Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA n Targemont in an ancient taxicab a digni- fied little man with a well-tended beard accosted him and introduced himself as III. Dupres, Mayor and Chief of Police. Di'ummond learned incredulously that he was under arrest. He was George Boyd, a notorious international spy. and there was a price on his head! His pro- testations that he was Captain Hugh C. Drummond only seemed to make matters worse. Deeply puzzled, he was marched off to jail by two burly gendarmes, without even having a chance to call on Phyllis. He was not to know that Inspector Tredennis, seeking revenge, had des- patched a cable to Targemont, which read: •■ Chief of Police. Targemont, France: Please hold young Englishman arriving to- night. About five feet eleven inches tall —a hundred and seventy pounds weight. Small moustache. We believe him to be George Boyd, alias Henry Jones, a notori- ous international spy. This man will undoubtedly claim to be Hugh Drummond. If you apprehend him, notify Scotland Yard immediately, and hold the criminal until further instructions from us. Regards." A finger-print expert had found prints on the paint-brush discovered in the fiat which compared with those in the Lon- don and Southminster Bank and those recorded on the dossier of Henri Armides. Drummond was required to examine a photograph from which the beard and moustache had been painted out. But now he found himself in a dingy little cell with another Englishman named Garvey, who had been deeply impressed by the turnkey's whispered information that the newcomer was a famous criminal with an enormous reward on his head. Garvey, on Armides' instructions, had called on Phyllis and Aunt Blanche, representing himself as a Customs officer come to confiscate the radio set because no duty had been paid on it. His broken Enghsh had aroused their suspicions; and the report of their French housekeeper, Therese, that he knew no French at all confirmed them. A French Customs official who couldn't speak his own language was hardly convincing. It hap- pened that Gaston, a burly gendarme, had been calling on Therese. He came in handy when Garvey, in desperation, yanked out the revolver Armides had given him in case his impersonation failed. Garvey found himself in jail. But he was comforted by the fact that his admii'- able chief was still at large. Now the apprentice in crime found himself in a position to get tips from an even greater expert—George Boyd, the famous spy. "You sit there, Mr. Boyd," he said re- spectfully, giving Drummond the best seat in the cell. "Boyd?" said Drummond. "Oh, yes, of course—Boyd!" "Sure, I know all about you." said Garvey warmly. "Word goes around, you know. I'd be a pretty green one not to 'ave 'eard about you and the big jobs you've pulled. A person like you at the top of the profession could teach a fellow like me a lot of tricks." "Oh, you think so?" said Drummond casually, hiding a grin. "Oh, I know 'ow it is! You think I'm not worth bothering about," Garvey* com- plained. "Well, maybe I'm not, Mr. Boyd; but the man I'm with—'e's a big shot. Even you'd know 'is name if I told you." "Yes, I imagine so." " 'E won't let me stay in this rotten 'ole long," said Garvey proudly. " 'E needs me on a little job we're goin' to do—just like the one we did in London three days ago." Drummond started. An amazing thought had struck him. "Uh—when did you come to Targe- mont?" "Yesterday. We'd be on our way back now, only I 'ad some bad luck. We'll do the job properly this time." Drummond set himself to pump this garrulous little crook. Meanwhile, other visitors had arrived in Targemont. Algv Longworth and Tenny had discovered Drummond was in jail. They decided to call on Phyllis to see if the radio was still safe. Tenny warned Algy solemnly to say nothing about his master being in jail. "Oh, not a word!" Algy swore, before marching into the little hall. He was somewhat put off his stroke by falling down the three steps into the living-room. Phyllis helped him up. •'Tenny, where's Captain Drummond?" she asked the unsmiling manservant. Tenny coughed delicately. "Uh—oh, he won't be long, miss." "No, don't you worry, Phyllis," said Algy heartily. "He'll, be here soon. Colonel Nielson will get him out in no time at all." Tenny, eyebrows raised, trod on what he hoped was Algy's foot, but the young man burbled on: "In no time at all." Too late, Tenny discovered that he had been mistakenly treading on Phyllis' foot. "Tenny," she said icily, "when you've removed your foot, would you mind telling us what Colonel Nielson is getting him out of?" "Jail, if I know Hugh Drummond!" sniffed Aunt Blanche. "How did you guess?" asked Algy stupidly. "Tenny, is Captain Drummond in jail?" "Well—er—you see, there—there has been a little misunderstanding. Miss " "Just a temperaiT guest," said Algy, laughing weakly. "Nothing serious." "Bravo!" said Aunt Blanche dryly. "Hugh Drummond adds another jail to his collection!" " Poor Hugh!" cried Phyllis, running to the door. "He needs me!" "Well, where are you going?" "To the jail!" Aunt Blanche followed. So did Algy and Tenny, after discovering from Therese that " her Gaston " had taken the precious radio to the police station to " fix it." "Fix it? Fix it!" yelped Algy. "Oh. he's probably got it all apart, operating on it!" Phyllis marched into the police station to find, to her amazement, that Colonel Nielson was ah-eady with the little mayor. The Commissioner had flown over to attend personally to Drummond. He had explained that the Englishman was not really a criminal—only a heartless monster who had, time after time, jilted the beautiful girl he had promised to marry. The sentimental heart of the mayor was touched. "This time I assure you, as Mayor of Targemont, I will see that the beautiful lady is not disappointed. This heartless Captain Drummond will be forced to keep his vows. I, Jean Philippe Louis Napoleon November 18th, 1939. 1