Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

" But, pa," protested Mrs. Leeds, hastening to protect her oldest son. "Jackie tries every day to IJnd a job— I'm sure of it." "You think so, eh?" The father turned his eyes on Jackie again as his wife made to satisfy young Donny. wh-j was chamouring for more potatoes. "You ought to have stayed at High- school a while longer, my boy. You'd have then been fitted for a decent clerical job. Why, at this very moment, W. P. Randolph & Co. are in want of a bookkeeper. I could no doubt have got you the post, but you know nothing —simply nothing. As a matter of fact, in my opinion you don't wish to know anything." "So that's what you think, is it? Well, I know a darned sight more than you imagine. And now let me tell you something, father. I wouldn't dream of working for such a rotten firm as yours. Why, they're nothing more than " Jackie broke off his furious outburst, not because his father had half-risen from his scat and was glaring at him angrily, but because there had drifted to his ears the sounds of a fife being played somewhat out of tune. The boy groaned dismally. "Oh, heck I Now we're in for a pleasant evening—I don't think I" A jileased expression had come into Mrs. Leeds' face at the first notes of the music:il instrument, while they had caused young Donny and Ned to leap to their feet and to scatter from the rooin. The front door reached, the elder of the two boys quickly flung it open to reveal, standing on the doorstep, an aged man with iron-grey hair and beard, and grey eyes tnat held a peculiar hard glitter. A quaint figure lio cut as lie stood there in his army pensioner's blue uniform, spectacles perched half-way down his nose, the fife to his lips, his legs bent at the knees with the rheumatism from which ho suffered. ''Gramps ! Gramps !" cried Donny ecstatically. "Well, it's sure nice to see you again." The old fellow ceased to torture the fife, patted the heads of the two small boys affectionately, then stamped in and entered the dining-room. After him went Donny and Ned, and they made a dive for their seats as their grandfather suddenly halted and, grinning amiably, drew liis hand to tiie salute. "Silence in the ranks!" came the throaty tones of the old soldier. "Pri- vate Summerill salutes the family of Leeds!" In another moment Mrs. Leeds was beside him, clutching him by the arm. "Glad to see you, father I" She kissed the thin and wrinkled face. "Rut come along. You're just in time for dinner. I'll get you a chair." But Sue had already procured one from the kitchen, and had placed it in between Donny and Ned. Greetings were eventually over, and the old war- rior sank with a grunt into the chair and attacked the pork and beans his daughfor .set before him. "Staying long, grandpa?" inquired Pa Leeds as ho sot aside his empty plate. "Forty-eight hour furlough." The old fellow thrust some of the pork atid boans into his capacious mouth and smacked his lips appreciatively. "That means I'll bo with you till Wednesday." Jackie grunted disgustedly, for this meant he woidd have to share his bod with his grandpa. But the others fussed round the old boy in an endeavour to inako him feel at home. "I'm mighty glad you came, gramps."' Young Donny cast a furtive glance in November 21st, 1831. BOY'S CINEMA his mother's direction, saw that she was not lookmg his way, and slyly appro- priated a .spoonful of mashed potato. " Yes, I am that, for you'll bo able to see the baseball game with Downey In- termediate." "Sure—that's just what I came for, Donny." The old warrior shot his young grandson an affectionate glance. A base- ball enthusiast himself, ho was glad there was at least one member of |jis daughter's family who had taken to America's great national game. " And see here, you young scallywag, I'll be sitting, right there behind that wire- netting a-watching that out-shoot of yours just, a-comin' a-tearin' across the plate. My, but how I'll cheer you." There was an audible sniff from Jackie, who despised all outdoor games and exercises. To his mind there was far more honour to bo gained in compiling a hundred or two break on the billiards table than there was in making the winning shot for one's side in a big ball game. Two pairs of eyes instantly glared at him. Both Donny and his giandpa knew the reason for that sniff, and it riled them to have the game they loved scoffed at in this way. But they could say no word in protest, for at that moment Ma Leeds spoke. "If you intend to go to the ball game, father, you'd better quit drinking right now." She wagged a reproving finger at the old fellow as, a pained look creep- ing into his eyes, he opened his mouth to voice a protest. " No, no, I don't want to hear any excuses, father. I tell you I'm not going to have this family disgraced again—like the last time you were here and you blacked poor l\tr. Ashton's eye." "Oh, so you'd hang that over me, huh?" Grandpa gave a chuckle as iie remembered the incident alluded to. It had often tickled him to think that he, an old fellow of eighty, had stood up to a man a full thirty years his junior. But there was no doubt he had had a drink or two too many that day, and, remem- bering, his face took on a repentant ex- pression. "I'm sorry about that little spot of bother, my dear, of course. But still I'd every excuse. It was provoca- tion, that's what it was. Yoii see, that particular day my leg'd been bothering me and I just had to take something to relieve the pain—a little overdose kiiida limbers it up. But, as I said, I'd every excuse about the Ashton affair. An argument over the baseball match. I was right, but he couldn't see it. And, besides, he called me a billy-goat." "And then the fireworks started." Pa Leeds cast a reproachful glance at his wife's father. At the time of that brawl between the old fellow and Claude Ash- ton, w'ho lived near by, he had been very much upset. Supposing the fracas got to the ears of his boss? Well, Pa had realised the harm it could do him in regard to his business position, for old W. P. was a martinet, and any scandal in -which a member of his staff was in- volved was likely to meet with nuich dis- favour. But, fortunately, W. P. never got to hear of that disturbing episode. "That certainly was a disgraceful busi- ness, father. You came home with one eye closed and a policeman hanging on each arm— that's what vou did.' "Oh, a policeman? Well, let me tell you I just walked homo with those boys. Yeah. I'd been a-wrestling with 'em friendly-like." The old stager's eyes gleamed fiercely. Not for nothing had he won half a dozen medals during the period he had served his country. In his veins was fighting blood, and as the episode of that day came clearly back to him, that fighting blood was roused. Every Tuesday " Heck, but I'd have put them two bulls on their backs that day if it hadn't been for my darned leg." "And you said it was friendly wrest- ling?" Pa Leeds sadly shook his head. " Why you ought to be ashamed, at your age, causing such a disturbance as vou did." "Age!" Grandpa Summerill hopped up from his chair, banged his fist vio- lently on the table, then sat down again, eyeing liis son-in-law fiercely. " Why, doggone it, I'm just as strong as a bull and just as quick and active as a kitten. Dang you, George, if you don't get my monkey up. I've half a mind to put you on your back just to show you to bo careful what you saj'." "Now, now, father, please!" Again his daughter looked at him reprovingly. "Get on with your dinner, and not so much of the fighting spirit. Have some more spinach ?" "No." A good portion of pork and beans dissappeared into his mouth. "Don't like spinach, my dear." "But it's good for you. Its got iron in it. Makes you strong." "Heck! Didn't I tell you just now I'm strong enough ? Now be quiet, iho lot of you, while I finish my food." ITor several minutes the meal pro- gressed with the silence broken only by the two small boys, who possessed amaz- ing appetites and clamoured for more of tho pork and beans in no uncertain manner. Presently grandpa pushed aside his empty plate, drew a smaller plato towards him, then reached for a piece of bread-and-butter. "No blackberry jam?" he grunted, as his eyes swept the table. "Sure, grandpa." Pretty Sue was on her feet in an instant. "There's some stowed in tho collar. I'll get it for you." As she ran from the room, the peaco of the evening was shattered by sQveral loud reports and the roar of a motor- car's engine somewhere in the street. "What's that?" gasped Ma Leeds, startled. "Some car back-firing," said Jackie laconically. But Donny and Ned had jumped up from the table and had scampered to the bay windows overlooking Western Street. " Hully gee !" Donny's eyes went wide with horror as he peered through tho panes of the right-ha'id window of the baj'. "'Tain'tno back-firing. It's two cars—sh-shooting at each other!'' Gang Warfare. IN a moment Jackie, together with his mother and father and his grandpa, were crowding round the window, gazing with horror-filled eyes along the street that stretched below. Darkness had fallen, but in the light from tho powerful street lamps they could see two speeding cars, one a little distance behind the other; see, too, the wicked stabs of flamo as the occupants of tho vehicles fired at each other. "Sounds like the Battle of Chicka- maugy," grandpa grimly remarked. Quite a fusillade of shots echoed along tho street, then suddenly there came tho raucous note of police whistles, and an unmistakable whining noise that in- creased quickly to a roar. And all tho while those two cars, tearing madly up the street, drew nearer tho house of (ho watching Leeds' family. "The dirty skunks!" Grandivi's fists were tightly clenched, the fighting light back in his eyes. "But the cops aro after them—hear the roar of their cars and motor-bikes ? This is one gang feud that won't have a very long fife."-