Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday he said seveivly. " l\layl)e you've l)fcii o;itii)K too m;iiiy hot doRs!" Billy had iidlliin^ to sny to llint, niiil ho >v.is silent tliioiinlioiit the vest of the joiiiiiey. lie (lid not l;iil lo notice the expicssion of iistoriishnient in Ahhott's eyes, liowcver, when the call drew np outside the niode.sl, Hj)iirtnieiit- iKuise in North End Avenue. "Is—is this ity" sasped Ahholt. "Yenh." Billy ojjened the door and jumped out on lo the pavement, "'('ome on." The drivel' was told to wait and the two momited the front steps of the huilding. "I'm heeinninif to have an awfiil fuiniy feeling." said Alihott. They r!'a<lie(l the first floor flat, and Billy rang the door-liell. Mrs. HifrifiMS appeared, aj||L lier eyes l)ul.fe(l at siKnt of the tall sfHfat^er wiio was with her son. ^TT you're the truant offieei " she hejian. "No!" cried Billy. "This is ju.^t Mr. Ahhott. mom. He's come to look for Uncle Frank." Mrs. Hijtgins' alarm was increased, rather than diminished. "Oh, no!" siie ejaculated. "Sis said it was all vigrht," Billy rea.ssuved her. " ffe can know.'" "Sure it's all riyht for me to know." Ahholt liru.slied past her into the livin.ir-room and there laised his voice. "Know what?" "T wish you wouldn't shout in my home. ^fl•. Ahhott." said Mrs. Higgins indignantly. "Follow 7ne." She led the way to Uncle Frank's loorn, leaving Billy to close the front door, and .she knocked at the hed-roorn door. No response came from within, and Ahhott turned the handle and invaded the room. A suitcase Wii< on the floor, ami l^ncle Frank was fastening the strains of a big leather bag which he had deposited on the bed. "Mr. Higgiiis, I " Uncle Frank fixed the intiiider with a steely ■tare. "Well, what do you want ?" he snap|ied. "I—I just thought you nn'ght watu to come down to the gaiue," stammered Abbott. "Dutch and the boys—they think you're luckv." •■Well, do you still think so?" .Abbott did not know what to say; he wa.* *till suffering from shock. But Billy had dived into the loom, and Billy said: "(Jee, you are lucky, Uncle Frank. It doesn't make any difference if you're just a night watchman. They don't know that, and ' 1 bet you're still lucky." He ran to his uncle, clutched at an arm, while Mrs. Higgins stood biting her lip in the door- way and Abbott stood fiddling with his hat at the foot of the bed. "Why don'r yon try, nncle?" implored the youngster. "Brainy is playin' a swell game, but we're losin"—so whv don'tcha ? Please! Won't you ?" Uncle Frank was mute, but Abbott found his tongue. "The kid's light, Mr. Higgins," he said per- suasively. "That was swell advice you^ gave Brainy last night, but it seems to me you're running out yourself. How long has it been since you really tried? How about it?" Uncle Frank let go of the strap he had been fastening and wandered off to the cupboard in which he kept his hat and overcoat. Play had been resumed .soon after Abbott had left the stadium wiih Billy, and by the time they got back to it, with Uncle Frank, there was only a quarter of an hour to go. The score was unchanged when uncle and nephew made their way to the l)ox and were greeted rapturously by Sylvia, but from the moment th(- old McKinley player took his seat miwicles began to happen. Brainy played as though inspired. What was arranged in a huddle on the part of the McKinley team nobody knew, but the next time Brainy had the ball he did not pass it—• as eveiyone expected him to do. Instead, he streaked down the field with it, and Gale men tackled him in vain. Playei' after player went down as though they had touched some high- tension wire, and a goal was shot before the goalkeeper realised what was happening. After that spectacular triumph the Gale team seemed to become demoralised. Touchdowns mounted for the McKinley team, and the game ended with a kick on Brainy's part from more BOY'S CINEMA th.in halfway up ilie field thai .-ailed lually between ih" opponent-' go.ilpoBl.s. Thc> <i<»wil wem wild, ihen, .MeKinle\ had won by tliiileen against (lute's nine! Svlvia flung her arms lound Uneli' Kr;ink's ne k .ind hugged him ecslalically, and Billy Knocked Mr. JJow's hat H.\ing "ilh one of his waving arms, 'I'he wireless eonmientator said into his portable microphone: "And now a crowd thai didn't know McKinley existed before this afternoon in try- ing to tear down those goalijostsi" 'i'he McKinlev team, headed by Biainy, rushed ovi-r to the box in which their hero was staiuhng. and they lifted him bodily ovei- the front of it and starl<'d lo carry him liiumjih- arrtly round tlio field. The (!ale men, being thorough sportsmen, joined in the procession; the din of the crowd became deafening. Mrrf flejection. excitement, .rnd ralher rough handling jnoved too much for- Uncle Kiarik. Halfway lourrd the field he fainted, and his head fell back and his liody became limp in the arms of tho-e who helrl him. They lowered him to the giouird and gathered rorrnd, con- cealing him from the croud, and otre of the players raced off to get a burket of water and a sponge. Brainy went down on his knees to loosen the old fellow's collar, while the referee applied .a wet sponge to a pallid face; and then a doctor arrived, with Bionson. and the doctor ajiplied restoratives—and directed that the sirfl'eier be taken home and jjut to bed. ■'Too much excitement for ;i heart that isn't as strong as it used to be," he said, " but all he neecis is lest." Uncle Frank was taken home in an ambul- ance, fjut he was conscious and feeling decidedly better by the time he got there, and it was only under strong protest that he went to bed. Sylvia, who had ridden with hinr in the ambulance, put flowers in his room. Billy perched himself on the end of the bed, and then Bion.son and Abbott and !Mi. Dow were ushered into the room by Mrs. Higgins. and Uircle Frank gave them a smile from his pillow. "Congratulations. Dutch." he murmured. "For what?" countered the coach. "Now don't jjo saying that the team deserved all the credit.' "Gee. no, Mr. Bion.son," piped Billy. "Every coach says that." Bionson stepped over to the bed. "Lucky," he said gravely, "this crack-up ought to be a lesson to you. Keci)iiig your nose to the grindstone all these years has been a mistake. Why don't you knock off and come hack to McKlrrley? There's an Athletic ]5oard job open. Not much of a salary, but enoirgh for pocket money." Abbotts face did not express his thoughts; Mr. Dow smiled benevolently in the liack- giound. "Thanks, Dutch," said Uncle Frank, en- deavouring to keep his emotion oirt of his voice anri very nearly succeeding. "I'll consider it." The front-door bell had rung, but only Mrs. Higgins had heard it. She admitted Brainy, and she conducted him to the bed-room. "Hallo. Brainy!" greeted Billy. "Hallo, pal!" said Biainy. anrl he went lo the bed. "How are you feeling, Air. Higgins?" "Fine, son, fine," was the reply. "Say, yon know that was a whale of a game you played to-day." Brainy glanced across at Sylvia and leceived a cryptic smile from her. "Thank you. sir." he said, almost humbly. "And thanks for the—the other thing, too." He was referring to Uncle Frank's oirtbuist in the private sitting-room at the hotel, and Uncle Frank knew that. "Forget it," he growled. "T was just let- ting off a little steam, that's all."' Brainy clasped a proffer-ed hand. "Well, good-bye, sir," he said gruffly. "I know T.ucky Higgins-will pull through." "You bet I will," responded Lucky Hig- gins. "Thanks for coming, son. Maybe Til be seeing you in Texas befoi'e so very long." Brainy stared, but he did not ask any questions. "Well, goodbye, everybody." he said. "Good-bye." returned everybody except Sylvia, and then he went out at the door. For u few iiioiiient* .Sylvia h«>*itntcii, !»■ il thwn her nneli' m/)\ed hi-" In atj fiiKiiificaiitiv wi.d -^Irr- rarr orit after "Ihe tull wind" lliat w;ri goiiit; bark to Ti'XMH. lie hurl lei hiiir>i-lf out firiin (he n:rt, aird Ik- whh r»n Iris way lo the nl^tiin wl'i'en hhe e:iMi;li, up with hiirr. " Ml :iiir>- !" "Iir' rr r< <l. He stripped and lookerl down .-it I. fMiin I,, sirpeiior- hr-ighl. and 'he hoped flT:.t Ik- wu^ going lo lake her- into liiii arms. Hitt he K-Cmed afraid to do that. " Have von changed join irrind about coiei • bark?" -he asked. " I rion't kirow." In innltr-ied. "Well, if you do r-riiin' hark I'll Still be Bhovv ing the town to visitors." " Do you mean that ?" His eyes were shining, anri sr) v. ere her., :) . she irodded. "Kxeri when they don't an-i^e with brat).' hand-." sin- said. "Will yon write to me?" "Why shorrlrl I? I (an tr-ll vmi right heir and trr)w that I've been air all-Ame.-ir-an fool!" She liked him more than ever for tliat. ■ Wj-ite to me, unyv\,-iy," shi- lKilf-\\liinixred "Will ihrer' limes a rlay be enough?" "Three times to betin with." His arms (infolded her and his lips were rrrrshed (Jii hers. " If'.s a deal!" he said. Sylvia weirt back to the bed room wiih a very flushed face, after he had gone, and she boK the irrteresied s'-rrrtiny of all the othei.-i with her (hill Iriuh. But Billy (orild not read tiie sigtrs like his elders, and he caught hold of her-. "Sis. w-h;it did he say?" he clamoured. "Is it on or off ?" "It's none of your business," she told him. "A chance to get an iill-Ainericari in the family and it's none of my business?" ■cried Billy." "Come on. tell me!" Instead of telling him she tickled him, and Billy corrld not .staird being tickled. "Hi, cut it out, Sylvia!" he liouled. "Out it out!" Adapted from the " Hero For a Day." c United Kingdom and Distributors, Wd , the film being : Charley Grapewin Dick Foran Anita Louise Emma Dunn David Holt Berton Churchill Samuel S. Hinds Richard Lane Jerry Marlowe John Gallaudet new Universal picture, ontrolled throughoul th-o Eire by Ge;-!erai Film principal players in flie as Uncle Franl< Hlgniiis as " Brainy ' Thornton as Sylvia Higgins as Mrs. Higgins as Billy Higgins as Edgar Arti'ur Dow as " Dutch " Brour.on as Arnold J. Alibott as Mark Fitzgerald as Luke Keiiy .GIRAFFE JOMES ^»•c HtlRPIN lUlF-BMl ,;» ^ :^ | Don't misi this great Soccer yarn ! The lankiest lad in football— that's Giraffe Jones, Uptown Inited's "lamp-post" centre- half. What a man ! Opponents don't stand a chance against him when the ball is in the air. .And when it's on the ground, Cirnffe's spindly legs act like the tentacles of an octopus. He's out to put his Ttiird Division team into the Cup- Final. A tall order—but then Giraffe Jones is a tall man ! There's no shortage of Soccer thrills in this true-to-life yarn ! It's Book-length —No. 266 of CHAMPIQN LIBRARY Another CHAMPION LIBRARY story 1 No. 265 " These Men Escaped." // your newiugeni has tclJ cu/ oiiier it from h'.j lt<i l^nia^lOtli^!«n