Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA U A roaring comedy—hilarious situations—romantic and riotous climaxes. A story that will drive all dull care away. Starring George Sidney and Charlie Murray. A Tough Customer^ IT \va> a wet night in June, and the ram was bvatinj; against the window of the cosy if somewhat overcrowded Udlc shop parlour, but the state of the weathor was not at (ho nionieiit disturb- ing either BonjaMin Kaplan, pawn- broker, or his friend, Sergeant. Patrick O'Grady, of the Xew York Police. Benjamin Kaplaij, wlio fancied him- iiclf as a musician, was phicking the strings of a harp which had come to him in the course of business and had never been redecnicd, and was singing at the top of his rather husky voice: "Take a trip up tlic Hudson and down the Bay— A trip down to Coney and far Rock- away." Patrick O'Orady. who was neither a musician nor a vocalist, was doing his best to perform sonic sort of obligate on a Jew's harp The noise was considcr- aiilc. Both ITIOM, if you had asked them their age. would liavc told you. probably, that lliey were in their prime, which is not leckoMcd by birthdays. Kaplan was short, luoou-faccd, shock-headed, and possessed a bulge wljcro once his waist bad been. O'Grady, on the other hand, was tall, long-faced, red-haired, neither ttout nor thii!, and, although an Irish- man, owned a nose as prominent as his .Jewish friend's, though not the same shape. They had ■ not been born with good looks, yet they were both good fellows. The song came to an end, and the rain made itself licard. "A fine merry month of June," re- marked Kaplan, putting the liarp away in a corner. "I'm sorry for you, O'Grady, havin' to go out in it, but cops will bo cops—and New York's full o' doorways." "Kaplan," said O'Grady thoughtfully, "I was just thinkin' that for the last ten years I've spent three thousand six hundred and fifty nights in this back room of yours, and I've only just dis- covered something." "What's that?" demanded Kaplan curiously. "'That you're gcttin' homelier-lookin' every day !" " Is that so ?" snorted the pawnbroker. "Veil, '/ou don't! You couldn't I"' "Is tliat so?" " Yes, that's so. And vat is more, let me tell you something Excuse me, someone's in the shop!" It was not a good night for trade, but undoubtedly the shop-bell had jangled. Kaplan went out into the shop, with its littered counter and its crowded shelves, and there was a tall, ill-featured young man near the door, wjth his overcoat collar turned up about his ears and his slouch hat pulled down over his eyes. Kaplan had been cpiick to answer the summons, but the intruder had been quicker to act up<jii a preconceived plan. T5eiu'ath his overcoat was hidtlen a silver vase which he had snatc'hed up and con- cealed with the utmost rapidity. "Excuse, please," greeted the pawn- broker. "Did T keep you vaiting?" "No, that's all right." was the reply. "What will you give me for this?" And with elaborate slowness the visitor produced the vase from, beneath his coat and dumped it on the counter. Kaplan picked it up with an expres- sion of disdain and examined it ciitically. "Oi, oi." lie said disgustedly, "but it's vorthloss. Such a piece of jiuik I vould not have in my place !" The stranger chuckled, as well he might. "On your shop window," he said, "you have a notice: 'Don't throw it away if you've got no use for it. Mavbo Kaplan has.' It's silver, ain't it?" "Sure," nodded Kaplan, fingering the vase. "Silver—yes, it's silver. But this sort of thing is a drug in the market. You couldn't give it avay." The young man looked depressed. In his haste, it was evident that he had snatched up the wrong article: but he was not without ingenuity. He pro- ceeded to spin a doleful talo of an aged mother smitten with pneumonia, of no food in the house, and no money with which to buy medicine or obtain proper nursing. Kaplan was a shrewd old fellow, but he had a weak heart for suffeiing, a fact very well known to all the shady deni- zens of New York's East Side. "Oi, oi," he grunted. "And how old is your mother '!" " Ninetv-four," glibly responded the thivf. ■'Xinety-four, oh? And from scrub- bing hotel lobliies she got sneumonia! Oi. oi. oi! My mother had the same. There ought to be a law against it. .Ml right—all right. I'll give you ten dollars for it." The thief expressed his. gratitude, and Kaplart put the vase on a shell and paid ovei- the specified sum. At the door the thief paused and turned. Possil)ly some little stray feel- ing of remorse had penetrated his ordi- narily thick hide. In any case he went back to the counter, fished in his waist- coat pocket, and jiroduced a coin. "You're a good guy," he said gruffly, "and I'm gonna show my appreciation. Have this!" " Kaplan accepted the coin and in- spected it. "It's a nickel." he said wonderingly, "and it's got two heads on it." "Sure," was the response, "and it ain't worth five cents for that sume reason. But it might come in handy September Ctli, 1930, ,