Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

22 the address—829, Livingstone Street? Yoti'ro sure ?" "That was Gippy Wilson speaking," explained Thotiipson to the trio of plaiii-olotlios men within call. "He lias found out whore O'Rourke is hiding. Get the other boys together and go after hin). You, Connell, better hang around here witli a couple of the men. One never knows. And if O'Rourke makes an entiy here, don't stop him ! There's none too mucli time. Smart's the word." A posse of police raided the hiding- place of O'Rourke, amid a joyous smashing of glass and a splintering of woodwork. The house was surrounded, every exit barred. Ah ! Here was a room with the lights all on, and seated in an armchair a figure imroncerncdiy reading an evening paper. The fugitive at last ! Tt seemed too easy—too good to be true ! "Put 'em up !"' came the stern order. The man looked up with obvious annoy- ance. It was none other tlian Red Wolff! The policemen did their best to hide their chagrin. "Say, gentlemen," drawled Red, "what" do you mean by damaging the place like this? Why didn't you knock on the door like decent fellows?" In the meantime, taking advantage of the commotion that was bound to arise—and as has been seen, did arise —at his own hideout, Mike O'Rourke had trailed the warden to the house at Edgcwood Road. Litilo by little, foot by foot, taking advantage of the deep siiadows, lie had drawn nearer and. nearer to the man whose life would be forfeit, unless the warden yielded to a peremptory demand. Sharp eyes were watching O'Rourke as he tampered with :i window-fastening. Unaware of the danger near at hand, the warden had selected a volume from the bookcase, had settled down comfort- ably to an hour of undisturbed reading The hell tinkled. "No news of O'Rourke," came across the wire. "We surrounded the place, but onlv succeeded in nabbing Red Wolff. We think he knows more than he'll tell. So we'll hang on to him for- a bit." "Good work !" was the warden's reply. "Carry on, then come straight along to Edgewood Road and bring the boys along with you." And all the time death was creeping ever nearer to the tranquil warden. Book in Iiand, and by now deeply immersed in its pages, there came a gruff voice from liis immediate rear, a voice that was full of menace—a merci- less, unforgiving voice, if ever there was one. "Well. Thompson," was the message carried by that cold, hard voice. "I've got you this time! Your men are out- .sido. I believe?" "Just a couple ot the boys," replied the warden easily, without a falter. "Then you'll take up that 'phone," commanded Mike, "and tell your men to beat it—quick! And then we'll talk business—you and me. And there's quite a lot to talk about." he added, fingering his gun significantly. The warden, hesitating for the frac- tion of a second, took up the telephone communicating with the ante-room. "Tliere's no need for you fellows to stay on any longer. Get along home until you hear from ine further." "That's the ticket," commented the convict. " Now you'll switch off that 'phone and listen to me. Just attempt to call Headquarters, or anybody else, and you're a.s good as dead. You can walk out of here alive—and I don't sup- Jioveoiber 21st, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA pose you want to peg out before your time—on just one condition." "And that condition is?" inquired the warden. "At five-thirty to-morrow morning my brother is supposed to go to the elec- tric chair. It was you who helped to put him in that chair, and it's you who are going to get him out of it." "Listen O'Rourke, what you ask is quite impossible, and you know it!" "Nothing's impossible when your life is at stake," snarled O'Rourke. "It's the very simplest thing in the world. And this IS how you're going to do it: you'll telephone the governor riglit away, and tell him that you've got some new evidence which proves that my brother did not kill Kelly." "Such a lie that would not be suffi- cient to free your brother," said the waixien, jjlaying for time. "I kiio.v that. But it will do just what I am planning to do, which is this: it will delay the execution, delay it just long enough tor my brother to make liis getaway as easily as 1 did, in spite of all your precautions." The convict chuckled at the recollection. "I don't Jionestly believe the governor can do a thing at this late hour. The case liad a fair trial, there was an appeal, and it will take more than a 'phone-call to interfere with the course of events. No, O'Rourke, it's a waste of time—and you know. Shoot, if you want to! Y'ou'U hang, in any case—my men will get you if it takes a life-time." "Stop your nonsense, Thompson," the convict commanded. "You're onh- playing for time. I'm going to count ten, and if you've not called the governor by then, you might as well say your prayers—if you know any." "AH right, O'Rourke," returned the warden with a sigh, "I'll call him up, though you might as well know that he's in town here to-night, attending a banquet at the home of Frank Spear." "I don't care where he is—'phone him." The warden took up the telephone book. "Let's see. Spear's place is on Main Street—here it is—Central 9854." Then closed the book. "What a nui-sancef" he exclaimed. "What was that number?" "How should I know?" was O'Rouvke's angry reply. tvery Tuesday Once more the warden reached for the book, drew a scribbling pad to- wards him, reached for his pen, only to be roughly warned: "Put down that hand, Thompson! How do I know there's not a gun?" ' ' " Wrong again, Rourke. I'm just reaching for my pen." But the escaped convict was taking no chances "Pen or no pen, I'll handle it." With a jerk, he freed the pen from the warden's pocket, covering him mean- time with the wicked-looking revolver. "Listen, Mister Warden, just you get me right. I'm running this show! Now jot down that number, so that you don't forget it this time, and make it quick. Time's getting along, and that brother of mine is going to be free! Get me?" "What's the hurry?" inquired the warden, with an assumed indifference that goaded his captor to anger. And then, with an innocent and quite disarming glance, W'aiden Thompson pointed the pen at Mike O'Rourke; and as he pointed there came from the pen a puff of white smoke and a deafening explosion, and a generous charge of tear-gas went full into the eyes of the astonished criminal. O'Rourke reeled, gasped, spluttered, yet in spite of tiis agony kept a grip on himself. Grab- bing his pistol, he fired* wildly in the warden's direction, and with the noise of the firing the detectives hurled them- selves into the room, grabbed the blinded convict, handcuffed him before lie liad time to collect his senses. "Boss," said Connell, wringing hi» chief warmly by the hand, "remember you ordered us never to leave until wo received the instructions a second time. That was the only thing that saved the situation." "I know," replied the warden, wip- ing his eyes, for by now the tear-gas had penetrated the room. " But never forget that I told you boys that the little tear-gas pen of mine might come in handy some day. It has." Killer O'Rourke paid the penalty. Mike still dawdles over his duties in the prison yard; still watches the skies for possible rescues from the clouds. But the State Prison, prepared for most eventualities, is prepare<l even for that! (By permission of the Ideal FilD Co., Ltd.) GRAND COMPLETE FILM NOVELS! " HIGH STAKE S " Joe Lennon did not approve of the baby-faced girl his elder brothef Richard had married after being for ten years a widov/er. He felt that something was radically wrong somewhere, and set out to prove it in his own nonchalant manner— with highly dramatic circumstances. "THE WRITTEN LAW." An eminent physician lose.s his sight and a so-called friend tries to steal the affection of his wife. The un- masking of an outsider. Starring Percy Marmont and Madeleine Carroll. " FASCINATION." For two years the young married couple lived happily, then an actress came into their lives. The wife was prepared to make any sacrifice for her husband, but Starring Madeleine Carroll and Carl Harbord. Don't miss these three grand film stories, complete in this week's issue of our companion paper— "SCREEN STORIES." On Sale Wednesday. Price Sd. MAE MURRAY «ii^ LOWELL SHERMAN in < HIGH STAKES." it: