Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday soii)Liio\v, the policeman and the pawn- biokcr Bi;uiiigccl at lust to escape, tol- lowed by thtir toes. , They burst nito the ball-room, to lind that dancing had stopped and that trouble was ininiinent between Terry and a young fellow in chaulFeur's clothes. Terry's right fist craslieil into Tomnjy's face, antl Terry ininiediately received a straiglit left on tlie nose that surprised him. The other card-players arrived; pandcnioniuiii broke loose. Moe re- ceived a blow intended for Kaplan, and hit put blindly. The Irish element in the club immediately decided that it was anybody's fight, and joined in with gusto. Girls screamed ; chairs were not merely upset, but smashed to pieces— some of them upon unprotected heads. Terry and Tommy fought like gladiators. The steward of the club, in a panic, pulled the fire-alarm, Jjnd the secretary telephoned for the police. More Trouble. TOMMY, ttie alleged chaulfeur, liad given Kosie his surname as McLean, but actually it was Sinclair. Somewliere about eleven o'clock that niglit lio entered the draw- ing room of. a stately house in I'ark Avenue with a. black eye, a torn cheek, and his hair dislie\elled. An elderly, heavy leatured man, who was sitting on a cliesterfield, ami who happened to be Tommy's father as well as a millionaire, looked up in astonish- ment. "VVhiit are you doing in tliat rig?" he demanded. " I swapped clothes with McLean," said Tommy. "Just a bit of fun—I wanted to crash into a club I didn't bclolig to. There was a dance on, and I saw a, perfect peach of a girl going into the place. There was a spot of bother ' "It gives me considerable pleasure," broke in Mr. Sinclair grimly, "to seu that somebody gave you a hiding. You're alwajs doing the craziest things." "It took si.K of cm to do it, dadl' chuckled Tommy. .-\nd then he fished out a tiny handkerchief, with an "R" tnibroidercd in a corner of it, and a«lded : "She was worth it:" At practically the same moment, Rosie was having an argument witii a fcruised and battered Robin Hood, who had perched his police cap on his head, and a semi-baldheaded Little Lord Fauntleroy. She had just reached home, by herself. "I ncvei- saw anything so silly in my life,'' she declared. " Terry started the fight just because the other boy asked to dance with me." "Which boy?' demanded O'Grady. "You don't know him 1" "Did Terry know him?" "No." "Well,' said 0 Grady, "you know it's a very ji'alous lad Terry is." "What right has Terry to be jealous when Rosie is practically engaged to Moo?" snorted Kaplan. "Who said so?" cried Rosio stormily. "When it conies to choosing & husband, I'm going to do it myself. Good- night I" .•^fter the storm, a calm. A full fortnight passed almost uneventfully, to all appearances, and then one day Moe Levine walkctl^ into the pawnshop, looking very spruce in a brand-new light grey suit and a brand-new hat. Kaplan stared and questioned, and was informed that Moo. had given up the insurance businoss to become Terry's manager. They had been sworn enemies till that "chaufTcur chap " had come BOY'S CINEMA along, but now they were too busy hating liini to hate one another, and there was more money in bo.xing. '" I get fifty per cent of his share, just for the mental work," declared Moe. "And as soon as I clean up big I'm goin' to talk to Rosie." " Say, don't you worry about that chaitffeur chap, ' said the pawnbroker. "Only last night I told Rosie I didn't want her to go out any more with that good-for-nothing, and when I tell Rosio something " He broke off, because Rosie had emerged from the shois-parlour in her best clothes, with a fur collar round her neck. Ho stared at her, while Moo held out his ha.nd. "You look fine, darling," said Kaplan. 'Nice! Well, where are you goin' ?" "Out with Mr. McLean," responded Rosie quietly. Moe looked significantly at the pawn- broker, but all the pawnbroker said was : ■ Well, don't forget to put on your coat." Rosie was on her v\ay to the door, wfien Terry stepped in over the threshold. " Spose you don't want to know mc any more?" he growled. Rosie didn't answer that question. She saw a low grey car sweeping up to the kerb outside the shop, and she hissed : "If you lay a hand on Tommy McLean, I'll never speak to you again, Terry Calahan !" The car stopped, and Tommy, still wearing the clothes of a chauflcur, stepped into tile shop. He greeted Rosie affectionately, and the others in quite a friendly fashion. But Terry, who was suffering agonies of jealousy, scowled at him, and said menacingly : " Some day, when you ain't hidin' behind a girl's skirts, I'm goin' to turn you inside out '." "I'll look you up," said Tommy calndy. "Ready, Rosie?" "I'll get my coat," said Rosie. "I'll wait for you in the car,'" de- cided Tommy. The course of true love never did run sn ooth. Patrick O'Grady was standing beside the grey car when Tommy went our to it; and the sergeant's notebook was in one hand and a pencil was in IQ the other. "How long have you been' parked here?" demanded the Irishman sternly. "About three minutes." "This car's been here for an hour," mendaciously retorted O'Grady. '" I've been watchrng it ! Lemmc see your licence !" There was no help for it. Tommy produced his licence, and at the same moment perceived that Rosie was crossing the pavement. O'Grady stared at the licence, and then stared at Tonnny. "Thomas Sinclair ?' he bcHowed. "I thought your name was McLean?" ■'My name's on that card,'" responded Tommy unhai)pily. "And you're a chauffeur, and you live on Park Avenue?" "You must have been puttiii' in a lot of overtime:' scott'ed Kaplan, from tlie doorway. "Well, there's your licence," snapped O'Grady; "and here's another little souvenir for you!" And he handed Tommy an oHieial slip demanding his presence before a niagistrute for causing an obotruction. Tommy pocketed tlic card and tin- slip, and turned to Rosie. He could have wished that Moe and Terry had not been present to witness the incident, but he seemed fairly calm. "Come on, Rosie!" he urged. She let him heliJ her into the car; but as he settled down at the wheel and drove off, she svaid to liini coklly : "I'm coming with you because there avo a lot of things I want you to tell me—Mr! Sinclair!" It was not a very pleasant ride, and it spas not a very long one. Tommy, in the intervals of avoiding the traffic, explained everything and was very humble: but Rosie waxed more and more indignant, and finally ordered him to stop. He Slopped obediently, though they were in a busy thoroughfare, and she Towards the end of the round he went down with a crash, and ~ -. Rosie started to her feet with a cry of horror. .SepteViibtr 6tb, 1930.