Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday Mild Sylvia was lie (lid, however. Uncle Frank dcnniircd, asked tn pcisuade him. All was to add to the dect'ptioii. "Well, you soe, it's not just a matter of Imsiness, Mr. Abbott," she said. "Jt's—it's fatluM-'s tu'allh. The doctor insi.sts that he shall f>() to Florida." Unclir Frank's face coidd be a "poker face " when neccssaiy, and he did not betray his astonisiuncnt at thus arquiring a dauffhtei', a doctor, and the moatis to t;o to a playground of the vvoaltiiy. He just kept f|nict. Abbott, on the other hand, waxed eloquent. "Now, Miss llifiKins," ho wheedled, "think of what it would mean to tho.se boys to lie ^volconled by a successful old yrad—an out- slandinn citizen who .symbolises the ideal McKiiilcy man. A man who has made a jilace for himself in the world. Think of the incentive to tho.se kids! What do you .say?" Sylvia looked at her alleijed father, and her alleged father looked at her. " Well, Mr. Abbott, I'll try and arrange my affairs," said I'ncle Frank, and rose because he wanted ta.escajie, "That's the spirit!'' I'lied bVtitofllv "I l,-np\r vnii rrliildii'i I(vi\e ill (he del uK to me I'll w hen they (omo ni cm I i( i( h \ou Ml "At T( nth (TK ' M [)ou & rouipain on \\ ill S\lvi) ( ut in " Ml fitlici'-. mill inc I- ri iriMcted thoie It'^ \pi\ smiph & ComnuiN '" ';\\ell M(Kinl(\ n.ilK : tlie«< dns'" S\l\ii lo^e Hid took lipi " ^^' '.e \pi \ I it( fathci bve Ml M.bott " "Ooodbve folk-" \1 Abbott de .■Bf.lQO TV,,,, BOY'S CINEMA Avenue, and a high board fence enclosed the site. Above the fence some of the skeleton steelwork was visible. Sylvia found a wicket in a gale in the fence and picked her way between balks of timber, .stacks of bricks, and a litter of rolled steel joi.-ts and stanchions to a little wooden shanty that showed a light. Inside the shanty were shelves- upon whiih tools reposed a very rougli bench, a stool, a chair without any liack, and a stove that smoked. Unch; Fiank was sitting on the stool in front of the stove, deep in thought, when Sylvia stepped in at the door and saw him in the light of a lantern. "Hallo!" she called. Uncle Frank swung round on the stool, returned the greeting, and got to his feet. " Welcome to the private office of the Iliggins Construction Company," he said dryly. "Do you have to spend the night in a place like this?" she asked, ga/.ing about her in marked distaste. "Oh, it's really not so bad after a v\hilc." ho told her. "Especially when you have com- aiK Hi- a the cold wintc-r niglitH in a lo')Selv boardfirt, badly heated liight-walchinuirs sliai k on 'I'entli A\i'iiiie ' " " IJncli' Frank I" She looked up at him with Komclhint; suspiciously like moisture in lier eycB. "We ran explain that, too," he said. "We can say it was a liobliy of the j)resideiit of tho comiiany." She jump<(l up ami flung her arms about him. "Oh, darling. Tin .so sorry," she grieved. "It's all my fault-I told them your name." " Yes," he agreed, " and I enjoyed every minute of it. Do you think I went down thero for IJilly's sake? Or because I cared a hang for McKinley or a football game? Huh! I.,ike a fool, I was trying to run away from this shack. Trying to convince iiiy.self that .something I was, thirty years ago, still meant something. That's why I was a party to ridiculous lies." "I imdeisland. Uncle F'lank," she nodded miserably. "Hut there are thousands of niglit- Fitz was watching Uncle Frank's face, but Sylvia's eyes were on the speaker. " Oh, that's a shame ! " she cried mu(h iSiow I'll handle ill the iiiaiucments and keep in touch with \oi (»ood b\e ' The two deceivers weie silent nil ihey reached the street. Uncle Frank was on his \vay home to rest. Sylvia was on her way to the oQice. "It was as much my fault as it was yours," she said in a worried voice. " This is really dangerous and a little silly." "I know," growled her uncle. "I should have said something." "I'm late for the office now—and they may decide to call Mr. Dow. We'd better talk this over to-night. Good-bye." She hurried off to catch a subway train, and Uncle Frank turned in the opposite direction. There was a troubled expression on her face, hut there was half a smile on his as he trudged along the pavement. Neither time nor opportunity for any private discussion of the matter presented itself that evening, but at a suitable interval after supper Sylvia left the flat and travelled down to West Twenty-Eighth Street. A new skyscraper was being erected on a site that liad been cleared at the corner of that thoroughfare and Tenth pan\ ' Ik (lointed to tht, bai kU-o (liui ' Tiv this antique ' No, tuanks;' She leaned against ihe bench. "Have you thought of anything we can do?" "Well, there never was anything to worry about." " Then why did you come down to Dow & Company when you ought to have been asleep ? You know you were afraid Mr. Abbott might call—or telephone." "A fine daughter you tinned out to be, for- getting your father's health so soon! As I recall, we were to go to Florida." "Florida?" She had forgotten that little tovich of hers. "Of course—that makes it all so simple! We can send Abbott a note." "Exactly. Take a letter. Miss Higgins." She sat down on the backless chair, after all, and she made a pretence of using a note- book and pencil while he made a pretence of dictating a letter. " ' My dear Mr. Abbott, I regret that Mr. Higgins' physician insists upon him leaving immediately for the South. It has been found that his rheumatism, resulting from spending will Inn II in tiK uoild It ^ a pti lee tl\ honest plot -11)11 " \ e?. bur niosr oi rhem never had a chance to be anything else—and I had I You run along, honey—I've got to go on my tour of inspection." She dropped her aims and sighed. "It is a shame that no one will meet the team, isn't it?" "Yeah, I suppose so." He gnawed his under-lip. "You know, honey, the game itself never meant so much. It was the excitement before the game—class-mates patting you on the back—the huge bonfires on the (ampus. The cro\xd cheered the players one by one. Tlie dean made a speech. And up you went on the shoulders of your friends, and you were carried around in a snake dance. Yes." He took his tweed overcoat from a nail, and there were real tears in her eyes as she helped him into the coat. " I think you should rrj.-pt the team," she said with emotion. " Honestly'I Ao. It will only be for a few days. I can get someone to help us—I'm sure I can." February lOih, 1910.