Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday any sucli su;ii Mary Lou prosoiitod him with till- sialeiiient mid pullioicil up the bags. "VVIial's this?" lio iiowlod. " ^'(111 now owo tlio ' l?ee-Giailoii ' only forly four dollars mid twoiily-scvoii cents,'' slii> told him with a most engaging sniilo. "(ioodhyo, Mr. Wiciions." She was out of I ho store licforo he had roc^ovorcd tiio power of spcocli, hut sho who had dolivoriHl a shock was about to recoivo one. As slio tripped tlown the stop.s a motor- truck stopped by tho kerb and a thick-sot and wide-faced man jumped down from its cabin. Ill) was Henry Harton, proprietor of tho big-Host transport and storage business in tho town. "Mary I,ou !" lie called. "Yes?" She went to hiui, watched by tho two old loafers. "How much do I owe the ' rSec-Clarion ' for that last advertisement?" "Six dollars," sho replied without a niomenl's hesitation. "There you are." • She gaped at tho notes he pooled from a wad and hold out to her. "Henry, please!" sho exclaimed. "You ■shouldn't frighten people like this!" "What's the matter?" "Do you realise that you're the only per- son in Fanosville who believes in paying tho ' Boe-Ciarion ' y" He ch.ickled. "When I owe a debt," he said, "I pay it. Besides. I figure maybe Stevo would be able to use tho money." She accepted the notes and gave him smile for smile. "Things could bo bettor," sho confessed. "I'll send you a receipt." "No hurry—any time. Can I carry those for you?" Sho declined the offer, bade him good bye, and went olT down tlie street. A PIECE OF NEWS THE printing and publishing office of the "Bee-Clarion" was near the bottom of Main Sireot, on the groimd floor of a two- story building. The paper had been a weelcly one until Steve Lewis had inherited it frorn his maternal grandfather, but ho had con- verted it into a daily—and often wished that he hadn't. Originally one big room, with odd nooks and corners, had constituted editorial ofTice, BOY'S CINEMA composing room, printing works, publishing odico, and (at times) dining-room to jjoot, but since Sieve had taken po.s.session a partition had Ixjon erected to .screen tho old fashioned printing pros.s and Iho typo cases from liio public gaze and to isolate the editorial and publishing department. A long miiliogany rail, with a little gate in it, kept visitors anti purchasers at a dis- tance, and tho space- bolwecii tho partition and tho mahogany rail was carpeted and fur- nished with cabiiiet.5, pictures, cliairs, and a small (able. Stevo was pounding away at a typewriter on tho table when Mary liOU pushed"open (ho front door with an elbow, pushed open llie gate in tho rail with a thigh, and dumped tlie pa])or-bags beside tho tyiiewritor. "Stovie!" she cried joyfully. "Stevio, I've found a real feature story for you !" Steve, a nice, clean-looking young fellow, athletic of build, with clear grey eyes, brown hair brushed well back from" aii excellent brow, and tho sort of mouth that goes with a whimsical tiaturo, ripped froin tlie machine the shoot of paj'or upon which he had boon typing, screwed it into a ball and tossed it into a wastopaper-basket. "You have?" he said incredulously. Mary Lou pointed to the paper-bags with a flouri.sh of her hand. "I just hijacked those out of Obadiah Wickens." "No!" "Yes-and that isn't all. One of our advertisers paid his bill !" "I can't print that," laughed Steve. "No- body would believe it—including me." "Here you are !" Tlu; six dollars, in notes, were removed from her handbag and placed before him. "Henry Barton paid in full." "Why didn't his mother have more children?" Stevo picked up the notes and offered them back. "Hero, honey, you take them. Part payment on your backsalary." But Mary Lou would not accept the notes. "Iveep thoin. Stove." she said. "Our creditors yell a lot louder than I can." "Our beloved creditors can aft'ord to wait, and you need " "No, I don't!" Sho clapped a little hand over his mouth. "Keep it." He kissed the hand and rose to kiss its owner. "Say, how about that headline?" the owner questioned, for front-page headlines wore as difTicult to devi«c, in a town where little hap- Iieiied, aH they were essential (o the papir. ^ "I walked my legH olT," Sl<?vc respo:u.'od, 'and hore'u the renulls." Ho Hipped /ho I>ago< of a notebook. "The La.lios Aid Soci(>ty hud a meeliug-nolhitig happe/:<»d. 'J'lio Chamber of (loitiinonc considered Ilio paving of Cedar Street—loo expensive. JJo you .see any forl^y-eight jioint in that?" J''orty eight point was the size of the type iiMid for lieadlincs in the " Bee-Clarion." Mary Lou shook her auburn head. "Wo could get married," she suggested brightly. "That oiiglit to bo good "for a real front-page story." "'Kditor marries beautiful a.ssistant,' " said Steve, as though quoting from hin own paper. "'.Jailed for noii-&ui)port.' No, I ilon't mind underpaying ni\ a.ssistant, but I'm not enough of a heel to starve njy wife." He sat down at the table again, resting his chin on a fist and trying to think of some- thing suitable. "How about—how about 'Chief of Police Law.son announces a new drive on highway speeders'?" asked Mary Lou. "I've used that three times this month!" Sho picked up tho paper bags. "I'll^stay and cook you some dinner," sho said. "That ought to make you feel better. Don't forgot it's real groceries this liiije." There was a kitchen of no great size at tho back of the promises, and she went off to it. Steve racked his brains, but could think of no better headline than the one she had sug- gested, and that headline was set. Some inore or less accurate stuff was set to go with it, and an overworked block of Samuel Q. Lawson, Chief of Police, was brought out from its resting-place by a quaint little old follow who was chief compositor, machine- minder, and staff. His name was ICelly, and he was known as "Pi." His hair and his clipped inoustacho were white as snow; his eyes were small and generally looked tired, but he was an in- defatigable worker. Steve had inlieritod him with the paper, so to speak. The rest of the i.ssue was ready for tho press. _ A proof of the front jjage was pulled, ' and Steve and Pi were examining it wher'i Mary Lou emerged from the kitchen, her face flushed with heat. She was wearing a jersey and the skirt of her costume, and over both was a pinafore upon The front of v.'hich «« IVTiic*' Must've come oH duria' the fight," rejoiced Samuel, his fat face beaming January 20th, 1940.