Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday liad been watching, "you've got to give him credit for trying." Time passed. "Tlicro they are I" cried a voice sud- denly. "I'liey didn't get him!" The tortoise was crawling forward again—less vigorously than before, but none the less surely. "Come on. Cookie! Come on!" urged voices. And with a final effort Cookie reached the sand-bags, rose up over them, and rolled down i(ito the trench. Eager hands grabbed both men, set them on their feet. Cookie's left eye was closed and blood was trickling from it, but he lield liimself erect. Mike's clothes were in ribands, and ho coiOd not fetand. but two of the men held him between them. "How do you feel, Mike, old l)oy ?" inquired Cookie. "I'm all right." replied ilikc feebly. '■ How about you ?" 'Okay." "Dashed fine work. Leonard!" en- thused the lieutenant, gripping liis hand. A Very light flamed ovcrliead. "Cookie!" gasped Mike. "They got you ! Your eye !" " Wliat's an eye among friends?" re- torted C'ookie, with a twisted grin. "I've seen too much, anyhow!" "I'll never forget this, ('ookie." de- clared Mike fervently'. "Never, as long as I live." ''We'll got you both down to hospital as soon as we can.<' said the lieutenant. Convalescence. THI'lV were both in a field hospital before the night was out; and ,, from the field haspital they were conveyed to Base Hospital No. 131. where the din of warfare was only faintly heard, and healtli and strength came slowly back to them. Nothing could save Cookie's left eye, but in all other respects he be- CUme himself again. Shrapnel AVa-s removed from both of Mike's legs, just above tlie ankle, and the surgeon promised him that he would be able to wark, sooner or later, with barely a perceptible limp. The two occupied adjacent betlfi. and l)oth were greatiy smitten with their brown-haired nurse, Molly Pearson—and vied with one another for her favour. But Molly was wisely iioM-com- mittal. In due course Mike left his bed, in the day-time, for a wheel-chair, while Cookie prowled about the ward with a black shade over the shattered eye. One morning while the nurse was attending to other patients. Cookie sat before a mirror whicii he had propped up on his bed. shaving himself carefully with a safety razor. "What's the big idea?" de- manded Mike. "You got a date?" "MaVbe," replied the .shaver hriefly, "AVell, it'll lake more than a shave to make that face of yours look human." taunted Mike. "Oh, I don't have to be good- looking," retorted Cookie. "I've got sex-appeal!" He re-applied the shaving- brush and some soap .splashe;! into his good e\c. He wiped it hastily with a towel and blinked round at Mike, who was laugh- ing. "So you think that's funny. do .vou?" he cried. "Well, BOY'S CINEMA laugh at tiiat:' And he piimtred ihc brush into soap and water and .shook it into the face of the man in the wheel- chair. "You trying to drown me?" cried Mike indignantly. And then Molly swooped down on them. "What do you boys think this is?" she demanded. "A kindergarten?" "Sure!" chuckled Cookie. And then they sang to her in voices by no means musical: "Through the war's great curse Stands a Red-Cro.ss nurse— She's the Rose of No-Man's Land! " "For Heaven's sake be quiet!" laughed Molly. "Don't you think tliere's anvono in the ward but you two?" "Well, nobody that matters," Cookie immediately resjjonded. Molly assumed a professional manner. "How are you feeling to-day, Mike?" she inquired. "Much better now you've arrived," was the prompt reply. "How about vou. Cookie?" "Oh. 1 feel terrible, Molly—I've got an awful headache.'' "Your head was all right a minute ago!" barked Mike. "Say, whose head is this? " demanded Cookie, holding his hands to his brow. "You can have it!" gibed Mike. But Cookie turned plaintively to the beauti- ful girl and winked at her with bis sound eye. "Don't you tliink you could Rx it up with the doctor," he said, "for me to go out and get a little air?" "Can't be done," replied Molly gravely. "The doctor won't let you go out without a nurse." "But I could go out 7nt/i & nurse, couldn't I?" "Oil. well," said Molly. "I'll ask tlio doctor! " The two men watched her as slie sailed across the ward to the door. "There you are! " cried C'ookie tri- umphantly. "Old Man Se.K-Appeal him- self!" A number of rude remarks followed, and then Molly came back—with a blanket. "I've fixed it,'' she said. "You're a honey and a darling!" de- clared Cookie. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He turned commiser- atingly to his chvun. "Goo(l-l>ye, sweet- heart.' he said maliciously. "I'm sorry you can't go along." "But he IS going." laughe<l Molly, and arranged the blanket over the knees of the invalid in the wheel-chair. "What?" cried Cookie. "But you said you were going to take nie!" "Well. Mike needs the air, too," re- torted Molly, a mischievous twinkle in her grey eyes. " And you need the exercise! Come on—push!" "Yes, snap into it. Mister Sex- Appeal!'' oidered Mike. So Cookie, with an air of gloom, pushed the wheel-chair across the wai^l into a corridor, and from the corridor out into the grounds, while ]Molly walked serenely beside him. And on one of the wide paths, screened b\ bushes, Mil;o cheated. "My left ankle." be said plaintively; "would ynu mind looking at it?" Molly "stooped to lift the blanket. "I don't see anything wrong with it. you big baby!" she exclaimed; and no sooner were the words out of her moutii than a jiair of powerful arms were round her neck and Mike's lips were pres.sed against here. "Stop it!" cried Molly, breaking away from him. "What's the matter with vou ?" He turned and left them, but Mike wasn't going to let him go like that. July I8th, 1931.