Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday He's reallv conscious now, but he can't talk." "I'll see if I can get him to talk." Mac moved purposefuU.v to the side of the bed, but the nurse caught at his arm. '• You don't understand," she expostu- lated. "His mouth is so badl.v scarred he won't be able to speak for weeks." "Has Dr. Towne had a look at his eyes?" asked Bob. "Yes," she nodded. "Blind?" She nodded again. "Corneas terribly iu,jured," she said. "Doesn't look as though he's going to be very much help to us," growled Mac. Bob stood looking thoughtfully at the blind and speechless janitor. "I have a hunch who's going tO identify the murderer," he said suddenly. "Who?" asked Mac eagerly. "Dr. Morton." The detective looked at him in some concern. "Wait a minute, son," he reproved. "Dr. Morton's dead! You'd better be careful, or you'll be winding up in a strait- jacket ! " "No, I'm serious," Bob assured him. " You see the corneas of Dr. Morton's eyes are lao earthly good to him, but they can restore Tony's sight! In other words, the murdered man's own eyes will identify his murderer! " The detective was nonplussed. "I don't get it," he complained. "Neither did the medical profession, until just lately," returned Bob. "But now we are able to make successful implanta- tions of human corneal grafts, and re- store eyesight to men and women who thought they'd be blind for the rest of their lives." "But Dr. Morton's dead," objected Mac. "But his eye tissues aren't—yet! Of course, we'll have to get permission from his nearest I'elative to remove them. Maybe Norman Kennedy can help us." BOY'S CINEMA Bob turned to the nurse. "Get me Dr. Kennedy, please." Tony, being dtaf as well as blnid and dumb, was, of course, unaware of the con- versation. The nurse spoke into a wall telephone to Dora, at the reception de.sk, and Dora was about to speak into the dictograph there, when Norman Kennedy strolled along the corridor with the nurse Ann Stokes. Dora ran to meet him. "Oh, Dr. Kennedy," she cried, "that policeman fellow wants you ! He's coming down—he wants to talk to you about something." "Tell him you haven't seen me," said Kennedy. "I—I can't," she stammered. "He'd know I was lying." Kennedy was crossing the hall with the nurse when Bob and Mac emerged from the cage of a lift and saw him. Mac hailed him, and he had to stop. "We want to ask you a couple of ques- tions," the detective informed him, and Bob said: "I wonder if you can tell us the name of your uncle's nearest relative? " It was evident from the expression on his face that Kennedy did not like that question at all, and Mac became suspi- cious. "Wliat does his will say?" he barked. "Who gets the dough?" "Why," said Ann Stokes incautiously, "Norman does." Kennedy looked at her so furiously that she became frightened. "Did I say anything wrong?" she fal- tered. "You said just the right thing, lady," Mac informed her with satisfaction. " Well, are you his nearest relative? " "Yes," admitted Kennedy with a bad grace, "but what difference does that make?" Before Mac could blurt out anything likely to antagonise the young surgeon. Bob intervened. "Norman," he said persuasively, "I think we can save Tony's eyesight if .you will give us permission to use j'our uncle's eyes." Kennedy knew exactly what he meant f^. did not reply. He stood biting his " "Well?" asked Bob. " Why—er—yes. sure," hesitated Keii- nedy. "Why not?" Bob went to the reception desk. " Who's on duty in Tony's room to- night?" he questioned. "Wait just a minute," said Dora, "and I'll find out for .\ou." Kennedy and Ann went off together, and Mac joined Bob at the counter-like desk. "I think we ought to have someone in Tony's room that we can trust," Bob .said to him in a low voice, " because if thi? murderer knows what we're up to the janitor's on the spot again." "That's right," approved the detective "How about a room for me? It looks like I'm going to be here for quite a while." Bob said that Dora would attend to that, and he asked her to do so, after she had looked up a list of assignments and had informed him that Ann Stokes would be on duty in Tony's ward that night. Bob and Mac walked away together, and a few moments afterwards Hank leaned over the desk. "Ain't it my luck?" he grumbled. "I've got to take the ambulance out just when I'm luiravelling this whole case. An;, clues? " Dora shook her blonde head. "They don't even tell me the time of day aroimd here." she said. THE THIRD SCALPEL AT ten o'clock that night Ann Stokes was sitting beside Tony's bed, read- ing a magazine, when Norman Kennedv turned the handle of the door, found thar the door was bolted, and knocked. Ann rose and crossed the room. "Who is it?" she called. "Just as I expected," muttered Mac. "A confession! I knew that heart routine o! his was a fake ! " December 2nd. 1339.