Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

18 afFectionately, and as Bugs came up she smiled an aloof smile and presented her companion. "Oh, Mr. Raymond," she said, "I'd like you to meet my fiance. Billy, this is Mr. Raymond. Mr. Raymond- Mr. Matheson." The young man held out his hand, and Bugs gripped it. He smiled an odd smile tliat was of the lips only, and not the eyes. "Glad to know you, Matheson," he inLuniured. "Let me see, 1 believe Miss Stone told me you'd been in South America.'' "Correct." Billy Matheson answered ge:}ially. "I'm going back there—but not before Dorothy marries me. We've fi.Ked the date for the fifteenth of next moiitli. Of course, you'll come along." Bugs inclined his head. "Delighted," he said, "and I wish you every happiness." "Thanks, Mr. Raymond," young Matheson rejoined, and then his atten- tion wa.s diverted by a Preas photo- grapher who came forward and spoke to Dorothy. "Mi>s Stone," the photographer said. " would you and your fiance care to pose while I take a picture? I'm a representative from the Union News Agency." Dorothy agreed smilingly, and Bugs stood aside and leaned against the para- pet of the roof, watching the young- couple as they stood arm-in-arm. The Pres-s photograplier went back to his camera, focu.sed it on Dorothy and Matheson and then approached Bugs. "Would you mind moving?" he said. "You're just in the picture." Bugs started. For a moment his brow darkened, and then, nodding abruptly, he walked to the rear of the camera. The incident rankled in a mind that was alieady poisoned by jealousy, and at noon, when the I'eception was over, Bugs took a ta.xi to the new address of Nails Markey. Nails had prospered, as his sump- tuously-appointed apartment testified, and Bugs found him there with four or five of the boys—and Daisy de Lisle. "Weil, well,'' Nails greeted him in sarcastic tones, "if it ain't Bugs Ray- mond in person." "Yej)." Bugs said curtly, and then, fixing him with his eyes: "Been steppin' kind of high lately, haven't you. Nails? Seems to have slipped your mind that I might put you l)ack where you once belonged—among the alleys." Nails jerked to his feet and reached, for. his hip with nn angry exclamation, but ill a moment Daisy' had stejiped between the two men. Nails .shrugged, and. sinking into a chair again, pushed back his hat, which i-arely left his liead even when he was indoors. __ "Say, listen, Nails." Bugs told him, "I'm -lot here to have trouble. Mavbe that's why I sort of mentioned that I'm still in a position to control this out- fit." Nails ma.s'tered the resentment that was kindling in him. A cunning ex- pression appeared in his eyes, and then gave |)lace to a shifty and" afl'ablc glint. "Well, we ain't seen you in a long time. Bugs," he observed. "We'd ahnast forgotten what you looked like. Hadn't we, boys?" And he looked at the other members of the gang. They '.lodded, but were plainly non- lilu.s.sed by Nails Markey's change of front. "Nails," Bugs sai<I, "I thought I'd look you up and talk over something important." August 29tli, IMl. BOY'S CINEMA "You're welcome. Bugs," Nails told him, with a grin. " 'Specially so far as Daisy is concerned, I guess. She's always talkin' about you." "You shut your trap. Nails!" Daisy flung at him vehemently, and then, turn- ing on her heel, she moved to another part of the room. Nails laughed. "You know. Bugs," ho began, " there's one thing about Daisy " . Bugs interrupted him vvitli an im- patienf gesture. He liad not called to discuss Daisy. "Listen," ho said, "I'm back in the racket. See?" "Oh?" Nails murmured, leaning for- ward in his chair. Bugs took a i)acc or two across fcliC room, almost feverishly. It was cleor that there was something on his mind. "Nobody ever stopped me getting what I wanted." he jerked, coming to a halt before his former henchman. " You know that. Nails. I got what I went after every time. That applied to big business, and it's goin' to apply to this girl." "What girl?" Nails inquired. "Dorothy Stone." Bugs rapped out. "She turned me down for a cheap.skatc college Romeo, but I'm not the man to stand for it. Did you over hoar of the bride bein' carried off and the groom bein' left at the altar. Nails? Well, that's the kind of racket I'm gonna bo in." "Aw, kidnap the bride, huh?" "Yep," Bugs answered, "and listen how. Tlic morning of the wedding I'll meet you boys here. We'll make up our own |)arty for the ceremony. Morning dress, high hats, flowers in our button- holes—and gats on our hips. We'll stick up that wedding the same as we've stuck up this town at one time or another." '■ And the Stone girl will fall right in your arms," .said Nails, with a smirk. "Boy, what a racket this is gonna be." "It's the kind of racket (hat might make her think a whole lot more o' me," Bugs ground nut, "for havin' the nerve to null it off." Nails stood up. "All right, Bugs," he said. "When is the ceremony fixed for?" "The fifteenth," was the answer. "I'll be seein' you and the boys. Nails." "Sure you will." Nails told him heartily, and saw him to the door. Wh(!ii Nails Mark(\v returned it was to encounter doubtful glances from the rest of the gang. They saw, however, that his ugly face had undergone -a change of expression. "So Mister Bugs Raymond thinks ho can look us up again," he sneered, "and find us sittin' pretty—all ready to take bird-seed outa his hand and whistle a tune for him. He cuts adrift when it suits liiin, and ho makes a come-back when it suits him. But this ain't no come-back for him. He dropped us once, and we ain't takin' a chance on him again." " Then the wedding racket is olT, .Nails?" one of the gang asked. "No. that racket goes—up to a point." Nails rejoined. 'We'll be wailin' to go to church just like Bugs said—with morniti' cloihos. high hats, flowers in our button-holes—and gats on our hips. But Bugs Raymond won't over sec church." A girl's voice spoke. It was the voice of Daisy, standing in the background, and her face was paper-white. "What do you moan. Nails?" sho said broathlessly. "I mean, baby," Nails answered, "that friend. Bugs is takin' that well- known ride." Daisy vvas silent. Slio wanted to scj Every Tuesday Bugs pay for the callous manner in which he had treated her. Yet sho cared for him still, and knew that she always would, whatever happened. The Ceremony. ON the morning of the wedding Hugs Raymond donned a pair of light trousers, a fancy vest, a black coat and a tojiper. Spotless linen, a wing collar, with a neat, striped tie, and a pair of glace kid shoes encased in whito spats completed the effect. Bugs had never acquired the true social manner, but he at least possessed presence, and ho cut an' elegant .Tiid immaculate figure as he left his apartment. * He knew that Nails would have a limousine wailing to take the racketeer- ing party to the church, so he did not order his own car, but hailed a taxi. Half-way to Nails Markey's place he stopped the taxi outside a florist's shop and bought a carnation to decorate th<^ button-hole of his morning-coat, and ten minutes later he dismissed the cab and entered the block of furnished apartments in which Nails had taken up residence. He was treated to an amusing speclacio when he entered. There stood the boys; all rigged out in morning dress and high hats, and a more uncomfortable-lookiug group of humanity Bugs had never clapped eyes on. One or two seemed almost present- able, but the others were like so many tailor's dummies who had been fitted with the wrong sizes in suits. Nails, m particular, was an incongruous figure, his thick-set form being totally out of keeping with the style of dress that it had been necessary to affect. The clothes had cost a lot of money. Yet Nails did not even faintly rc.seniblo a man-about-town. His blue chin and coarse features betrayed him, and ho looked precisely what he was—a thug masquerading as a dude. Bugs surveyed him and the rest of the gang with candid mirth. " Suflferin' snakes." he said up- roariously, " do I look like you plugs ?" Nails stood before a mirror, adjusting the ends of a black silk bow tie. "Why, what's wrong with us?" Iio demanded. "I thought we looked pretty hot." "You look like a lot of half-boilod undertakers," Bugs observed. "But you'll pass. Are you all sot ?" "Yeah, we're all .sot." Nails answered. "I'll have C^huck call round with tho car." Ho cro.ssed to a telephone and put through a call, ordering the aforemen- tioned "Chuck" to appear straightway with the limousine. " Now let's get the whole thing clear." said Bugs, as Nails wandered hack to tho middle of tho room. " We drive up to the church and all get out, excepting Chuck, who will slay at the wheel and be ready to start up at a moment's notice. We'll take our places in one of (ho pews near tho altar, and before th» minister can pronounce the words ' man and wife ' we'll stop up and bust in on the coromony with our gats. Under- stand ?" "I get you," Nails reioined. "I'll grab (he girl," Buss continued. "You and the boys will cover my gct- awav and join mo in the car." "Oh, we cover your getaway." NaiU murmured. "And then hustle out and join you in the car, hull?" Bugs nodded. "Right. Nails." ho was saying when Daisy de t-isle entered the room. Dais-v looked nale. and (hero wero dark shadows under her eyes. Glancing (CoatiDued od page 26.) -J.