Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

every luesaay "Wliy, it didn't btfeftlc down!" he blurted. "Got it out ot thove—t|uinkr' cried Buyaid, and ho ruslied nil round tho room and out from it into smaller rooms, yuilinpc to every- hody (o ewape. Tlie yoiiiiR accountant had just left \yeston's privaU" odiro whou a vibleirt cxplo- eioii Hhook tho buildiiiK and tho window-pants ivoro shattorcd. Tho roof of tho lahoratory was blown to piocos, donso clouds of .smoko lose up from tho ruins, and iuu-sbos of con- crete showered all about tho yard. .Stephen dashed across to a broken wiiulow that overlooked tho yard, and Weston and Downey and the two directors followed him. Dimly they saw human flfrnros runniiiff in tho smoke, and then thoro was a second explosion, moiH) smoko—tills time reddened by flames— and another shower of debris. Tho walls of It'io laboratory collapsed, the flames leapt up- •wards, and tho wrecked structure became a roarins inferno. Stephen raced off to render whatever lielf) he could, but two fireeiiKiiios arrived almost ns soon as ho readied tho yard, and streams of foamite put a speedy end to the blaze. 8oine of tho chemists and some of (heir assistants had Rot out from the buildiufj- in the nick of time, but many of them had perished, and Scott was one of tho missing-. Weston and Downey joined Stephen in tho yard. The injured \vore beiufr swept off to hospital. "What, could luivo caused it?" howled ,Weston. "I don't know," gritted Stephen, "unless Scott deliljerately disobeyed orders." " What orders 7" "I told him not to experiment with that explosive compound." "And you left him?" stormed Weston, his dark eyes as aocusins as his voice. "Left him, knowing full well he mlsht experiment with it?" "What are you drivin£? at? I issued posi- tive orders." "This is wholly your responsibility!" raged iWeston. "It's rank carelessness!" The injustice of the charge caused Stephen's brown eyes to narrow and liis jaw to set belligerently. "Listen to me!" Iio rasped. "I've always \'^>- BOY'S CINEMA done cvcrytliiiiK in my power to j.;uaid UKaiufil accidents such as this, and since you think othorwiso joii'd better get yourbolt a new cJiemibt." "That's agreeable t<j nie," Wohlon i-etnrue<l lieatedly. "We'll torminato our conlraet right now!" THE BOY WHO UNDERSTOOD TIJJ'J ollices ami factory (;l (liolic ('luinical I'loductM, liieorponi(,e<l, wore situated in Clinmlier.s Street, on tlio East Side of Now York City, but St^ophon's home was up in the Bronx, not very far from I'elham I'ark. It was not a largo house—not nearly larpe oiiough to suit the social ambitions of his wife yirginia—but it was a piaiectly nico house in a quiet thoroughfare. Adjoining it was a vacant plot, and only a low hedg(^ divided a little wilderness from a very trim garden. While Stephen was on his way home in a dark blue saloon ear, his fourteen-year-old son was playing football with ten other youngsters on the vacant plot, and making a lot of noise over tho game. Virginia tJarfield had a bridge party that afternoon, and the noi.se irritated her.' She and her partner were losing, and instead of ascribing the fact to Jier own bad play she blamed the footballers. Slio was a blue-eyed blonde, and in her more contented moments was almost beautiful, but she looked nearly ugly as sho pushed back her chair and ro.se. She was dummy, and her partner was doing his best with a hand she had over-called. "Oh. those children!" she burst out. "Excu.se me, I'll speak to them." Bridge-players looked round from two other card-tables in the elegantly furnished drawing- room, and a matronly woman said smilingl "Oh, don't bother, Mrs. Garfield—thi aren't annoying us at all!" ^"But Stephen knows better," persisted Virginia. "They can play somewhere else." She swept out at a french window into the garden and across a lawn to the low hedge. The Iwys were in a mix-up. struggling for possession of the ball and shouting excitedly. "Steve I Steve!" she shrilled. The noise subsided, and a brown-haired youngster ran towards her. His eyes were like his father's but flip lesif nf diij features \\ere moio like Ins motliei's—except his tou'^led hair. I.V: -they "Yes. mom?" !io aalicd. "Darling, can't you childien go tKunewhere else and play? You're disturbing rnolher'.< guunlx." There was no grout affection in lh<' "darling," and the (pieHtioii wa.n a c/immand. "Okay," nodded thu boy dotifiilly. and he turned to his playmates. "Let's go down the street," lie said, "(,'ome on- hurry!" Off streamed tho whole eleven U) resume tlio game in the loadway at a diHtanet- from (Ikh house, and Virginia went back to tho drawing- room. "Of all the placen in the neigliboiirhood," she complained, "they would have to pir k that vacant plot next door for a playground!" The interrupted game was once more in pro- gress, po.ssibly to the annoyance of other resi- dents in Atherton Avenue, wlien the dark blue saloon appeared round a corner and Stove caught sight of it. "Hi, there's my dad!" he cried juhilantlv. "So long, fellas—I'll soo you later!" He scampered off to meet the car, and he jumped on to its running-lKjard as liis father slowed to turn in at tho gateway. Virginia heard the doors of the garage being slid back, and sho exclaimed in ast/mishinent: "That must bo Stephen! Kxcu.se mo!" Her partner was down five tricks, and the scores were being entered. Sho (iiit down her pencil and hurried away to the three shallow stairs that led up to the hall, and she reached the hall just as Stephen and Steve entered it from the front garden. "Stephen," she sjiid, staring at her hus- band's .set face, " wliat are you doing homo so early ?" "There's been an accident at the j)lant," he replied. " Oh ! Anything serious '!" "Very serious." His hands were on hi.s hips, his lips compres,sed. "Nearly evei-ybody that I've woiked with " "Oh, darling, I am .sorry!" .she murmured as he broke oft with a gulp. "But I liavo a bridge game e-oiug on now. Will you tell me about it later?" Without waiting for another word, she went back to the drawing-room. But little Steve was I'oallv iipset_ "Geo, dad, that's n«ful " he <:rud in nn nucd voice. Just what I thought," Stephen said slowly, the formula, but I'm afraid of it. " This would be a perfect agent for It's too unstable " Febrii ij 2nii, 19Vi