Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday "Very «()od, »ii," Poiter i0|)li«;tl. "I'lit. tlif iiiiiciiiiie ill tlu^ liiiiigar anil luKo off the siipei(li;iif{ei' iiml iiilfikeii. I'll bt aloiijf later."' "Yea, sir," said I'oiler, ami vvciil, awny. Dcirotliy closed tho sal'«, aiul also moved towards I lie door. "Will Ndu l>e liore when 1 jfet back?" tihe asked. "I coHldn't s;iy," JIoiikIiIoh aiisweretl. He spoke distantly, thinking ot his drawing.s. "If I'm not. make snie the safe is properly looked np lieloie you leave." "All lifjht," she .said. HouKhron did not see her go. He \va.«! niakiiif; lapid < iilciihilioiis, trying to overtome tho piolilcin of the vaonnni that eollorted roimd the intakes of his supercharger, (ire venting the engine from developing its full power. All idea of time ceased for the two men during the next few hours. Nothing muttered for eithei of them hut some lines on sheets of paper and some rows of figures on a serih- bling pad. When they had finished their work they were both dead tired. Houghton sent for Porter, told him that they were packing up for the night, and gave him instinctions to lock the drawing office after Mrs. Houghton had returned. Then he and Madison walkc<i across the Hyingfield to the big house wliere !hey all lived. Dorothy came back about a quarter of an hour later. She went into the drawing ofKcc, turned the dials of the safe combination, and pulled open the door. Slie put her pearls inside. Then It was a noise behind her nxjide her turn. Thnrloe. Without saying a word, be walked across to her and took her by the shoulders. "Jim. you oughtn't to have followed me here," she said breathlessly. "Let me go. Somebody might come in." He smiled down at her. "Just in case I didn't make my meaninj? clear eailier in the evening," he said softly. "I love you." "Jim!" She tried to pull away from him, but be held on tightly. "Jim, I told you not to speak bke that to me again." "I know you did." he replied coolly. "But somehow you don't seem to mind vei'y much." "Jim ! Let me go I" He took no notice. His eyes were dreamy as he w cut on: "If only you weren't married! We could have such fun together. Houghton isn't the kind of man who knows how to appreciate a wife. All he thinks about is superchargers .mkI BOY'S CINEMA breaking rvoids thiiig« like that. He docHh'l |«n<)w what it is to live." He pulled her closer to him and kinsi'd her. For a inoinenl she resisted; lh< n kIic t.'lung Ui him. Hut only for a few seconds. SIk; tore her- self away frantically. "Jim, this must slop!" she insisted. "We're behaving foolishly. Walk across to the house with me." Thnrloe shrugged. " All right," he said. They went out together. TIniiloi' luiued out ihe lights and locked the door ;;f(er him, not realising that. Porter had alrea<ly been told to do it. They walked away into Ihe (hiikness. And Porter, who had been standing close to the big windows looking in. watched Ihem go, an enigmatic smile about his lips. BLACKMAIL ! HOtJCHTON an<l Madi.-on .^lio.lo into the (hawing ofilce the next morning. They were both feeling pretty good. "Well, ()1<1 boy," Madison said, "if only the mech.-inics do their stiifl all right t.o day. wo ought to have Thuiloe making another test flight by late afternoon." " H.'f(n''^ that, I hoiie," answered Houghton, and dropped on one knee before the safe. He turned the combination and pulled open the door. As he reached inside to take out the plans, a puzzled frown sliowcd on his forehead. "That's funny!" he exclaimed. "What's funny?" Madison asked. "Someone's been at this safe. I know e.xactly the position of everything in it, and a number of things have been moved." "Peihaps your wife stirred them np a bit when she put her pearls away," Madison sug- gested. ".She wouldn't do that." Houghton replied. "She always puts them in this small drawer uiMterneath the papers." He pulled the drawer out, to disclose the pearls lying on the bottom. "You see?" Madison rubbed his chin and began to look worried. He knew that Houghton hadn't 11 iiiaih: (iiiy Miintnke -lie was riicIi a niethodicul blighter. Hoiighl^m went to the door, uiid bumped into 'i'hurlou. Thnrloe grinned at him cheer- fully. "Hallo, hallo!" he greeted. "How's the Hiipi'iehaiger coming along this ruiuniiig?" lloiiglit4:n caught hirii by the aim and pulled hiifi inside. " Did you see uiiy suspicions chnriielnrfi hnnp;- ing around hero when you Ciunc buck last night?" he asked. "No," Tlmrloe leplied. " \\'hy ? Aiiy- tlijng mi.ssing?" "You're quite sure?" "Absohilely certain. Donitliy and I camo in here, she |)iit her (learls away, and wo walked acio-s the field to the hou'-e. Wc didn't see a soul. Why, what's happened?" " MadLson will tell yon." Houghton picked'up the telephone and rang thiough to his wife. He told her to come over .to the di.iwing office, then went outside to the workshops. "I'orter!" he called. Arid when Porter came up: "Somebody's been rummaging thiough the safe during the night. Has any- one been hanging around lately—anyone we don't know, that is?" Poiter shook his head. "No, SM-, nobody," he answered. "I worked late, and everything was in order when I went to my quarters." "All right." Houghton turned away, and saw his wife crossing the flying-field. He hurried towards her. "Dorothy," he said, taking her bv (he arm. "something queer has happened." He told her about the safe. "It's serious. Somelxjdy might have got hold of those plans and pholn- graphed them. If thev have, I'm going to get it in the neck from old Hamilton." Hamilton was the owner of the airfield. ".And he in his turn will be in trouble with the Air Ministry." Dorothy looked at him with troubled eyes. "How could it have happened?" she asked. They reached the drawing office just then, and went inside. "I don't know," he answered. "Look here. " Four minutes and twenty seconds I It's the fastest time yet ! The supercharger is a success I " December 30th, . 939.