he con.sented, and Moo flipped the coin into the air and caught it. crying "Heads." "Heads," of course, it was, and Terry bowed to defeat, just as Rosie came tripping out and greeted them. "I'm going to drive *;ou home," announced Moe proudly. "Thanks!" .said Rosie. "Will you give Terry a lift, too?" "It's quite all right." said Terry. "I've got my own car—I'll see you later." And, much to the girl's sur- prise, he actually helped her into his rival's vehicle. Two hours later, after she had had her evening meal, both of the young men called for her. and, in the presence of Kaplan and O'Crady, an argument ensued as to \vhich of her suitors was to take her to a fanc\-dress dance at the Webster Hall Club: Moo declared that she had promised Lini the privilege; Terry was equally positive that the honour was to be his. Rosie declared that she had promised to go with both of them, which suited neither. Finally Kaplan stepped into the argument, so to speak. "There's always a fair way to settle these things." he said. "Have you got a nickel, ftfoo?" Moe had got a nickel, and produced it. "Now remember." warned (he pawn- broker, " that whoever loses has got to be a good sport." And he flipped the coin. "Heads!" cried Moe, with the utmost haste. "Heads it is." boomed Kaplan. "Now that settles it." But Rose, with a glance at Teri'_\'s gloomy face, .stuck to her guns. "I promised to go with botli of them." she [irotestcd, "and I'm not going to be decided about like this. Let'.- all go. It would be lots of fun !" \ "Me?" cried Kaplan. 'I "Me, too?" chimed in O'Grady. "Sure—all five of us. We can hire ,sonie costumes." The suggestion was embraced with jcnthu.siasm by the two elders, if not Iby the two suitors. ' "We're going to a masqueiade, iO'Grady!" chortled Kaplan. "By golly, I haven't been to a ma.squerade for years. I know a fine place to hire ^costumes—they'll give us a discount." Rosic went on ahead to the costumier's with Moe and Terry. Kaplan flung ofT the old coat he wore indoors and went upstairs to don a Imore presentable one for the street. 'After he had depaitcd O'Grady, yield- ing to curiosity, plunged a hand into one of the pockets of the shabby and Igrea.sy old coat—and fished oiit ii liiickel. Kor a long while he had had his siis- .picions; now they were confirmed. / Si'ptenilicr Ctli, 1930. BOY'S CINEMA The nickel was a two-headed one. O'Crady gritted his teeth and shook his fists. "For eighteen years!" he growled, and stowed the spurious coin in his own waistcoat pocket, "For eighteen A Battle Royal. TilE Webster Club Hall wa» not a haunt of the fashionable, but it was a very popular resort among the male members of New York's East Side "society," and on this particular night the club was hold- ing a ftmcy dress dance, open to mem- bers and to any"body else who cared to purchase a ticket. O'Grady and Kaplan reached the hall togotlier, the pawnbroker grotesquely attired as Little Lord Fauntleroy. complete with curls on his head and socks on his feet, and the policeman disguised as Robin Hood. They found themselves among.st a crowd of young people in all manner of costumes, and they caught sight of Rosie, in a led satin skirt and a white satin blouse with a red collar, supposed to be a jockey, Moe Levine, dressed as a very unconvincing toreador, and Terry Calahan in football outfit, in- cluding leather helmet. A fox-trot was in progress. "Phew!" exclaimed Kaplan. "I don't care foi this dancing. Pat, let's you and me get up a game at pinocle, eh?" Pat was nothing loth, and the pair made for an inner room, collecting on their way a pirate, a cowboy and a fireman. There were tables in the inner room for card-players, and they settled down to a game of pinocle, which is something like bezique. Out in the ball-room, both Moe and Terry—in turn—asked the conductor of the band to play " Sweet Rosie O'Grady," and eventually the tune was rendered, as a fox-trot, just after Terry had claimed Rosie for jjartner. "D'you hear what they're playing?" cried Rosie delightedly. "Sure," responded Terry, swinging her round. "I asked them to do it." He did not consider it worth mention- ing that Moe had made the same re- quest and accomiianied it with a tip. " Terry was not quite as good a dancer as he was a boxer, but Moe was even worse. Having danced with both of tliem, Rosie announced that she was dying of thirst. "All right." said Moo eagerly, "I'll get you something." "No," objected Terry, "I'll go." "I could drink two lemonades," de- clared Rosic. "Get me one each." They went off together to the refresh- ment bar. and the moment their back.s were turned a tall and handsome young fellow in the uniform of a chauft'eur bore down on Rosie. "Hallo!" he greeted her chccrfull\. " You supjDOsed to be a woman jockey ? Where's your horse?" She looked up at him indignantly, but decided tliat she liked his clean- eut face, his clear blue-grey eyes, and his crinkly brown hair, and smiled. ■'Where's your car?" she coiuitered. " Downstair.''." "Well, you'd better get into it before an .Kcident hapinns to you," she re- marked significantly. "Not at all," he laughed. "I love accidents. Dance? Phvise do—I'm all alone." "I'm sorry." said Rosie primly, "but I never dance with people I don't know." "It only took me thirty seconds to find the most beautiful girl in the Every Tuesday place," he informed her. "One daiico and we'll bo old friends, Two dances, and we'll be comrades. Three daucea, and " "I think one will be enough," she decided. M9e and Terry returned together, bearing glasses of lemonade, only to find that the chair in which they had left Ro.sie was occupied by quite a different girl. "Look, Terry!'' cried Moe suddenly, and pointed. "There she is, dancing with a chauffeur." "Where did that guy come from?" snarled Terry. "I don't know," lamented Moo; "but I wouldn't stand for it, if I va.i you.' "Don't worry!" snorted the boxer. "You wait and watch." Rosie and her partner seemed, to their jealous eyes, to be thoroughly enjoying themselves—and they were. The young man was very masterful, but very amusing. He had already learrfed her name and address by heart, and had informed her that his own name was Tommy McLean. He danced per- fectly, and she told him so. " I'd like to show you how well I drive,", ho told her, "I'm coming round to your place to take you for a, run. May I?" "Maybe," murmured Rosie, and added impishly; "But I'm surprised you ask permission for anything !' After the dance was over, she led him across to Moe and Terry and in- troduced him. Moe, with a gulp, ex- pressed his pleasure at the meeting, but claimed Rosie for the next dance. Terry said nothing till Rosie was out of earshot. Then ho said, loudly and threateningly : "This is a one-way street, chauffeur, and as far as you're concerned, th:it'» the way out !" He jerked his thumb in the direction' of the door, but Tommy merely smiled, his hands clasped loosely before him. Teri'y jabbed a finger in his chest, and Rosie immediately deserted Moe and ran over to them, fearing trouble. She tugged at Terry's left arm. In the meanwhile a row had started in the inner room. Kaplan, having' lost at cards, had deserted the game to look on, and he had hit upon a wily way of assisting his lifelong friend. Having inspected the cards held bj the opposition, he proceeded to ad- minister advice by remarks such as: "Say, Pat, did you hear about the fellow who came into my shop to-day to sell nie a diamond?" He mentioned, at a later stage in the game, that a mutual acquaintance had heart trouble, and, after another hand had been dealt and inspected, re- marked that it was a nice club. Patrick O'Grady. with the aids of these pointers, won heavily, though not without exciting the suspicions of thu other players. And wlien more talk of diamonds occurred, the three players threw down their cards and rose to their feet. "O'Grady." cried one of them wralh- fully, "you're a crook !" "Vait a minute—vait a minute," begged Kaplan nervously. "Now, boys, let's all be friends." "Friends!" cried another player .scornfully. "You and your lieur/ trouble, and your diamotulff So thi-s is a nice club, is it? Well, take that '" O'Grady went down with a cra^h, and Kaplan went down on top of him, dragging, the table, the cards and tha counters with him. O'Grady rose up and laid about him. The room became a wreck, out of which.