Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday "I'm looking out for myself," she Stated. "Tlien you were (ho 'certain woman ' who was with him?" "The paper must nover know that!" she cried. " Undeistand ? Never!" "Who are you, anyway?" "I've told you who I am—Mrs. Eva Stewart." "Well," lie said scepticallj', "that name will do for the pjesent." Delia remained at the window, on the chesterlicld, long after the taxicah had disappeared from siyht. Spudsy, partly for something to do and partly because the night had turned chilly, sot light to the fire already laid in the grate. "I was happy as a secretary," said Delia dismally, "and now I'm de.sertod as a wife!" "Don't you worry, Delia," urged the fue-lighter. "You just trust old Spudsy. I'll take care of you!" She turned to smile at him rather wanly, and saw that absent-mindedly he ■was tossing the notes into the fire. "Look!" she cried, bouncing off the chesterfield. " The money! You're burning his fee!" "Ooooh! ' Frantically Spudsy grabbed at a poker and tried to retrieve the notes, but though he got them out on to the hearth they were in flames. Delia took a cigarette from a box on the little table, v/ent down on her knees beside him, picked up one of the flaring notes—and nearly burned her fingers. "Oh, well, Spudsy," she said, "I've always wanted to light a cigarette with a thousand-dollar bill." In less than twenty minutes the teleplione bell rang. Delia answered the call, and the voice of Perry sounded in her left ear. "Hallo, darling!" it said. "I ditched the lunatic, and I'll be homo in five minutes. The five thousand goes back as soon as she calls again." "You think it does?" Delia langhed hysterically. "Lisien, angel, you've got to take the case—Spudsy's burned up the moncj'! Every teenj'-weeny bit of it!" "What?" howled the voice of Perry. "Wait till I Oh, well, never mind, precious! I'll take the case and wash i: up in an hour. See you later." She heard the .■^ouiid of a kiss, and then the line was dead. On the Trail PERRY went out from a telephone- box in Market Street, walked fifty yards or so along- that busy thoroughfare, and entered a tall office building. On the fourth floor ho stepped into the general office of "Spicy Bits," a scui-rilous publication issued \veeklj\ Beyond a brass rail, with a little gate in it, there were several desks at which men were bu.sy, and a switchboard at which a girl was seated. Beyond the desks was a door with a frosted panel, upon which was painted, " Frank Locke, Editor." Perrj- opened the little gate and went striding towards the door, but an un- pleasant-looking fellow ^sprang up from one of the desks and barred his waj-. "It says 'Private' on that gate!" he rasped. "Can't you road?" ''If I couldn't," retorted Perry, "I'd l^e working on ' Spicy Bits.' I want to see Frank Locke. I'm—er " "I know who you are, rat!" snarled the fellow, whose own name was Crandal. "Wait here!" Pei-ry waited, quite close to the switchboard, and he smiled at the girl who was dealing with calls, while Crandal went into the editor's room. Locke ^^as at his desk, a long-faced BOY'S CINEMA man whoso brown hair was becoming thin on top, giving him a more intel- lectual appearance than he merited, and whose brown eyes were anything but honest. With him was a blonde girl, by no nu'ans lacking in looks, who sprang ui) from a chair as Crandal entered. "Perry Mason's outside," said Crandal. "He wants to see you." "Perry Mason, eh?" Locke rubbed his very pronounced chin. " Send him in." "Shall I go, Frank?" inquired the girl. "I think you'd better, dear." She wont out with Crandal, and a few moments later Perry Mason stood looking down at Frank Locke, who seemed to be studying the point of a pencil he was holding. "I'm Perry Mason," said Perry briskly. "I've only got five minutes to talk tiukey, Mr. Locke." "I know who you are," was the curt rejoinder. "What is it?" "You go to press day after to- morrow. You're going to feature a certain story. I want to keep that story out of print . How much'll it cost me?" Frank Locke smiled at the pencil rather than at his visitor. NEXT WEEK'S BIG THRILLERS! " COUNTERFEIT " By kidnapping one of the best engravers at the U.S. Treasury printinz works. Capper Stevens and bis gang are able to produce counterfeit notes that look per- fectly genuine; but John Joseph Madden, a daring and resourceful T-man, takes his life in his hands to track down the master crook. A high-powered drama, packed with action and thrills. "CRIME OVER LONDON " Finding the United States too hot for them, a band of gunmen, led by a cool, cunning and unscrupulous scoundrel, come to England, where they make elaborate plans to rob a big store of a large sum of money, but Scotland Yard is on the watch. A grand yarn, starring Paul Cavanagh. ALSO The concluding chapters of : "THE ADVENTURES OF REX AND RINTY " Starring Kane Richmond, Norma Taylor and Rex and Rinty. 11 " ' Spicy Bits ' is not a bhickmailirif; slioet,' he said, "llowcvci-, we do sell space to advertisers. What's on your mind ?" "Peter Mdnor," replied Perry. "Oh! Just a niihute!" Locke ro.s(! fii»m hi.'^ desk, departed into the general odice, and closed the door behind him. "He's gonna talk," he said to Crandal. "Get it down!" But Perry Mason had not lost any time. He felt quile sure th.it tlieie wa.s a nncropnoiio hidden .soinewliere in Locke's room, and he was looking for it ahnost before the door was closed. His quick eyes detected a plug in the floor near the base of a long-stemmed '"smoker's comijanion." He picked up the ash-tray in the top of the contrivance, and there was tlie inicro phone. It took him loss than a second to sna.v the wires attached to the microphono and to restore tlie ash-tray to its place, and ho was helping himself to a red rose from a tall vase on the desk when Locke returned. "Are you repre.sonting Pelor Milnor, or the wonuin who was with him?" Locke inquired, leseating himself in his chair. "What woman?'" countered Perry. "If you know her name. Ma^on. and are willing to talk, ' Spicy Bits ' will go on the paying cud." Perry waved the red rose. "Toil me," he said, "who'.-- the real owner of this—er—blackmailing rag, and maybe wo can make a trade." " Do you smoke, or take it in the arm? I'm the owner." Perry ignored the suggestion that he was under the influence of dope. "Listen. Locke," he said crisply, "you fellows Juive been running a blackmail- ing sheet long enough, and I just want you to know that I'm after yon right now." "Very well," said Locke, and pointed to the dooi. "In the meantime, wouKl jou mind going?" "Not at all." Perry walked out with the ro,-e, but paused beside the switch- board to present it to the girl. ''A rose," he said with a gesture. "Not as lovelj- as you are, my dear, but still a rose." "For me?" The girl looked anin-,od, ''Oh, excuse me, please!" Frank Locke was on the line", asking for a luunber. She obtained it for him, then looked up at Perry. "What w:ls it you said about roses?" .she inquired. "Just skip it," said Perry, and he put down the rose and walked out. The head office of the National Telephone Company was not very far away. He made straight for it, and in the name of O'Flaherty he interviewed a venerable official named O'Toole, adopting an Irish accent for the occasion. "You're sure vou'ro from the District Attorney'.; office, Mr. O'Flaherty?" asked the real Irishman. "If you doubt me, Mr. O'Toole," returned Perry, with a grin, "you've sure!}' got a 'phone." That was quite convincing, and Mr. O'Toole conducted him into a room that was full of filing-cabinets-and led the way to one of them. '■ Well, here are all the Freyburg mmibers, Mr. O'Flahertv," he said. '•All right, Mr. O'Toole," said Perry. "Check up on number six-two-nino- oight," "The specified number vvas foimd on it.s appropriate card in its appropriate drawer. ■Mr. George C. Belter," O'Toole read January Jth, 1937.