Picture Show (Oct 1920 - Apr 1921)

Picture Show, April Ibth, 1921. BEGIN THIS SPLENDID ROMANCE OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS TO-DAY l7Ae CALL OP T/IE ROAD! I | Splendid Serial Story of Famous British Film Characters in the Story. ALFRED TRUSCOTT,. who has been disinherited for being a ne'er-do-well bv his uncle, Silas Tniscott.. LADY ROWliNA, Alfred's cousin, who is fascinated by the stories she hears of her cousin. In order to meet him, she nses the name of Alice Grey, and goes to stay with her old nurse, Margery Merridew, near where Alfred lias got work. PAGANINI PRIMUS and PAGANINI SKCUNDUS, " gentlemen of the road," and friends of Alfred. SIR MARTIN TREVOR, an inveterate gambler, who cheats at cards. He is beaten in a duel by Alfred, and vows vengeance'. , A boxing-match is made between Sir Martin and a certain Lord Dclaval. The jnan Sir Martin n to produce is Pigeon Williams, and he has staked his all on his man winning. Lord Delaval s bo.\T;r is Hammer John, a blacksmith. Gossip at the Old Punch Bowl. IT was Saturday night, and the tap-room of I the Old Punch B^)wl was crowded. Mother Morgandall and her maids were busy attending to the needs of the guests. These consisted for the most part of landworkers weary after their day's toil, who were content to drink and smoke in silence. A casual word was exchanged now and then, but^to speak truth it was a dull company, and of general conversation there was little or none. And then the door opened, and a stranger came in. He was shabbily dressed, but there was nothing-apologetic in his manner. He wore his battered old top-hat set rakishly on the back of his .head,' and his cunning, ferret eyes surveyed the company boldly. The newcomer was Mr. Ikey Barnes. There was less mahce and more good-humour, in his face than usual, and the reason for this was that he had money in his purse. These were prosperous days for Ikey, though there were few who knew tho source of the coins which jingled in his pocket. He gave a friendly nod to ttle company as he seated himself and called for ale. He passed a remark with one and then with another, and whenever he obtained a civil reply he insisted upon standing a drink. This pleasant habit proved a great encouragement to conversation, and very soon Mr. Ikey Barnes was surrounded by a wide and evergrowing circle of appreciative listeners. .The conversation turned on sport, and especially upon the prize ring. The merits of the various champions of the day were being discussed, when a dour -looking man w-ho had not hitherto spoken broke in with nn exclamation of disgust. " There bain't no fighters nowadays ! " he said contemptuously. " I saw Jem Belcher beat Joe Berks. That's what I call fighting. Where's your Jem Belcher to-day ? Show me the man as is fit to be named in the same breath with him." The speaker was a big hairy fellow, a drover by occupation, and possessed of a rough, d jinineenng voice and manner. .Mr. Barnes, who had assumed the air of an authority on the subject under discussion, and was thoroughly enjoying the admiration he evoked from the wide-eyed yokels, did not relish tho interruption, 'and answered a little sharply: " Belcher has had his; day. We can't waste our time over one-eyed ex-champions. New men are coining on and " " New men ? " roared the drover. " Where are they 1 " I could name ofe if I chose," said Ikey Barnes, with a knowing wag of his head. " I could tell you of a man whoso namo will be ringing all over England beforo many weeks are gonc/r " I'vo heard tell of these great unknowns before to-day," sneered tho drover. " It's n trick of the sheenies to get money out of honest A scene in tbe Old Punch Bowl. men's pockets. This is the way of it. You pick up a man in Bristol, Brummagem or any old place you like. You laud him up to the skies as a wonder. Nothing like him has ever been seen before. He's as cunning as a fox, as strong as an ox, with a punch. like the kick of a mule. The public, who know nothing about real form, go crazy over him. Then you make a match, and pnt him up against a fairly good man. All the public, like silly sheep; put their money on. the new wonder. He is knocked out in the first round, and .the sheenies clear off with the swag. That's how it's done." And the.drover took a long £wig at his tankard. Grins of approval went round the room, and Mr. Ikey Barnes was obviously annoyed. " You are mighty clever, master," he said sharply, " but if you mean to tell me that two noble Corinthians like my l.unl Delaval and Sir Martin Trevor would demean themselves to ploy a trick of that sort, I'll tell thee thou art a fool.-' " Ho, ho ! " exclaimed the drover, with his boisterous laugh. " So that is your new champion , eh ? Well, we have heard of tho great match evendown here, but we don't know who my Lord Delaval is going to put into the ring. If you are wiser than we, give us the name of the unknown, and I'll tell thee what I think of his chances against Pigeon Williams." " You can't tell me more than I know," replied Barnes gruffly, " and what I know I mean to keep to myself. But 'twill be a fair match, and the better man will win. If you want to make a bet — — " " That's as may be," interposed the drover. " If I bet, my money will go on the Unknown." There was a general laugh at this. " After what tli i hast said. Master Fitton ? " exclaimed Mother Morgandall, who had come in and heard the last part of the conversation. " Ay, mistresl, for when I make a wager I do not back my fancy, nor even the better man. I follow the Jews. . I travel » good deal, and I've heard a mortal lot about this match, and what do I hear everywhere I go ? I'll tell thee. The sheenies are putting their money on my ■ Lord Delaval's man, and last night in Maidstone the betting was three to one against Pigeon Williams.", • Will you lay the odds, Master Drover ? " said Ikey Barnes .Quietly, while his little eyes .glistened ft>varioiousfy. " Nay, but I'll lay theo twelve pounds to five against the Pigeon," said the drover, bringing his great fist down with a thump on the table. 'Tis a bet ! " replied Ikey promptly. " And as wo be strangers one to another, mayhap our goocl hostess Vill be kind enough to hold the stakes ? " Tho drover was quite agreeable to this, and Mother Morgandall, after a mild protest, was persuaded to take charge of the money. She shook her head dubiously, however, as she gathered up the coins and tied them in the corner of a pocket-handkerchief. By A. E. COLEBY and j .*m HERBERT ALLINGHAM j_ JE-J " I fear me, Master Fitton, thou wilt lose. thy money," she said. The drover leaned 1 back in his chair and gave a shout ol laughter. " What, Mother, art thou a follower of the Fancy ? " he cried. " Can'st thou toll the points of a fighting-man, and has this Pigeon Williams they talk' so much about won thy favour ? " " Nay," replied the landlady, with ai contemptuous shrug of her broad shoulders, " I know naught of him or the likes of him. But something I do know of Sir Martin Trevor. He is a gentleman that hath a knack of winning. Whether it be cards or dice or any other kind of roguery.'you will find him on the winning side. That much on [very good authority I [have heard of Sir Martin. They do say he never took part in any game of skill or chance in which he went away the loser." " 'Tis a foul libel on the noble baronet. Mistress Morgandall, as I am here to bear witness before all men." The words were uttered by a new speaker, and came from behind the hostess. She turned quickly and beheld, framed in the doorway, the figure of an old man. There was a black patch over his right eye, and his humorous face now wore a mocking smile. Under his arm he carried a fiddle. Close behind him was a young boy with a sack-like bag over his shoulder. " Why, Primus, is it thee, thou tramping vagabond f " cried Mother Morgandall, in a tone much more good-humoured than her svords. "Come you in and let us. hoar the gossip of the countryside. I warrant thou wilt pay thy reckoning in no other coin." The old fiddler bowed low. •" Thy courtesy, mistress, is only matched by thy beauty," he observed, while his one eye twinkled mischievously. The two travellers then entered, and wcro soon served with bread and -cheese and ale. Mother Morganclall attended to their needs herself. The good damp had a very friendly feeling for the vagabond fiddler and his lad. They always seemed to bring an atmosphere of merriment with them, and however dull tho company, it always livened up when old Primus showed his whimsical face, and tucked his fiddle beneath his chin. . While the fiddler and the boy were eating, Mother Morgandall stood with her hands on In r hips and looked down at them. " How long hast thou been a friend of Sir Martin Trevor, Primus ? " she said, presently. The old fiddler paused in the act of drinking, and looked up over In Tnug of ale. ' " .Friend f I am no friend of his, mistress. It matters not to me that he is a roguo. Oft have I found that a rogue is pleasant company enough, and that is all I ask of any man. I stay not long in one place. But this Trevor of thine is a sour-faced rogue, and such I can't abide." And yet you would not have me speak ill of him ! " " I heard thee speak no ill." " Now by my troth ! " exclaimed Motln-i Morgandall, indignantly, turning to the company for confirmation. " Did the rascal not call mo a liar t " Thoro was a universal murmur of assent, during which Primus drank his ale. \.iv. mistress," ho said, as ho replaced tho mug on the table, " thy sex has every virtu. < save one. You are beautiful and you are km I. you are generous and you are gentle, but tho truth is not in you. You cannot repeat a tb . as you have heard it, and if you make Ilia plainest statement 'tis full of errors. What you do is wise and good, but what you say is mcio folty. "Twos ever so with women." " You saucy scamp ! " exclaimed the hostcn, {Continuid on page 8.)