Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday Tapper knew what a breakfast should be. 'And Rodney, usually, showed full appreciation. But this morning ■ ■ A quarter of an hour afterwards Tapper found his master looking fixedly into vacancy. "Why, you've hardly eaten any- thing, sir," cried the servitor, a pained look on his plump countenance. "I—I've got no appetite this morn- ing, Tapper," replied Rodney. " I— I'm not feeling well." "Sort of strung up, sir," muttered Tapper sympathetically. ■■Strung up!" gasped Rodney, clutching at his collar. '■Don t say that, Tapper." . ^^ "A bit nervy, I mean, sir, ex- plained the manservant apologetically. ■■1 bet you've been reading about the crime. Now you ought to have left that till after breakfast, sir. I make a point of never rcadin' the paper till " , . „ ■■I haven't read about the crime, interrupted Rodney, half hysterically. "I'm not feeling in the mood.^ Can't you see the bally paper isn't _ even opened. Use your eyes. Tapper." "Quite so, sir," murmured Die ser- vitor, shooting a puzzled glance at liis master. "Excuse my lack of observa- tion, sir. I wish I could_ tempt you to, eat sometliing, sir. I " ■■I don't want to eat anything, groaned Rodney. "It's a good thing to fast now and then, Tapper. The medical men all recommend it. By the way, Tapper, do you happen to know anything about opening safes?" "Opening aafesT' gurgled 'lapper. ■"I said opening safes," retorted Rodney. "Supposing you had to ope:: a safe, Tapper. You're a very handy fellow. I—1 bet you'd do it somehow." Tapper glowed at the compliment, not undeserved. "Opening a safe, sir," he replied, "is a matter of delicate manipulation. You twiddle the dial " "Twiddle the dial?" echoed Rodney. ■'Twiddle the dial,"' repeated Tapper, his hands illustrating tho movement. "You keep on twiddling until—by the way, sir, I am talking of the modern coijibination lock safe." , ''The combination lock safe?"' breathed Rodney. "I wonder if—but go on, Tapper. I suppose you weren't by any chance a safe-breaker before " "Certainly not, sir," replied Tapper. "A pity," murmured Rodney. '■ You seem to know such a lot " "Mere general knowledge, sir," re- plied Tapper. "But to resume. You twiddle the dial carefully, delicately. You listen carefully until you hear " The bell tringed. Rodney leaped to his feet. . „ "Someone at tlie door, sir, said Tapper solemnly. "Are you in or out?" "Out," cried Rodney. A few moments later Tapper returned, gravity imprinted on his plump features. "It's Inspector Grimshaw from Scot- land Yard, sir," he whispered. '■Matter of great urgency, he says. I thought it best to say you were in, sir." "You're right. Tapper," groaned Rodney. "I'm in right enough. The police are fast workers. Tapper. Don't believe anyone who tells you they're not." "He's waiting in the library, sir, replied the puzzled Tapper. "Says he won't keep you long." "I'm afraid he's right. Tapper," moaned Rodney. "Good-bye, Tapper. I shall see that you don't suffer." Before the startled Tapper could gasp an answer to this amazing remark BOY'S CINEMA 19 (it ilfi' A NEW Dictionary for EVERY Home, within the reach of EVERY Purse! Nearly 100,000 WORDS Accurately yet simply defined. Over 300,000 shades of meaning clearly and interestingly differen- tiated. Full etymologies. Pronunciations simply indicated for the man- in-the-street and phon- etically indicated for the scholar. Hundreds of thousands of quotations illustrat- ing phrases, modern usages and idioms. A book for every home, every school, every library, and every office. Binds into ONE Large Page Volume! The Only Dictionary Entirely Written Since the War Here's a chance to get a really wonderful new Dictionary—one that will be invaluable to you at school and will help you with your homework—for sixpence a week ! The UNIVERSAL ENGLISH DICTIONARY will give you the complete history of every word in the English language—and what a fascinating history, too! It tells you what part of speech the word is, how to pronounce it, how it is used in everyday conversation, and so on. For the past eight years Professor H. C. Wyld and many more clever people have been engaged on its preparation, and now it is to be issued in fifty-two weekly parts at sixpence a part. So you see that it is well vvithin the range of the most modest pocket-money, binding included. There is more—far more—in the UNIVERSAL ENGLISH than there is in the ordinary desk dictionary. And yet it will be completed in one large-page work, unlike the many-volume dic- tionaries of the libraries. In the solution of word-puzzles it will help you im- measurably, to name but one of the innumerable uses to which it may be put. THE UNIVERSAL ENGLISH DICTIONARY Edited by H. C. WYLD Merlon Professor of English Language and Lileralure, Oxford. Buy PART 1 TO-DAY 6d. On Sale Everywhere October £4tli. 1931.