Talking Picture Magazine (Dec 1930-Oct 1932)

Page 22 TALKING PICTURE MAGAZINE December, 1930 Here six of the students declared that the statement a king can be set up meant something different from the statement a king cannot be set up. Professor Quarlous was horrified at such obvious stupidity and his scorn was echoed by the brighter half of the class which arose in a body and beat up the dissentingmembers. When this free-for-all quieted down it was time to proceed to the class of Professor Justin Overdo who lectured on the art of posture and gesture and proceeded to expound how both could be used effectively. He illustrated his talk by pulling strings on a dummy which raised its eyebrow significantly or shrugged its shoulder according to the professor's wish. The class mistook this educational dummy for a toy and. when Overdo finished his speech, all rushed up to play with it. Hon. Jedidiah Sample was called in to quell the riot that followed and he dismissed the school until the following day. The next day school opened with a lecture by Professor Wasp on how to distinguish between the letter and spirit of the printed word. He laid great stress on the game of finding loop-holes in solemn compacts, agreements, and treaties. While he was in the midst of this learned discourse the hard-working immigrant father of one of the students entered the room and pulled his son out by the ear, upbraiding him for having asked for money to learn an honest trade and then entered an academy of politics. Jedediah was much embarrassed by the pupil's departure and interrupted the professor to explain to the class how profitable politics were and how much could be made by bribes carefully accepted in the form of gifts and presents. While he was speaking Mr. Ijimit walked in and ordered hini to vacate his premises. He refused to have his building used for so immoral a jjurpose as teaching politics. Sample tried to explain that the ideal of his institution was a lofty one and proceeded to say that no graduate of his school would earn less than ten thousand dollars a year in graft alone. The argument between the two waxed louder, while other irate parents entered the school and called their offspring home. The classrooms were demolished in the scuffle that followed between faculty and students. After it was all over Mr. Limit solemnlj^ tacked up a sign which read: "The Academy of Politics is forever closed", while Jedediah Sample led away by his nagging wife realized that for him the subject of the academy of politics would never be closed. SCARLET FETTERS Willis J. Lindquist MARJORY BRANDSOX found the attentions of Max Berton very annoying, but she tolerated his company because her father hoped she would make a rich marriage and Max was very wealthy. The fact that Marjory obviously did not like him made no difference to aggressive young Berton, who with characteristic conceit, boasted that she would "fall" for him. One night Mr. Brandson retired early and left his daughter alone with Max. The youth began kissing Marjory in spite of her protests and, vphen she tried to escape from him, he caught hold of her and would not let her go. Finally she was overcome by his unwelcome embrace and was carried prostrate to the sofa by Max. In the meantime Mr. Brandson had been disturbed by the girl's screams and arrived just in time to see Max bending over his unconscious daughter. Without waiting for explanations, Mr. Brandson fired the revolver in his hand. Berton dropped dead. Together father and daughter fled from home headed for Canada. Mr. Brandson, knowing that he was sought by the police, grew more and more nervous as they journeyed north. He could find no rest for his troubled soul in Montreal and persisted in going on until they passed the outposts of civilization. Even in the far north he was obsessed wit'n the idea that he was being pursued and forced his daugliter to live in a lonely cabin miles from any settlement. Here, too, his deranged mind found no peace and on a bitter winter day he committed suicide to escape froin his suffering. Alone in this barren and desolate country Marjory decided to try to reach the nearest settlement. For two days she tramped through a raging blizzard and finally reached the shack of Robert Lamont, a trapper. He put the sick girl to bed and nursed her through a long illness. It was impossible to travel during the cold months that followed and the two spent the winter together. Robert fell in love with Marjory, but always refrained from touching her. She misinterpreted his restraint and thought that the kind things he said to her arose from pity rather than lo.ve. In the spring the two journeyed to Asheley, Robert's hon-ie. The Lamonts were scandalized when they learned that Marjory had spent the winter in their son's shack and the young couple became engaged to avert unpleasant gossip. But Marjory was too proud to marry Robert because she believed chivalry was the sole prompter of his offer. She ran away from Asheley and returned to her home in Chicago. There she was arrested for ciuestioning in regard to the Berton murder. The attention newspapers gave to this case revealed to Robert the location of his runaway fiancee. He hurried to Chicago after first securing the signed confession Mr. Brandson had left in the shack. Marjory was released and, convinced at last that Robert's love was no sham, she consented to a speedy marriage. A MAN WITH A PAST G. E. Jacobs A BAD name is hard to live down Tom Black discovered when he moved from Omaha to Oklahoma. He had thought that in a different state the stigma attached to his name would be unknown, but learned that his reputation had traveled with him. People shunned his little ranch, and everywhere he went he was given the cold shoulder. For that reason he was particularly annoyed when the wealthy owner of the Double Bar S Ranch wanted the use of his water holes. Tom grew indignant at the request of Old Man Jackson and stoutly refused to give up any of his much-needed water holes. Mr. Jackson had told hin-i he could whistle for aid, if he ever got in any trouble and needed a neightor's help. Just now the truth of this threat was dawning on Tom. He had sprained his ankle and needed medical assistance as well as the help of several cowboys. While he sat worrying about what would happen to the herd while he was laid up, a girl drove up to his shack and helloed to him cheerfully. Tom guessed she didn't know who he was and responded to her cordially. Then she noticed his ankle was bandaged and asked him what the trouble was. In a little while Wanda Cleveland, for that was the girl's name, had applied first aid to Tom's foot, cleaned up the cabin and fixed a delicious lunch. Tom was charmed by her gracious help and con-iforting manner. During the days that followed Wanda came each afternoon to look after Tom. Soon she w-as forced to admit to herself that she was in love with him, and she rejoiced when Tom's declarations proved he adored her. Wanda had regularly been keeping an eye on Tom's herd and reported one day that the cattle were getting beyond his property. Seeinghow this news worried him, she offered to enlist the help of Uncle Bill Jackson's cowboys. Tom confessed that Mr. Jackson was his bitter enemy, but Wanda replied that she knew all about that and was trying hard to bring Uncle Bill around to liking Tom. Wanda added that though her uncle had told her of Tom's past, she had faith in him and did not believe he had aided in the murder of the bank teller his brothers had robbed. Then she bid the astonished Tom good-bye and went to enlist the aid of Uncle Bill. Uncle Bill personally assisted his cowboys in rounding up Tom's herd and was finally persuaded by his niece to visit the sick man. Though Tom appeared pleasant enough. Uncle Bill still could not truat him. Again that night he warned his niece to give up the idea of marrying this rascal and wrote to her parents that they had better come and fetch their daughter before she married a blackguard. The next day Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland arrived at the Double Bar S Ranch and insisted that their daughter return home with them. Wanda sent Tom a sad farewell note and departed. The days that followed were the blackest Tom had ever known — his evil name had robbed him of the most precious thing in life. About six months later, Mr. Jackson surprised Tom with a visit and drew from his pocket a clipping which he declared would interest the young man. It contained the confession of his cousin, Walter Black, and stated that he, not Tom, assisted m the murder of the bank teller. It then went on to tell how Tom had been charged with this crime, stood trial, and was freed, because of insufficient evidence. With the stain on his honor thus cleared, Tom sought out his trusting sweetheart, and married her with her parents' consent. HARDER THAN ROCK Mrs. Odie Franklin THOMAS OLLINB was dubbed a philanderer in his sixteenth year sintply because he was unusually handson-ie. By the time he was twenty-two he played the part of local Lothario as n-iuch to live up to his reputation as from an-iorous in-ipulse. His latest flame was Elsie Price. Local gossips waxed indignant when sweet, demure Elsie was seen in his co'tapanj-, hut from that day on the girl's reputation was ruined. Finally word reached the girl's father that his daughter was "no .E-ood" and was running around with Thomas OUine. Mr. Price was overcome by this news and begged Elsie to give Tom up. For her father's sake she made an eft'ort to drop Ton-i, 1 ut after a few months of unhappiness, she decided to make up with him. Thomas really missed Elsie, too, but following her dismissal, he hardly expected she would speak to him again. He began going with Bessie Ross to forget Elsie, though he felt she was no substitute for his former sweetheart. When Elsie sent hin-i a note to nreet her one night in his car, he was overjoyed to hear from her and p-iade up his n-iind never to call on Bessie again. While he went to break with Bessie, he sent his brother Elmo to meet Elsie and drive around town until he could join then-i. In the meantin-ie, Mr. Ross had learned of his daughter's acquaintance with Tom. He was inclined to be strict with Bessie and the news struck him like a thunderbolt. Taking his gun, he went out determined to shoot Tom. He wandered about half crazed with grief until he sa-w Tom's big car drive slowly down a deserted block. He could see a -woman was in it and did not doubt that it was his Bessie. He fired and Elmo Olline lay dead at the steeringwheel. Elsie's shrieks brought her father, who had been anxiously following her, to the car. When the police arrived, Mr. Ross had rushed away and Mr. Price was standing by the corpse. In a few minutes Mr. Price found himself in jail charged with the murder. Elsie did not believe her father guilty and her love tor Tom changed to hate, when she realized he wai; responsible for all her trouble. Tom suffered acutely in the weeks that followed and longed to tell Elsie that he was seeking the real murderer. However, this time she remained firm and would not see him under any conditions. One day Tom met Mr. Ross in the sLreet and noticed that he was acting queerly. That night he visited him at home and accused him of the crime. He denied it, but did not convince Tom. Mr. Price was a doomed man before his trial, for everyone was sure he had attempted to kill his daughter's lover. He was found guilty and sentenced to die. After the verdict Tom again called on Mr. Ross and secured his written confession. While the young man rushed ul'f to obtain Mr. Price's release, Ross committed suicide. Even after Mr. Price wa.' forced to acknowledge that Tom had saved his life, Elsie remained adamant and refused to see her former lover. An accidental meeting with him in the street at length convinced her that she still loved him and she consented to marry the reformed philanderer. HANDS OF FIRE Raoul Odin RONALD ENRIGHT quarreled with his sweetheart, Selma Strickland. Their engagement was broken, and unhappy Ronald decided that his nerves were shattered and that he needed a rest. He found the quaint Central American village of Cassis the ideal place to forget his trouble, and enjoyed the perfect climate and fine fishing tremendously. In fact, he considered the place so attractive that he suggested that his innkeeper advertise to draw a crowd to his deserted inn. The proprietor was astonished that Ronald did not know what kept people away from Cassis — a room in the inn was haunted and he himself had seen the strange, bloody hands float in and out during the night. Strange, phosphorescent, glowing red hands and sometimes gleaming green eyes visited the room each night. The innkeeper's story interested Ronald and he tried hard to assign the appearance to some natural cause. The man insisted he had no enemies and that the apparition was not the trick of a practical joker: there were no close neighbors who could enter the room: and since the appearance of the ghost twelve years before, he had frequently changed servants. Ronald attributed the story to some superstitution and asked to sleep in the room that night. Reluctantly, the innkeeper consented. After a hard day's fishing Ronald slept like a log and was disturbed by nothing. The second night he had the same experience, but the third night he was awakened from his sleep suddenly and saw the hideous hands about three feet in front of him. They were just as the innkeeper had described them. Ronald called, but received no answer from the apparition. Then he seized his revolver from under his pillow and fired: the hands disappeared and he heard the window glass shatter. Turning on the light, he ran to the window. The hands seemed to be traveling towards the house in front of the inn. The next evening Ronald called on the seamen who owned this house. He was a friendly old soul and cheerfully answered all of the young man's questions about the hands. He assured Ronald that