Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

■■ Von huirjr along home," luped Uncle Kii.iiK, and he picked up the lighted lantein. THE ARRIVAL WHEN Sylvia arrived at the office next morning her ijortly employer was per- ionning exerci^es with a medicine-ball in his own room, keeping time with suitable innsic from the radio set. He believed in exercise, and he was anxious to keep superHuous flesh at bay. Sylvia interrupted hi? performance hv rinir- ing through to him on the telephone to ask if she could speak to him for a moment on a I)ei-sonal matter, but when .~he entered his room he was in the act of tossing the stuffed leather ball and catching it. "Well, JMiss Higgins, what do you want?" he inquired without a pause in his exertions. "Mr. Dow, you like sports, don't you?" she tfiiid, stepping as near to him as she dared. "Yes." The ball was tossed. "Some men overdo it. though." Tlie ball was caught. "It's JMSt a hobbv of mine."' "Well, then. ^ir. Dow, I " "Go on, speak up!" But cnnveisation was almost impossible under such conditions. She sped to the radio set and turnefl it off. "Mr. Dow." .-he said, "you simply havp to listen to me!" The ball was dropcpd and loleld uix)n the carpet, and Mr. Dow positively glared at his l)eautiful secretary. "Miss Higgius !" he exploded. "I—I'm vciy sorry," she stanunered, "but ■ it's terribly important. How would you like 1o meet the Mclvinley coach—all the players— and maybe sit on the bench during the game ?" The glare became a stare—an eager stare. "You can arrange that?" "Yes," Sylvia assured him, "if you promise that you " "I'roniise?" cried the enthusiast. "Why, you know I'd do anything! Miss Higgins, you wouldn't deceive me, would you?" "Oh. no. Mr. Dow," said Sylvia. "You come along and sit down and I"ll explain the whole thing to you." Mr. Dow's eagerness was so greai that he did not stop to put on his discarded jacket before he sat down in his chair, and Sylvia had the whole of his attention till lier story was told. The McKiuloy team was to arrive in Xow York on the morrow, and the stockbroker expressed hiuiself as only too delighted to do everything that she Avished him to do. Neither he nor she spent much time in the office next morning. .lust before two o'clock Sylvia and liilly were in Uncle Frank's bed- room, aud Sylvia was adjusting the spotted tie that was to go with Uncle Frank's best suit, when the front-door bell rang and Mrs. Higgins answered its summons. Edgar Arthur Dow had r>mg the bell, but Mrs. Higgins had never met her daughter's emiiloyer, and she looked him up and down with suspicious eyes. "Yes, what is it?" she asked sharply. "How do you do, madam?" bowed Mr. Dow. "We don't want anything to-day, thank you." "But I—I—I " The door was slanuued in the bewildered caller's face, and Mrs. Higgins was crossing the living-room when the bell rang again. Once more she opened the door, and once n)ore she contemplated the troubled features of Mr. Dow. Something in those features cau.sed her to relent. "All right," slie said, "come in." Mr. Dow followed her smilingly into the living-room, but she still believed him to be a salesman of .some sort and she pointed to a chair. "Sit there and wait," she directed. "A man with your persistence shoidd go far." Mr. Dow was speechless, but he sat: and Mrs. Higgins bustled off to see how her brother was getting along. That brother was now almost completely arrayed, and Billy was gazing admiringly at him. "Gee, Uncle Frank," breathed the VOung>ler, " nobody'd g\ie.ss in a million years Ih'at you're a night-watchman !" "A what?" reproved Sylvia. "Oh, I beg vour pardon, president of the February lOlh, 1940. BOY'S CINEMA Higgins Construction Company." Billy saluted. "I'm very happy to meecher." "I wi.sh you'd stop that stupid nonsense!" stormed Mrs. Higgins in the doorway. "All this excitement about a college coming to town !" "Yeah," piped Billy, "and if the lady that wrote your cook-book said she was coniin' up to din'ner to-night. I'll bet you'd be so excited you wouldn't know what to do." If Mrs. Higgins was not'exactlj' excited she was flustere<l. "Billy," she said, "will you do something nice for mother? There's a salesman waiting in there. See that he doesn't steal anything." " Okay. I'm a cop." Billy strutted off into the living-room. But after one penetrating look at Mr. Dow he abandoned all idea of being a cop. "Do you play football?" lie inquired con- versationally. "Well,'' admitted the stockbroker, "when I was in college I was a substitute on the 'Varsity." A few minutes afterwards a resounding crash in the living-room sent Mrs. Higgins off to it in haste, and she was followed by Sylvia and Uncle Frank. A small table was lying on its side, a vase that had been standing on the table was in fragments on the floor, a foot- ball was rolling across the room, and Mr. Dow and Billy were regarding the damage rather blankly. Mrs. Higgins shouted at her offspring and faced the supposed salesman wrathfully. "I'll have you know my living-room is no place for a rough house!" she cried. "On yoiu- way !" "Mother!" shrilled Sylvia. "Mr. Dow is my employer !" "Mr. Dow?" gasped Mrs. Higgins. " YoiR- Oh!" And she sank feebly into the chair she had told Mr. Dow to occupy. At five minutes to three. Mr. Dow, Uncle Frank, Sylvia and Billy alighted in turn from a magnificent car. the property of the stock- broker, at Grand Central Station, and Arnold J. Abbott met them there. "I certainly appreciate you folks turning out this way for me," he boomed. "Xow, if you don't mind, I'd like to get a couple of pictures." He led the way through a milling crowd to a roped-off space where a group of reporters and Press (ihotographers were waiting, and there the quartet were posed and films were exposed. "Who are the morning suits, Abbott?" a reporter inquired while tlie pictures were being taken, and Abbott rejilied that the "big fellow " was Dow of Dow & Company. "Is he a McKinley man?" asked another reporter. "Oh, no," was the glib reply. "He just carries the money-bags for the other fellow— Higgins. He's the iSIcKinley man. Class of nineteen-o-four—and he is class ! All class !" The train containing the McKinley team steamed in to its appropriate platform only a few minutes behind scheduled time, and the custodian of the gate that led to the platform gave a pre-arranged signal to Abbott, who promptly bellowed at the top of his voice: " Here they come ! Here they come, boys ! Here they come !" It was an army of Negro porters that ai)peared, bearing or trundlijig luggage. The reporters laughed, but the members of the McKinley team were on their way, and Sylvia said to her uncle : "Do you think you'll know anybody?" "Dutch Bronson, the coach," was the con- fulent reply. "He played on the same team with me for three years." To the accompaniment of cheers from the crowd—kept in tlie backgroiuid by police officers—the members of the team streamed out at the gate with their coach, and they undoubtedly looked a fine set of fellows. Behind them came the McKinley band, play- ing the players into New York City. 'i'he reporters pounced on the football players, but Abbott pounced on a tall, long- featured man who looked as though he might be in charge. " Mr. Bronson ?" "Yes," responded the coach. "My name is Abbott. Mr. Bronson, I want you to meet my one man Alumni Committee- Frank Higgins." Every Tuesday Billy was adoring the football play(?r.s; the McKinley band ha.J stopped marching;, but had not by any moans stopped playing the college .song. Dutch Bronson was swei»t over to Uncle Frank, and the meeting bet.weon tho two veterans was a thing SA'lvia. kucw she would remember all her life. Yet there was nothing extraordinary about the words that w ere uttered; it was tho way two hne old faces became all lit up—the fervency with which two hands met and clasped. "Frank !" "Dutch! Hew've you been, Dutch? Say, it's good to meet you again !" Dutch beamed at\ Mr. Dow, who had yet to be introduced, and clapped a hand upon Abbott's shoulder. "Say. d'you know who this is?'' he, asked joyously. " Why, he's a McKinley legend ! Where did you dig him up?" The reporters had found th.e pride of ]\IcKinley College, their quarter-back, Edwin Thornton, nicknamed "Brainy." He was a perfect specimen of young manhoed phys- ically, very tall, red-headed, blue-eyed and good-looking, but considering that he came from Texas and a comparatively unknown college, the reporters ranked him as conceited. "Think it'll be a tough game?" one of them questioned. "I don't know why it should be," Brainy languidly responded. Luke Kelly, of the "Herald," said with quiet sarcasm : "Those Gale boys play football, too, you know. " "t)h. sure!'' drawled Brainy. "Don't get me wrong, but I've just got a hunch we're not the same league." The reporters abandoned him to the photo- graiiliers, and then Dutch Bronson called hini over. "Shake hands with Lucky Higgins," he said, "the best there ever Was." Brainy shook hands with Uncle'Frank. "Well, I've heard a lot about you, sir," he said. _ '■ " And !Miss Higgins," said Bronson. Brainy gave one long look at Sylvia, and something happened to his heart. "Oh. hallo!" he greeted, casually enough. "Hallo!" she returned, still more casually. Bronson took Uncle Frank off to Wieet the rest of the team, and Mr. Dow^ went with them. '■ "Well," said Brainy to Sylvia, "they never told me a thing about you. I hope to see you a lot while we're in New York." Abbott had intercepted the representative of the " Herald." "Ginnne a nice break, will you, Kelly?" he pleaded. "I've got eighty thousand seats to sell. Couple o' feature stories?" "Sure!" nodded the sports writer. "I've got the first lead all written." Abbott blinked. "What, already?" Luke Kelly nodded again. "A tall wind just blew in from Texas," ho said with scorn. "You don't need a game, Abbott. Put Brainy Thornton in tho centre of the field and let him pose." "Aw. Kelly, take it easy, will you?" besought Abbott plaintivelj'. The trainer of the team rounded up its members, the band formed ui> behind tho team, and off went the whole procession to parade through the streets to the fSarlmore Hotel, in Madison Avenue, where rooms had been booked by Abbott. That enterprising publicity manager accom- panied the procession, but Dutch Bronson travelled the very short distance in Mr. Dow's magnificent car with its owner, Uncle Frank, Sylvia and Billy. "THE TALL WIND FROM TEXAS" AT the hotel Billy insisted upon waiting in tlie lounge with his sister to watch tho arrival of the team, but Mr. Dow insisted upon celebrating the occasion with Bronson and Uncle Frank in a private sitting room. The team arrived, and Brainy Thornton seemed delighted to encounter .Sylvia again. The hotel possessed a roof garden, and she took him up to it to show him the city while her small brother was collecting autographs.