Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

28 "What i3 that?" gasped Wendell. "An inkwell?" "No," Baid Zup, staggering excitedly to his feet. "It's an oil well!" "An—an oil well?" "Yeah—we're rich, Wendell 1 We're rich!" He tugged his chum to his feet and, gripping both his hands, almost danced with joy. "We're rich! We're richl We're rich!" He held his cane upright upon the grass. "Your fist on mine," he boomed, "my fist on yours, your fist on mine! That's right! We're pals and partners! Wendell, my boy, I have more friends in this little kingdom than I knew— and all will be well. There goes cock- eyed Ben to earth, and the worst is over. Rejoice, son, rejoice!" "1 am rejoicing," declared Wendell. Zup took his arm and marched him across the wrecked ground and around the spurting fountain of oil towards a ■little group dominated by the baron. Boris and Ricaixlo were there, their black coats in ribbons, their top hats smashed in, their trousers torn—and be- hind them stood the four soldiers with their fixed bayonets. "It's great! It's marvellous!" the baron was exclaiming over and over again, • his eyes fixed on the rising column of oil. "El Dorania is ricli! We are richl" Zup stalked right up to him and knocked down his extended arm. " Where do you get that ' we ' stuff from?" he demanded angrily. The baron glared at him. "You should be dead," he said, "but as you've struck oil we will not proceed with the assassination." "You shall be dead if you don't sliut up!" retorted Zup. "Yes," said Wendell. "You know, Zup, I'vo been thinking this thing over. El Dorania shouldn't be a kingdom—it should be a republic." He looked at the four soldiers, and the four soldiers nodded. "You're right!" decided Zup. "It's a marvellous idea," cried the baron. "And I will be " "You'll be surprised!" interrupted Zup. " Remove him, men, remove him ! Your first president speaking!" Obediently enough the soldiers seized the baron. "Them, too?" inquired the officer, in- dicating Boris and Ricardo. "Both of them," directed Zup. And all three of the troublesome conspira- tors were taken off to the palace dun- geons. BOY'S CINEMA But Wendell, watching their depar- ture, said petulantly to Zup: "Who says vou're first president?" "Why not?" "We haven't decided." "All right," responded Zup, "let's de- cide right now." He flung his cane into the air and they both made a grab at it. Wendell managed to get one fist round it, but Zup gripped it with both fists. "Congratulations," said Wendell re- signedly. "You're our first president." "Yes," nodded Zup, "and, for your sake, we'll make Aunt Minnie Secre- tary for War." Aunt Minnie Looks Down. NEITHER Aunt Minnie nor Betty had been present at the attempted assassination. Aunt Minnie dis- approved of such El Doranian tricks, and Betty was horror-stricken. So tliey remained fearfully in the sitting-room of their suite at the hotel, shuddering every time an explosion occurred. "I wish I had never bought any plantations in this dreadful country," whimpered Aunt Minnie. " That wicked baron is the cause of all the trouble. I wish somebody would assassinate him!" "Wendell will have him beheaded if I ask him," said Betty. "That rat!" raved Aunt Minnie. "Zup was a far better man than he. I was almost beginning to like Zup—and now they're murdering him!" A messenger arrived from the palace with the startling news that the king- dom had become a republic, that Zup was very much alive and had become president, that Baron Bogardus w'as in- carcerated in a dungeon in chains with Boris and Ricardo for company, and that an oil well had been discovered which would make everybody rich. "And you, madam," said the messen- ger pompously—probably because he was decorated with a lot of gold braid— "have been appointed Secretary for War." "Me?" exclaimed Aunt Minnie un- grammatically. "Secretary for War? Me? Who did that?" "President Zup," was the bland reply. "And His Excellency the President de- sires you and your niece to be present at the palace at three this afternoon." "I shan't gol" "In that case, madam, I am in- structed to inform you that your estates will be confiscated!" Aunt Minnie changed her tone com- pletely. Every Tuesday "At three o'clock, you said?" she in- quired graciously. "Tell his Excellency that I shall have much pleasure in calling on him," At precisely three o'clock she and Betty presented themselves at the palace and were escorted to the council chamber, where Zup sat importantly behind a massive desk with an entirely new sot of ministers around him. In the streets of the city the flags and banners still waved—there waa^ something for them to wave about now. And out in the royal park a number ot workmen were busy with the prelim- inaries of dealing with an entirely un- expected oil well. "I'm afraid," said Zup, "that we can't admit j'our niece to our council, Aunt Min—she had better go for a stroll in the grounds." Aunt Minnie cencurred, and Betty left the chamber. In the wide corridor just outside the double doors she en- countered au eager young man in a ceremonial suit with a piece of sticking- plaster on his face—a young man who embraced her feverishly and raced her away downstairs to the terrace. President Zup was discussing affair» of State in the council chamber wliich failed to interest Aunt Minnie. She wandered petulantly away to a window overlooking the terrace, and since the window was wide open, she stepped out on to a little balcony. Down below she saw, to her infinite annoyance, Betty and Wendell, standing side by side before a man in black clothes who held a book in his hand. She leaned over the balustrade, and at the top of her voice she shouted: "Don't you remember my telling you to keep away from that runt?" "I do!" said Betty quietly. But sho was looking at the man in black clothes, not at her aunt. "And—and do you remember the warning I gave you?" howled Aunt Minnie. "I do!" said Wendell—but not to Aunt Minnie. The man in black clothes -was a minis- ter; the whole thing had been neatly contrived. "I now pronounce you man and wife." said the minister; and then he smiled up at the balcony above his head, while Betty and Wendell flung tlieir arms about one another's necks—and kissed. (By permission of Radio Pictures, Ltd.. featuring Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, supported by Dorothy Lee and Edna May Oliver.) GROSE'S, LUDQATE CIRCUS, LONDON. SPECIAL OFFER FOOTlBAX^ILi IBOOXS Heavy Cowhide Uppers, Riveted, Bevelled, Waterproof Soles, Special Blocked Toes. Sizes U-1, 4/11 pair, 2 to 6, 5/11, Mens, 6/11. Srnd tor coloured illustratfd list post tree. GEO. GROSE & CO., 8, New Bridge St., Londoa, E.C.4. BLUSHING, U 26, hart' SHYNESS, TIMIDITY. For FREE particuLirs eimptchomc cure, send stamp. MR. 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