Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

24 the foot of I lie steps was tlie doorway of a wino-ccllai-, srackctl witli Imrrols; of illicit liquor, iincl Mitchell ^i>okc to u man who was on guard there. ■ "'J'he boss seiul 1 iniglit show Miss Madison whore the treasure was kept," he explained, with a wink that escaped June's notice. The man at the doorway niovod off, and Mitchell took June across the threshold. ■'Well, there's the ircia.sure," he said, jndieating the casks, "and it's guarded like the United States Mint." "Guarded?" June echoed. "From whom ''." Mitchell smiled. "From lots of people," he told her. "who would like to get their hands on those barrels. But they'd have a. hard time getting in here. You see, the cellar is buih like a bank vault. Take a look iit that winilow over there. The iron bar.s on the outside of it are set in cement." ■'Tlien the weird talcs you read in the newspapers about hi-jackers and boot- leggers arc really true'/" June asked. "They certainly are," Mitchell answered. June did not know that she was at that very moment in the presence of one of San Francisco's most active boot- leggers. Nor did she dream that this cellar, built like a vault, was to be transformed by force of circum^jtancca into a deadly trap. The Outbreak. TRIXIIO FAKUFLL stood face to face with Spike Beldoii in a private room b e h i n d t h e restauran.. Her face was white with temper, and it was with a fierce gesture that she struck a match and lit a cigarette. "You heard me!" she said shrilly. "Go and tell Mitchell that 1 want to see him—and see liini quick 1" One of Mitchell's most valued hire- lings. Spike tried to reu-son with the woman. "Listen, you!" he ground out. " Don't you get red-headed and spoil the whole game, or " Trixie snatched something from a tjible beside which she was standing. Il was a whisky bottle and, like a fiend, slic swung it up threateningly. ' You beat it and do a.s I tell you. Spike ! " she screamed. The gangster struck at her arm with the side of his hand, and the blow took hir smartly on the wrist and sent the bo'tie flying out of her gra.sp. It burst against the wail, its contents drenching a curtain that decorated a window close to thb spot where the bottle had been smashed. Trixie clawed at Spilie with her nails like a woman in a frenzy, . but the gangster managed to sei/.e lier hands and hold her at bay. "Listen, will yiihy " he appealed. go for Mitchell, but you gotta <lowii. If you lose your head an' his plans there's liable to be trouble, 1 "'J'ell Mitchell I'm waiting for him here." Trixie said through clenched teeth. Spike loft her, and two or three minutes later he located Dan in the diiorway of the wine cellar. "Oh, Mr. Mitchell," he sai<l, pausing on the steiis, "may I see you a moment, ple*.se '!" Dan Mitchell turned his head. "Yes, surely." And, to June: " I'ardon me." lie moved up the Spike was standing. "Tnxie's on the 8i-i.lpml)er 19tli. 1031. "I'll pipe spoil stairs to where ramiwgc," the BOY'S CINEMA gangster whispered, "and wa.nls to see you right away. Thought I'd better tell yuh. for she don't seem in her right mind." Mitchell's eyes narrowed dangerously. Then he glanced over his shoulder to where his fair companion was still iu- sperting the wine cellar. "Oh, June," he called, "I'll be right back in a moment. Don't go away from liere." He hurried along the corridor to the room where Trixie w.as awaiting him. She was pulling viciously at a cigarette, but flung it away as he entered. Neither she nor Mitchell noticed that the cigarette-butt, so carelessly tliro\Mi aside, tell among the folds of the curtain that iiad been soaked with whisky. "Well, what's eating you'i" snapped Mitchell. "I'leniy! " the girl retorted. "Maybe you thought I didn't see you danciti' with that Madison dame." "What of ifi" Mitchell said witii an ugly scowl. Irixie's eyes flashed. "I'll show you what of it!" she cried. "You can't -give me the air for her and get away with it, Mitchell I"' He caught her by the arm, grasping her so fiercely that his fingers bruised her flesh. "I'm telling you that you'd better watch your step," he grated harshly, "or I'll have you thrown out of here! Understand ?" "You will, will you?" the woman shrilled. "Let me go!" She began to strike at him with her free hand. "D'yoii hear me? Let me go, you pig !" There was a violent scuffle, and Mitchell was compelled to use rough tactics to defend him.self. The woman's tones rose still higher and still louder, Mitchell's low-pitched but angry voice breaking in on the abusive words that poured from her lips. "Be yourself, eonfotmd you! What's the matter with you? Don'l be a nut " " Yoti pig! You dirty four-flusher! You talked a lotta bunk to me, an' I was fool enough to believe il • " Spike slid into the room. •What's the trouble. Milch?" he jerked, holding himself in readiness to lend assistance. "Come on. Spike!" Mitchell panted. "Help me to get this wild-cat out of here." The gangster obeyed. Fighting and screaming in the arms of the two men. Trixie Farrell was draggi-d into the corridor and thence to a back door, through which she wa,s hurriedly propelled. Meanwhile, in the room when- the ".scene" between Milehell and 'I'rixie had taken place, the glowing cigarette- butt was burning into the spirit-soaked material of the window curtains. A few thin wraiths of smoke rose from the silken folds al first, but it was not long before the inflammable spirit caught lire. In a luoinem the window was enveloped in a.fierce blaze, a blaze that rapidly spread from the curtains to the oak-panelled wall, to the thick rugs on the floor, to the costly furniture. Alone in the basement. June Madison ventured farther into the cobwebbed recesses of the wine cellar, reading the names on the various casks of bootleg liquor, and picturing the dark deeds of crime for which these barrels had been responsible. The guard, whom Dan had acco.sted some time before, returned to his post at the cellar doorway. He glanced Every Tuesday inside, but failed to .see June, who liad passed out of sight behind a tall stack of kegs. The guard presumed that Mitchell and his girl-friend had both gone upstairs again, and decided that he might as well fasten the cellar door. The restaurant would shortly be closing. He pushed the door to and shot a heavy bolt. At that same instant he heard a panic-.stricken cry from the corridor above. " Fire! The joint's on fire I Every- body out! The plac» is on fire!" The guard rushed up the stairs. Fire-fighters to the Rescue. BACK at the station, Bob Darrow was accosted by the battalion chief, in whom he had confided. "Well, Darrow," Wilson said, "did you clinch the deal with that fellow Thompson ?" Bob shook his head. "Not yet," he answered. "Tliomp- son had a couple of girls with him. Ho seemed to be having too good a time to talk business. They were thinking of going on to another night-club when 1 left, and as a matter of fact it was alt I could do to get away. I {juess I'll turn in now, chief." He made his waj' upstaire to the dor- mitoi-y and slipped off his cloliies. Ho was asleep shortly after his head touched the pillow, but he seemed to have been scarcelj' five minutes in bed when the ringing of the alarm bell aroused him. Every man in the dormitory was stir- ring himself. Bed-cx)vers were thrown back as the firemen sprang to the floor In the space of a couple of minutes uni- forms had been donned and the stal- warts of District Number Five were sliding down the poles to the engine- room wliere the fire-wagons stood—shin- ing monsters of scarlet and brass. Bob Darrow was one of the first to clamber aboard the leading engine, Pat Heeley sharing the distinction with him. and in thirty seconds less than the regulation three minutes the big trucks were surging forth into the street. Engines and escapes stormed through the city, sirens wailing, bells clanging. Folk gathered on the sidewalks to watch their passing, and others leaned anxiously from bed-room windows and then gazed towaixls an ominous red glow that seemed to hover in the sky some distance away. The Nightingale Club had flared up with a iai>idity that was well-nigh in- crcdi'ole. But timber figured pro- niinently in its -scheme of intt .ior decora- tion, and this factor was rei)>oi!sible for the swiftness with which the lire had spread. Half an hour after the outbreak in that room where Trixie Farrell had quarrelled with Mitchell, the ground floor and the first floor were both ablaze. Down in the wine-cellar June Madi- son remained ignorant of her dinger for some time, for the basement was last to suffer. It was only when she movc^d to the barred window and saw people gathering outside that iJw realised something must be wiong. Then a whiff of smoke found its way into the cellar through the crevice und«r the door. She guessed the reason for the com- motion outside then, and with a stab of alarm she ran to the door. Alarm waa succeeded by terror as she discovert that the door had been bolted on the