Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

a "I'll go," Jc'fE said, getting up. "You start th« party." He went through into the hall and opened the front door. Outside was Mike Halloran, editor of one of the city's newspapers. He was the man Jeff had once worked for, and they still had a great deal of respect for each other. "Hallo, JofTr'c Halloran said. "I hope I haven't conic at a bad time, hut I rather wanted to see you personally. It's about tho.se primary returns you read out in your broad- cast." "What about them?" "Look, JefF, you can see the way things are going. Unless something happens to stop him. Furrow is going to get in again, and you know what that means. Uncle Dan is doing w^hat he can, but he hasn't anything like your pull, and so I thought " JeflF held up a hand to stop him. "Mike, I like you, and I've always listened to you," he said. "But I'm not interested in this Fallow business." Mike saw that Jeff was obstinate, but he pereisted, all the same. "The people don't really want Farrow," he said. "But Farrow has bought and slugged his way to the top. Doesn't that teach you anything?" "Yes—an old lesson. It teaches me that it's none of my business." "Jeff, when you worked for me, you knew the difference between .something crooked and soinoHiing on the level." " Maybe. But I'm not a newspaperman any more." "But even an ex-newspaperman has opinions," said Halloran. "That's right," Jeff agreed, "and if he's smart, he keep!? them to himself. I'm sorry, Mike, but I'm not playing. Now let's forget all about politics. Come in and enjoy Buddy's biiHiday party. You know all about the old Sluinnon hospitality by this time." Halloran sliook' his head. His eyes were liard. "No. not to-night," he answered. "Nor any other night, either. All I'll take from a gnv I've lost anv regard for is my hat. Good'niffht!" And he turned and stamped away. Jeff returned to the living-room. Laurel saw that he was a bit thoughtful as he sat down, and asked : "Who was that, dear?" " Kli ? Oh. just somebody trying to soil something," he answered, and she knew that it was no good asking any more questions. The party started in real earnest. Uncle Dan. with Felix on his knee, sat next to Buddy, and every time Buddy's plate was empty. Uncle Dan made Felix ask for more— then gave it to Buddy. Buddy ate so much that he was in danger of bursting. Suddenly the party came to an end. There was a ci ash of glass, and one of the windows fell in. Peaches and Jeff leapt to their feet and started. Theic, lying on the carpet, was a pineapple. To it was tied a piece of paper. Peaches rusi.cd across and picked it up. He felt it carefully. "It's a good one," he said. He looked at the piece of paper. It was folded, and on the outside was scrawled the words: "For Uncle Dan." Peaches handed the note over, produced a penknife, and carved himself off a bit of the fruit. He put it into his mouth and chewed on it appreciatively. Then he saw the expres- sion on Uncle Dan's face. "Hey, anything the matter?" he inquired. Uncle Dan held up the paper and read slowly: "If you don't lav off Farrow, the next one is going to be loaded." Pe.nchos blinked. "This one was loaded enough," he said. "It broke one of Jeff's windows. What does it mean, anyway?" Jeff sighed and took Peaches to one side, so that Buddy and Laurel should not hear. "Oanistcrs call bombs pineapples," he said January 20th, 1910. BOY'S CINEMA in a low voice. " Now supposing you shut up before you scare anybody." Peaches shut up. He did not seem very interested, anyway. He was too busy eating. OPEN WARFARE A WEEK later Jeft" was in the television studio, going over the notes for his next bioadcast. when Uncle Dan came in excitedly. He threw a copy of a newspaper on Jeff's desk. "Have you seen the late City Edition of the ' News-Tril)uno ' ?"' he asked. "No." Jeft replied, and picked the paper up. He read: "' Joff Shannon Joins Fight Against Farrow—Noted Television Reporter to Wield Powerful Influence.' H'm! That's putting it a bit thick, isn't it? Sounds like you wrote that article." "Mike Halloran wrote it," Uncle Dan said. "And he told me to say that he wanted you to forget all he's said to you." Jeft" grinned and glanced at the paper again. He wasn't particularly interested in what Mike Halloran felt about things. He had changed his mind about fighting Farrow, it was true; but he had changed it because of a pineapple, and not because of a newspaper. "I go on in seventeen minutes," he said pointedly to Uncle Dan. "That gives me just enough time to chock over my notes." Uncle Dan chuckled at the polite way he was being thrown out. "I'll run down to your home and listen on your sot. Shall I tell Laurel you'll phone her later?" "Sure." UiH^le Dan wont on his wa.y, and Joff began to read over his conimontary carefully. Peaches came in with a couple of film boxes in his hand. "I'm putting the stuff on the projector, Jeff," he said. "Right," Jeff answered, without looking up. Peaches went out into the projection-room, and Jeft' continued reading. Suddenly the door opened softly, and a man came in. Ho walked soft-footod across to the desk and laid on it a visiting-card. Joff glanced up at him and scowled. The visitor was a pasty-faced individual with deep- set eyes and a cruel mouth. He did not take his hat off. "I'm busy," Jeff snapped. He picked up the visiting-card and handed it back. "I recognised you without that, Sutter." Sutter smiled coolly. He was used to being treated offhandedly. " I won't take up much of your time," he said. "But I could use that fifteen minutes you're doing on the air to-night." "So could a lot of other people," Jeff replied dryly. flutter smiled thinly. "You're pretty much sold on this anti- Farrow broadcast, aren't you?" he said. " Get yourself a television set within the next five minutes and you'll find out." "I'll do that all right," Sutter remarked. "I'm one of your fans." " Maybe you're also one of Uncle Dan's fans," Jeff snapped. "Maybe you admire him so much that you send him fruit." Sutter gazed at the ceiling, laughing softly. "He's a great guy. that Uncle Dan," he said. "You know. Shannon, it occurs to me that you're working much too hard. You .should relax for a while—from politics, at any rate." "Is that a throat?" Jeff asked sharply. ''No; just good advice." With his walking stick, Sutter indicated a photograph of Buddy that stood on Jeff's desk. "That's a nice- looking kid, Shannon." "Let it alone," Jeff growled. He was beginning to find Sutter wearying. Sutter pretended to start. In doing so, he knocked the photograph on the floor, smashing its gla.ss. "Gosh, I'm sorry!" he said, pretending to bo genuinely concerned. "I do hope it isn't going to be a bad omen. Didn't T read sotiio- whero that when that happens, there's going to he a death in the family?" And before Jeff could do anything about him, he turned and walked out through the door. Every Tuesday Joff stared after him. He knew what had been behind Sutter's words. Sutter was the man behind Farrow; he was the one who ran gambling saloons and half the rackets in town. And lie vvas rotten through and through. Jeff did some fast thinking. He knew that Sutter would stop at nothing so long as ho got his own way. He was a killer, and not very nice in his methods. And if Jeft' took sides against Farrow, Sutter would try to kill Laurel and Buddy. Jeff loved his wife and kid. He didn't par- ticularly love the city administration. When he came to weigh things up, it didn't really matter to him one way or the other who was elected mayor, but it did matter that Laurel and Buddy were safe. A loudspeaker on the wall suddenly inter- rupted his thoughts. "You're on in two minutes, Mr. Shannon." Jeff made up his mind. He turned and ran into the projection box. Meanwhile, in Jofi's home. Uncle Dan and his dummy Felix were sitting close to the television .set. Buddy and Laurel were also there, waiting. Suddenly the screen began to flicker, and Jeff appeared on it. He said: "Good-evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Jeff Shannon, your television reporter. To- dav there was a mooting of the Commonwealth Club, and Mi-s. Robert Eaton gave an address. Here she is, speaking." The woman appeiired, and gave a short speech. Then the scene shifted, showing an aircraft carrier. Jeff described it in detail. Then he went on to the six-day bicycle race. LTnclc Dan began to look troubled. "What's he supposed to bo doing?" he asked. "He's only got a couple of minutes left. He'll need all of that to start the anti- Farrow ca.npaign." Jeff went on about the race. Then he re- turned to the screen, and said: "That's all for to-day. folks. You'll be see- ing and hearing mo again this time to-morrov/. Good-bye." Buddy looked from his mother to Uncle Dan and back again. He saw that they were troubled and disappointed. He asked: "What's the matter?" Laurel got up and took him by the hand. "You'd better say good-night to Uncle Dan and Felix," she said in a curiously quiet voice. "It's your bedtime." • Buddy said good-night, and Laurel took him upstairs. She came down again ten minutes later, just as Jeff lot himself in at the front door. Jeff walked into the living-room irrit- ably. There was a long silence. Then Jeff burst out: "Wh,.t a cheerful place I've come into! Why doesn't somebody talk?" Both Uncle Dan and Laurel deliberately- avoided looking at him. "I don't know what there is to say, Jeff," Uncle Dan said. "It was my programme, huh?" Jeff went on. "Well, I know it isn't what I said I would put on, but somehow I couldn't go through with it." "You don't have to give me any excu.ses," said Uncle Dan in a hard voice. Jeff glared at him, and snapped back: "I don't intend to." Laurel came over and put her hand on Jeff's arm. "You promised Uncle Dan something dif- ferent, Jeff," she said gently. "Well, what of it? Do you want me to get down on my knees and apologise because I didn't blast the air full of political talk? Any- body would think I'd committed a crime." Uncle Dan shook his head. "It isn't that." ho said. "But someone who commands public attention must expose Farrow for what he is." "Well, what about you ?" Jeff answered. " Mike Halloran will always give .you space in his newspaper, and you have a weekly booking on the air ^ifith Felix." "I'd so something fast enough if I had some real fact; to go on the air with," Uncle Dan said. ■ Jeff promptly put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a telegram. Ho unfolded it and he'd it out. " All right," he said. " You asked for it, and