Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

10 ceeded to do so. "Help yourselves, boys! Perry's buying!" Delia submitted to more kisses than she could count, and vhile she was laughingly enduring the ordeal, Wilbur Strong said to Perry Mason: " What are you gonna do, Perry, if a case comes up while you're away?'" "My son," returned the attorney, who was many years the coroner's junior, " if it's a criminal case I don't want it. I have retired from the practice of criminal law." "Sez you!" scoffed Tiny Brewster. "I mean it," Perry declared. "I've promised Delia to become a sober filer of briefs. No more excitement or danger." "Can't you just sec him with his spectacles and brief-case?" laughed Delia. Spudsy, deeming it tnue the party broke up, announced loudly that the car was ready; whereupon Perry shook hands with Miss O'Daugherty. "So-long, judge," he said. "You're a great guyi I'll never forget your kindness, Mary F." Mary F. laughed and shook hands with the bride. "D'you know, my dear," said she, "I still owe your husband for the last newspaper he delivered when he was just so high?" "Don't worry," chuckled Perry. "I haven't forgotten that nickel you owe me, and I'm going to collect some day!" Out from the room and out from the court streamed the whole party. In the street, by the kerb, stood a streamlined and black sabon capable of exceeding all the speed limits of the State of California, and Spudsy opened one of its doors. Delia was helped into the back seat by Perry, who climbed in beside her; Spudsy took the wheel. "Well, Perry," boomed Tiny Webster •fi-om the pavement, "even if we don't approve, good luck!" Perry, leaned forward. "All right, Spudsy," he said in a voice inniecessarily loud, " Pinehurst Lodge." "Send me a post card!" shouted Willnn* Strong, over 'and above cries of "(Jood luck!"—and Delia leaned out of the window as the car began to move. "The bride's bouquet!" she said. "You know—whoever catches it!" The bouquet was thrown, and the coroner caught it. "Take your shoes off and thiow 'i-m !" he vocifoated. 'I'lie car gathered speed and the crowd on I he pavement was left behind. But s.everal niembeis of it had ideas, notably Detective-Sergeant Hoffman, who was fifty-one, grey-haired, and quite old enough to know better. " I'll tell yen what we do foi- the bride and gi-oom and their honeymoon at Pinehurst," he gui-gled. "We telephone Pineliurst," said Tiny Webster. "And we send the fire department at midnight," said Hofl'man. "And the village constable at two in the morning!" added Wilbur Strong. "You betrha, coroner," approved the sergeant of detectives. "And at four I swear it's a jilioney marriage!" But Perry Mason had not established a reputation for himself without brains, and just beyond some traffic lights he called out to his self-styled "chief legal adviser " : "Spudsy, make a loft (urn at the next corner. We're going back to the apartment." Delia was quite disniayed. January 9tli, 1937. BOY'S CINEMA "But what about Pinehurst?" she ex- claimed. "Yeah, what about Pinehurst?" echoed Spudsy, over his shoulder. "Unfortunately," Perry replied to both of them, " they have telephones at Pinehurst, and we have friends in San Francisco." "Oh, you mean those guys back there?" said Spudsy. "What could they do?" "Plenty !" Perry gave a little chuckle and squeezed the waist of his bride. " I pity the poor residents of Pinehurst this night!" A Case for Perry Mason PERRY rented a luxurious flat on the second floor of an imposing apartment-house in Jeft'ejson Square. The three emerged from a lift into a carpeted • corridor, Spudsy en- cumbered with suitcases, and a slant- eyed Chinese servant named Ping opened the front door of the flat without exhibiting the slightest surprise, although he had believed his master to be on the way to the pictmesquely situated village of Pinehurst. Spudsy entered first and dumped the suitcases on the floor of a little square hallway. Delia was about to follow when she found herself wliisked up into her brand-new husband's very strong arms. " Oh !" she gasped. "As my secretary you walked into my parlour," said Perry, "but as my bride I carry you ! Remember what the judge said—' It's legal now '!" He carried her into an elegant sitting- room and deposited her on a chester- field with a kiss, then took oft' iiis hat and overcoat. ."Say, don't 1 get a drink on my wedding night?" she inquired. "Rig-irt away, darling," he promised, and sailed off to the dining-room to mix cocktails. Spudsy conveyed the suitcases into a siwcious bedroom, and was turning to depart when a girl stepped from behind the open door, causing him to start viol(Mitly. Excei)t for a hard expression about her eyes and niouth» she was quite beautiifni. Her hair was raven l)laek, and a little black hat was perched on her head. She was dressed in a black costume, with a white blouse. But Spudsy had never, seen her before in liis life, and the automatic in her right hand caused his jaw to drop. "Are you Peri-y Mason?" she asked in a voice almost as steely as the gtui. "Well, no—no—ma'am!" stammered S|Judsy. Delia walked inlo iIk- room, gave one glance at the intruder, and exclaimed: "Well, the other woman!" "Stay right where you are!" snapped the girl with the gun. "Haven't you heard?" said Delia, quite calmly. "Mr. ilason isn't taking criminal cases any lorigor." Without another word the girl went out across the hallway into llie sitting- room. Delia followed, quite indignantly, and Spudsy followed Delia, still wearing his hat and a particularly noisy- patterned overcoat. The dooi- into the dining-room was half open and the girl was standing be- hind it when Perry walked in with two little glasses on a tray. "Bitters for the bride?" he inquired. " No hitlers, thank you," said Delia. The girl with the gun .stepped for- ward. "Which is the one without the bitters, Mr. Mason?" she asked. Perry swung round and his brows went up. Every Tuesday "Oh, hallo!" he said. "This one on the right." Slie took the little glass with her left hand, drained it, and returned it to the tray. "I'm sori-y, Delia," said Perry. Delia promptly drank the cocktail which contained bitters, and Perry, ad- miring her spirit, put down the tray and took her in his arms. He was about to kiss her when the barrel of the automatic was jabbed against his spine, and the girl who held it said im- periously : " My name is Mrs. Eva Stewart. I've tried to reach you all day. I need legal advice." "Well," said Perry, with a laugh that was by no meaas mirthful, "this is hardly the time for legal matters, !Mrs. Stewart. However, I should rather like to suggest a disannament conference. '- Mrs. Eva Stewart, as she called her- self, opened a handbag and took from it several notes. "Here are five thousand dollars, Mr. Mason," she said. "You'll get more. Now you're coming with me!" "Well, if it's a criminal case," said Perry, " you see, I—er " "We'll discuss that later!" she inter- rupted sharply. "Now you're coming with me!" Perry Mason took a fountain-pen from a waistcoat pocket with admirable sang- froid, considering the circumstances. "Delia," he said, "do you ruind writ- ing out a receipt for Mrs. Stewart?" "Well, there's nothing like the peace and happiness of married life," said Delia dryly, and she took the pen from Perry's hand and a white handkerchief from his breast pocket, and at a little table she wrote out a receipt on the starched linen. " Sign on the dotted line, Mr. Mason." Perry signed his name and Delia offered the handkerchief to the armed client. "Weil, now that you have an attorney bought and paid for," said Perry mildly, " would you consider putting away the —ei'—the artillery?" "Not until I get you in a cab!" was the immediate retort. "Get your hat!" Perry picked up his hat and overcoat. "Good-bye," said Delia plaintively. "Don't mind me. I'm only the bride!" "Oh, angel!" Perry embraced her. "I'll be back in an liour. Good-bye."- " Give my love to all the folk down Mrs. Stewart's way!" she called after him as he went out from the room with the girl with the gun. She flung the notes on the floor as the front door slammed, and she knelt on the chesterfield and jieered down into the sticet between the slats of a Vene- tian blind till she had seen Perry and the stranger get into a taxicab which Perry hailed. The address given to the driver of (he cab informed him of his immediate des- tination. He leaned back against the cushions and crossed liis long legs. "We're on the way to ' Spicy Bits ' ?" he said. "Then the reason is a case of blackmail?" "Yes," replied the girl. "Last night a candidate for tlie Legislature was. seen at tl;e Beechwood Inn with a certain woman " "There was a raid," interjected Perry. "I read about it." "There was. The candidate's name is Peter Milnor. ' Spicy Bits ' is the only paper that knows he was there—and they go to press day after to-morrow." "Peter Milnor?" Perry repeated the name. "And you want to keep his name out of print, is that it?"