Evening star., 1935-04-07

Inc tan0SCape seemed 10 rnCker, ana /
reeled bit. What with the peril in which
stood and the peril in which Hazel June
stood. don't mind admitting that was all
of other.
Then Love triumphed over Self.
NO." l said. Positively nop'
You mean that1"
Definitely" replied, and I'm bound to
better thing that did than had ever done.
Have it your own way. Well. sir,
wouldn't be IN your shoes for something
No. siry'
And with another of those bally sneers of
his, he pushed off, chewing his all-day sucker.
and was left there alone.
Alone, that Is to say, except for the blighter
Murphy, who at this juncture came heading
IN my direction, at the rate of krsots. His
eyes were cleaning with nasty light -
and he was licking his lips. He had the air of
a boy whose dreams have come true.
Eying the young thug. Murphy. as he
halted before me and stood measuring his
distance, exuding menace from every Eeckle,
found it almost impossible to believe that
he had ever been the Idol of American
Mothe1hood. American Motherhood, / felt,
must be an ass.
backed a step. In fact. backed several
steps. And after had finished backing about
the eighth, the ground became more yielding
under the feet and found that was stand
ing on grass. There Is regulation in Beverly
Hills, you may or may not know. which CON-
pel the householder to shove his residence
certain distance away from the road and
bung a neat lawn in front of it, and at this
crisis in my affairs was dashed glad that
this was so. It was only too evident that in
the near future was going to be called upon
to do bit of falling, and anything that might
tend to make this falling softer was welcome
% Reginald.
Up to this point, should mention. the
proceedings had been conducted in silence,
broken only by stertorous breathing on the
part of the thug Murphy and a faint chatter
ing of teeth from me. It now occurred to me
that little chit-chat might serve to ease
the tension. This frequently happens.
mean to say, get conversation going and,
before you know where you are, you have dis
covered mutual tastes and are faternizing.
PongO Twistleton, of the Drones, told me
once that he was confronted on a certain
occasion by steely-eyed bloke who wanted
three pounds six and eleven for goods supplied,
and he managed to get him onto the sub
ject of Spats - Should They Have Three
Buttons Or Fowl Ten minutes later he,
the bloke, was standing him, Pongo. pint
of mild and bitter at nearby hosiery and
he, Pongo, was touching him, the bloke, for
half-a-crown to be repaid without fail on the
following Wednesday.
Well, wasn't expecting quite such
happy issue as that, but thought it possible
that some good might come of opening con-
ve9sation, so / backed another step and
managed to dig up kindly smile.
well, my little man," said, modelling
my style on that of B. K. BMwash. What is
it, my little man2"
He continued to breathe heavily.
DO you want my autograph. my little
mani" said.
1t was the wrong note. as ought to have
seen it would have been from the start. The
last topic should have brought up was that
of autographs. You see what mean. There
had been a time. no doubt, when this Lad
had had to write them till he got corns on
his fingers, and since the advent on the silver
screen of little Teddy Flower. the demand
had. been nil. In mentioning autographs. l
was simply dropping salt into the exposed
wound. realized this moment later when
he in turn began % speak.
He spoke well and fiuently y as it turned
out, much too ffnently. for it was the fact that
he postponed direct action IN favor OF this