Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday thing. Put another cold compress on inv head. Ohh-h!" Befty removed the towel, soaked i! in fresli ice-water, and restored it to tlw sufferer's head. "We haven't been outside this state- room since we started the trip," she complained. "It's a gorgeous day. Its a sliame to stay inside." She moved across to a window over- looking the promenade deck, but her aunt's only response was a groan. She opened the window and leaned out of it. In a deck chair just below the window Wendell was lounging, though not at his ea.se, and beside him stood Boris and Kicardo. "And did your Majesty have break- fast?' inquired Boris solicitously. "Yes—for a while," Wendell gloomily responded. "Ah, but do not worry. your Jlajesty. Soon we shall have arrived ill El Dorania." "You mustn't call mo 'Majesty' till I'm king," protested Wendell. "I'm just Wendell to you." Boris bowed. Betty listened. She had known all the time that her lover was on board, but so far she had found it impossible to converse with him. "Thank you, your Majesty," said Boris, "but you must at once begin declaring yourself king for the sake of the morale of the revolutionary cause." "All right, if you say so," growled Wendell; "but a.^ soon as we land I'm going straight to bed." Boris looked at Ric;irdo and frowned. "t)h, but. yciir Majesty, your .subjects will probably wish to crown you immediately." " Yes ? Well, the^v won't—sec ?" "Every time I think of that little shrimp," complained Aimt Minnie, flinging aside the wet towel, "my temperature goes up to two hundred and sixty. The sap I ' Mark my words and mark them all—I'll come through with a crash !' " Betty madeno response to this outinirst. for Boris and Ricardo were leaving Wendell to make arrangements about the landing. "Wendell!" whispered Bett\, le.iiiing still further out of tlie state-room window. "Sweetheart!" exclaimed Wen dell, looking up. " S-s-sh !" " What arc you doing here?" he wliispered, moving close to hci "I'm going to El Dorani i — your Majesty." "What d'you mean?" "Oil, I heard what ho siid BOY'S CINEMA the She pulled a little curtain across window and went hack to her aunt. "Here I am in the last stages of some- tliing-or-other," wailed the suffermg ladv, "and vou hanging out of that window! Wliat's the big attraction out there?" "Something marvellous," replied Betty. "You'd go wild if you saw it."^ "You and your romantic surprises!'" scoffed Aunt Minnie, holding her head. "Let me see it!" And she rose uncer- tainly to her feet. "Oh, auntie," Betty cried in alarm, "you don't have to see it!" But Betty was pushed unceremoniously aside, and Aunt Minnie tottered reso- lutely across to the window, pulled aside the curtain, and thrust forth her head. Wendell, eagerly awaiting Betty's re- turn, did not pause to look. His arnis swept round Aunt Minnie's neck, and his lips were crushed on hers. "Oooh!" she howled; and Wendell shrank back. "I—I didn't mean it!" he stammered. "Honest. I didn't mean it." "Runt!" howled Aunt Minnie, almost murdering him witii her eyes. "What are vou doing on the same ocean with me?" "I'm a king," he told her proudly. "You're a what?" "Well, that is, I'm going to be .1 king. I told you I'd make good. I bought a revolution—and they're going to make me King of El Dorania." Aunt Minnie disappeared from view, v.., ^ but the door'of the state-room opened, and she came running out from it, her physical condition entirely forgotten, her sufferings overwhelmed with mental panic. "Say that again!" she cried, standmg threateningly over him. "I'm going to be King of El Dorania." "Oh!" she shrilled. "Oh, my planta- tions ! My sugar ! My wheat ! My corn!" "Got a corn?" inquired Wendell sy:u- patlieticallv. While Betty peeped out at him rouw.l the curtain she raved and stormed a!; him. "You miserable ninny!" she shouted. " You idiot! Y'ou interfering fool! You listen to me! I've given King Cscar two hundred thousand dollars to save my plantations! If you dare to set foot on El Doranian soil, King Oscar will have your head!" She" bounced back into the state-room, and while he stared blankly at the spot where she had stood the door wa-s slammed and the window beside him was closed with a crash. c Rival Monarchs. ALDERA possessed a natural har- bour, formed by a narrow inlet from the ocean which opened into its bay. Liners called there seldom, and their coming was an event. As the vessel from New York steamed majes- tically into the bay. King Zup proceeded across the palace grounds to the water- front to welcome it, and beside him walked Carlotta. To suit the occasion he was dressed as Admiral of the non- existent El Doranian fleet, with a cocked hat (such as Nelson might have worn) [lerched upon his head. You're king! I just knew you'd turn out to be something like that !" "Whether I'm king or not, you're my queen—and I love jou so much it hurts." "Yes—it hurts auntie!" "Honey, I've simply got to t ilk to you !" "Well. I can't come out, and you can't come in. If Aunt Minnie sees you there'll be a riot !" She held out her hand to him and he kissed it. But Aunt IvTimiic, from her chair, cried out iri'iignantly : " Stop hanging out over that ocein, with me in here dying ' "Wait a minute," whispered Betty to Wendell. " I'll be ngnt back." By seeming accident, he encountered Carlotta, dressed in black velvet, wearing widow's weeds, September 12lli, 1931,