Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

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fioin a iccblc old age, and an early inarriago. Why, I've bceu taking )l for J ears, and I'm growing younger every day ! As a matter of fact, if 1 lake it much longer, I wouldn't be surprised to sec my nauio in the birth notices." There was ? general laugh. Dr. J. Dockweiler Droop certainly had a sense of humour, and he knew how to put over liis little jokes. "Haw, haw!"' jeered the nuisance again. But the "Doc," as he called himself, was equal to the occasion. Addressing a fair and fat woman in the friendliest possible manner.- he said : "Lady, you can stay, but the jackass has got to go." The "jackass '' went, considerably crushed. "Now, friends," .said the Doc confi- dentially, "I want to advise you. This is the g'-eatost remedy in the world for sore throats and for hoarseness." His voice became husky and __ faded almost to a painful whisper. "Folks, it has no equal for hoarseness. Folks. if you ever '' His voice seemed to desert him completely. " Folks " he croaked with an effort, then drew the cork of the bottle he was display- ing and gulped down some of its crim- son contents. His eyes widened delightedly, and he lifted' ifp his voice once more, clear, musical, triumphant. "It euros hoarseness, folks," he de- clared, "just like that! It cures it! It also restores personality and cures nerves. Why, friends, my own wife was so nervous that she would scream if I kissed her. Yes, and two years ago, folks, it was an effort for me to stagger two feet. Now, thanks to Dreko. you'd bo surprised how I can walk !" The crowd laughed, but the laugh died away as the sheriff stepped for- ward and displayed his shield to the red-headed vendor of niedirine. "Let's see von take a walk—a long one!" Doc stared at the shield, made a u ry face, re-corked the bottle and laid it amongst the other bottles in the suit- case. "Do I understand, sir," he said sadly, "that you are addressing me? Addressing one of the Dockweiler Droops of Virginia—to say nothing of Europe and all points East?" "I'll give you," said the sheriff grimly, "ten minutes to get out of this town." The Doc took a puff at his cigar. (losed the suitcase, gave his top hat a pat, and said in pained surprise : "You'll give mo ten minutes to get out of town? Why. sir, I've sold my medicine in some of the finest burgs in this world, and never has a sheriff given me less than twenty minutes to get out of town !" There were chuckles from the crowd, but (he sheriff said significantly: " So there have hcon other sheriffs in vour life, eh? I smell a rat!" " Don't get personal, slieriff. don't get ))(M-sonal," urged Doc; an<l. fold- ing the little trestle and tucking it under his left arm. ho picked up the suitcase and walked briskly from the fair ground. A Persistent Waif. ON his way out of the town. Doc passed through .several rather mean streets. On the corner of one there stood a drinking saloon of a low type, and as Jic approached it be heard a child crying and a woman scolding. Ho quickened his pace, turned the corner, and came upOn a October 10th, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA slatternly creature, railing at a little blue-eyed girl. "You little brat, you!" cried the hag. "Shut upt Will you shut up. You've never done anything else but squall ! I'd like to knock the head oif you !" Doc stared at the woman, then looked down at the ragged little mite. Her face and hands were dirty, her clothes were ragged, but she was pretty in spite of her dirt, and she was hug- ging- a dilapidated doll. "lli, hi, hi!" reproved Doc. "Lay off that Simon Legree stuff !" "Who are you?" .snapped the woman. "Ah!" said Doc mysteriously. "You'd bo surprised if you knew I You ought to be ashamed of yourself, abusing your little daughter like that." "She ain't my kid," retorted the woman. "I didn't ask nobody to leave her in my front yard !" "You don't mean to tell me you've got a front yard?" He went down on his knees before the child, who ceased her crying to regard him with round eyes. " What's your name, my good woman?" he inquired gently. "My name's Rosie," was the if ply. " Rosie ? Gosh, w]iat a pretty name ! Rosie!" "I call her Rosie," put in the woman, "because I found her under a rose bush." "You ought to be tickled to death you were.i't found under a eucalyp- tus." said Doc to the girl, with a grin, and addressed the woman again. "Who does she belong to?" "I don't know." replied the slattern ungraciously. " I found her one morn- ing about a year ago—naked and squallin', and she's been squallin' ever since. I've tried to give hor to some- body about a dozen times, but m such luck. S'pose you take her?'' "Me?" exclaimed Doc, rising to his feet and dusting his knees. "Oh. no. thanks! No, not me—not me!'' He dived a hand into a. pocket arid brought out a note. "Here's ten dollars," he said. "Sup- pose you feed her up—clean her up— dress her up—but don't beat her up ! Listen, if I hear of your abusing- her again, I'll have the law on you." But the woman did not hear. She had snatched at the note and was looking at it with disgust. "Why, this is only a dollar!" .*he complained. Doc patted the child's golden-brown head and picked up his suitcase. "You're quite right," ho nodded. "but surely my credit's good for nine dollars." Ho tipped his hat and walked slowly on : but the woman iminediatcly dived into the saloon, and the little girl fol- lowed him, hugging the doll. Presently a grimy little hand plucked at one of the tails of his grov frock- coat, and he stopped short and looked down at the solemn-faced mite. "Don't follow me," he said in some alarm. "I'm not your mamma." He moved on again, but Rosie fol- lowed, still clinging to his coat-tail. All the way down the street sho fol- lowed him and round another corner, and there lie stopped again, sat down on the kerb, and motioned to her to sit beside him. "Now, look here, my good woman," he said whimsically, "you can't gel away with & thing like this on me. I know your type—you ^old digger !" And ho patted her affectionately on the shoulder. Every Tuesday Immediately she flung her little arms . round his neck and kissed him. "Uh-huhl" growled Doc. "So that's your little game, is it? Think you'll sue me for breach of promise ar.i» make me pay, eh? But you've got n,'j letters, and I defy you ! Here, take this!" He kissed her. "And this!" He kissed her again. "And remember, you've got nothing on me whatsoevoi. and if yo.i continue to follow me, I'll box your little ears!" Sho sat there clutching the doll, her elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand. Not more than three years old, Doc decided, but the sadness in her eyes recorded months of unhappiness. Doc, biting on his cigar, rested his own chin in his hand and considered the problem of what to do with the v.aif. "I'm going away," he said finally. "Right away—and right now I You're not to follow me, young woman. Un- derstand ?" Rosie nodded gravely, and kissed him again. He rose, took up his suit- case, and stepped slowly across the roadway. But Rosie caught up with him before he reached the opposite pavement, and once more she held on to a tail of his coat. "You heard what I said—I shall spank yon," he said warningly, but without looking down. "I don't mind if i/ou do spank me," said Rosie. Doc was not out of Burlington within ten minutes of leaving the fair-ground, but in less than half an hour Jie had left the little town behind and was walking the dusty high road that 'led to the larger town of Charaplain. And Rosie walked beside him, holding on to his coat-tail. But after darkness had fallen he car- ried her, as well as the suitcase. After Fifteen Years. FIFTEEN years later, in the present year cf grace and general unrest. Doc and Rosie were strolling about a fair ground in the Pennsy!- vanian town of Arcadia. They had arrived overnight in a horse-drawn covered van which was their home. It was early in the morning and the fair was not yet ready for the general 'public. Booths were being erected; side-shows of all sorts were being arranged for opening time, and a steam-organ was wheezily grinding out the appropriate tune of "Sweet Rosie O'Grady." Pegs were being hammered into the ground to support the tents; a vendor of balloons was inflating his wares with the aid of a ""cycle pump, and Rosie, i now a beautiful girl of eighteen or Jj thereabouts, was holding on to a tail J of Doc's smartly-cut grey morning coat. In the intervening years business had flourished with Dr. J. Dockweiler Droop. He had added to his enter- prises, ■ and recently he had aban- doned the selling of tonics and other nostrums to embrace the more profit- able occupation of telling fortunes, dis- guised as an Indim seer. Through . all the years Rosi? had been his con-\. stant companion, his mascot—and the only living creature in the world upon whom to lavish his affection. He hail fed her, washed her, clothed., her, educated her, till she had grown»j old enough to atteid to her own per-* sonal affairs. He had devoted every spare cent to her upbiinging, and sha had grown into a young woman of whom secretly he was very proud. "Now, look here, Rosie, old woman," he said in that whimsical wav of his. as they strolled together. " You can'C i