Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA For the sake of a girl he went riding, though he was scared stiff of horses. comedy with an unexpected climax. 13 An amazing In Love With a Picture ARTHUR BRYANT gazed cautiously loiiiid the big shop before drawing a newspaper cutting from his pocket. The cutting he spread out on the glass top of the counter. "Ah, my devinity!" He sighed and gazed down at the picture of a girl in Red Cross uniform. A costume that Miss ^Marian Day had worn at a big fancy-dress ball. TJie cutline also stated that, the charming Society girl was the daughter of a wealthy financier. The rough paper is never very compli- mentary to the best of features, but (here was no doubt that this girl was pretty, because the paper could not con- ceal her good looks. Her hair was dark and shingled, but Arthur had fallen for the twinkle in the big eyes and tlie dimples in the checks. If only he could meet hor and she should fall in love with him! Now Arthur was nineteen and ihat age where youth is susceptible to what some term "Calf Love." He was an assistant in the big jewellery store owned by Biggs and Iliggins, but he had prospects because Biggs was his uncle. Arthur was a likeable but a provok- ing youth. He had arrived at the awkward age of life. At college he was neither a success nor a failure. An average brain had always kept him somewhere near the middle of his form, but his mind had a way of wandering off ori to other subjects to tlie detriment of his learning. In the middle of mathematics he would suddenly want to be playing baseball, and in the middle of baseball he would want to go swimming. His small-town parents had sent him (.0 Mr. Biggs to be trained to work for a living. At njoments he was a brilliant salesman and at other time* lus uncle nearly toie out his hair with despair. A dreamer, who had moments of great brilliance. Yet everyone liked him because he had a happy smile, curly black hair, a slim and well-knit body, and a certain amount of charm and personality. Arthur was quite unaware that the revolving door had revolved and that a lady in furs had walked to the counter that he was supposed to be looking after. She had coughed and had tapped tlie glass top, but Arthur was away in another world. The lady frowned angrily and placed a gloved hand on his wrist. Absent-mindedly, he stroked the glove and murmured, "Dearest!" "How dare you !" The falsetto voice shattered his dreams. "I—er—beg your pardon!" spluttered Arthur, blushing like a schoolboy. "I was reading about a big jewel robbery." "I take that paper and I saw nothing about a jewel robbery on that page!" snapped the lady. "Will you please show me some ear-rings." Why Arthur should first produce gentlemen's dress studs, and when re- buked bring out engagement-rings is beyond understanding. The lady's exasperation brought Mr. Biggs on the scene, and that gentleman was able to pour oil on troubled waters. "Yes, madame. No, madame. A perfect pearl, madame." And so forth, and the lady eventually left, having spent far more than she intended. The result was that Mr. Biggs, though he frowned severely, was not half so dis- pleased as he looked. "One day you'll go into a trance, Arthur, and never wake up," he re- buked. "Now I have a most important Loinmission for you to undertake." He pioducod a small packet. "This neck- lace has been specially ordered over the telephone by a lady who wants the neck- lace to be a surprise for her daughter— the girl is eighteen to-morrow. She wants the necklace taken to her house immediately. You will take the neck- lace, and for the love of Mike don't lose it or yourself. The address is on the package, and you had better start at once. You have eight hours before dusk." Here Mr. Biggs chuckled. "Only eight miles to go, so you might be able to make it.". "Yes, uncle." "Be off with you, my boy." The uncle patted him on the back. "And if jou don't deliver that to-daj% never darken my doors again. So if you're goofy about some gal, forget it." "I wish I could, uncle," moaned his nephew. "I shall always carry her pic- ture wiih me." "You'll get a fat head if you don't look lively!" grunted his uncle. "And don't make any mistakes." Trouble With a Hat. ARTHUR BRYANT set out for the raihvay depot. He entered a full 'bus and went off into a trance thinking of the girl of his dreams. The 'bus stopped, and nearly all the people got out, so that there were plenty of seats. Arthur still went on standing, until a titter and a remark from a small girl brought him back to earth. "Has he been a naughty boy, inummy ? Perhaps that's why he's standing." Arthur frowned heavily and took a seat. Within three minutes he was dreaming again, and didn't wake up till the conductor tapped him on the shoulder. "This is the end of the run, bo," he February Ijtb, 1930.