THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1935–
CATSPAW
¿Continued from" Page 2)
"Pussyfoot! That's what I call Oh, ma'am. Pussyfoot
"Tate and thi rabbīt pie!” said Evans scornfully.
"Quite a respectable catspaw, as it were, is rabbit pie." Daddle laughed richly. "You see the joke.
catpaw. Pussyfcot. Good- night, ma'am We'll have a ladies' night one of these days.”
And he slammed the door in. her face and went to bed.
Mrs. Shutt went slowly home, brooding en. Pussyfoot. Duddle had better left that unsaid.
Meanwhile, the landlord of the Cotton Tree could afford to smile. His house was full night-after night. Ale flowed from his. bar- rels and brass flowed into his till -Duddle's rabbit pies.
because famous far and wide, and to. Duddle at least were worth more than their weight in liquor.
́All went merry' as a marriage bell until the fatal night when Charley, the village butt, appear- ed to put his foot in it
poured
The evening through the open window, and Ht the convivial scene in the bar parlour with gentle radiance. It fall upon the homely faces of Bamber's male population, fushed | with the pleasures of the board;} It fell upon the shining glasses and¦ lit the amber fluid to a bright fame; it fell upon the white tablecloth, and drew fashes from knives and forks hard at work; it fell upon Duddle at the head of the table doing the honours, his
litary orb gleaming like the Cyclops': on waiters replenishing plate and glass in endless pro- ression; and, outside, it fell upon Emma Shuti and threw her sha- dow over the festive occupants, blissfully unconscious that any shadow could be so near.
Duddle exuded the oil of self-1 satisfaction. This was how he liked it. Bustle and noise and business, everybody talking at ance and becoming hoarse and thirsty
"Bit more rabbit pie. Mr. Shutt? Pass the pickles to Mr. Smith. Joe. gentleman there calling for an- other pint Smart's the word!"
The rabbit pie was still a nego-1 tiable quantity when the door opened and Charley sidled in. Hisi vacuous face had its usual fixed grin as he stood against the wall,, with his hands behind him.
"Hallo, Charley." somebody said "What hast gotten here?"
"It's for Mestur Duddle." said Charley, without moving.
Duddle turned to the compaty
in explanation.
"I find him a few odd jobs, y'know. Running errands and such like. What is it. Charley? Out with it.
"This is the best I could do this week. Hestur Duddle," said Char- ley. His hands appeared from behind his back. holding by the scruff of its neck an ill-condition- ed, half starved, sorry-looking cat. barred yellow, with light-coloured eyes.
He deposited it on the table The hair of its attenuated neck stood up like sparse grass on parched field, and its tail shook like an aspen. It cocked its hungry whiskers to windward of the appetising aroma that hung ir the room, shook each of its paw in turn, and stepped daintily to wards the rabbit ple dish that lay in front of the paralysed Duddle.
As one man the company rose. clapped hands to mouths and fought its way out into the fresh air. In less than half a minute, Duddle sat alone with the rabbit, the tat, and Charley.
His eye wavered for a moment between the rabbit and the cat, his own stomach......... scarcely-proof against the subtle suggestion of guinity between them, and then
Charley. **hos put you up to this?” het
and knew the answer before Kimple-minded Charley spoke. Mrs. Shat."
e said a voice from the
"Pussyfoot!
ddle quailed before the light tafumph in Mr. Shutt's eyes:
advantage of his paraly
MRFRANK TALKER, THE DIRECTOR,
IN CONFERENCE
NOW THAT WEVE GOT HIM OUTSIDE- WHERE TO?
QUIET!
1 MUST MAKE)
FOR THE
SHORE-
WELL-DON'T WAKE HIM UD- I'LL WAIT, HERE AN” WHEN YOU GIT THROUGH LIKIN' YOURSELF-TELL HIM WHERE
LAM-
PUT HIM ON: THE DECK OF THAI BOAT
YES-
YES-
Bringing Up Father
OHUJUSIA, MINUTE, BOYS, QUIEF THIS IS. ONE OF THE BIG STUDIO STOCKHOLDERS
BUT WE'VE GOTTA TAKE THAT SCENE.
· IN HERE-
YES-AND WE'VE GOT TO SHOOT IT RIGHT AWAY-THE ACTORS ARE READ TO GO
WE CAN MOVE HMEWE DO IT SO HE DOES NOT WAKE UP-
COME ON ~ WELL WAKE HIM LATER-
QUE
ONE HOUR LATER
1935,
Grout Rektale zights vemerved.
Rosie's BEAU
BY
GED MCMANUS
ed U. S. Parget Offér
THE BOSS FIRED THE MANAGER-
I KNEW ALL THE TIME-THAT JE
·WOULD GET TO BE THE
MANAGER -THE BOSS
REALIZES HOW
IMPORTANT: STAM-
INTO
DENT
SOME
DAY-
NOW WHAT?
HOW
19
THIS?
PUT-HM
DOWN OVER - HERE-HELL
NOT BE DISTURBED-
QUET-
HO HUM-
BY GOLLY--, THOUGHT I WUZ. DREAMIN'T WUZ ON A BOAT-BUT IT'S NO DREAM:
WHAT
TOWN IS THIS?
SUDDOSE THE BOSS WILL TELE ME TODAY THAT I'M TO BE MANAG SO I HAD BETT RUSH TO THE OFFICE
IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME
COULD CO
-ON LIKE THIS
FOREVER-
AN ME PAYIN TWENTY-EVE CENTS AN HOOR-AND DOIN ALL THE
WORK-