Evening Star Newspaper, June 29, 1930, Page 79

motor runnin’, it save me all the trouble of puttin’ my foot on the starter when I com- pletes my dancin’.” The Habersham hcest was impressed. He would have been almost as much impressed if Vinnie had explained that it was necessary for business reasons to ke»p th: engine running . . . but somehow Mr. Napp's indifference to gasoline consumption sc>med actually regal. The visitor was announced from the rostrum and the dancers lined up for introductions. Vinnie was in a daz: of rapture. Darked-eyed damsels gazed long and earnestly into his eyes, and declared that he was the most wonderful man they had ever met. And yet—of the scores who made open bid for his favor—there was one who rivet:d his attention. There was nothing aboui Coral Perkins which, to the casual observer, raised her above the other girls in that dance pavilion. True, she was not unpleasing to the eye, and her complexion was soft and velvety. She pressed Vinnie's hand warmly and suggested that they dance immediately—which invitation he gladly #c- cepted. i me were other girls in the room prettier, but Vinnie knew from th: outset that Coral was his favorite, and by the time they had danced three fox-trots they had attained a friendly intimacy which ordinarily comes only after an acquaintanceship of years. Coral was frankly seeking to please her gentleman friend. In the first place, she liked him; but, what was more important, she was by his selection, attaining a social pre-eminence which would last forever. “You is a wonderful man, Mistuh Napp.” “Shuh!” modestly—"I ain't very wonderful.” “Yes, you is. to0o.” “Well,” sighed Vinnie, “I reckon a feller has got to be anyhow a lill bit wonderful to wuk fo’ Midnight.” “Ain't it the troof? I got a gemmun friend who craves to wuk fo’' you folks.” “You got a gemmun friend?” “Uh-huh.” “Is you an’ him sweethearis?” “Well, no—not exackly. But he's awful crasy "bout me, an’ boy! ain’t he jealous!™ Vinnie smiled in superior fashion. “I should worry 'bout jealous boy friends! Up in Bum- minham where I live, there is so many pretty gals always chasin’ me. . . . What's the name of yo' friend, Miss Perkins?” “You wouldn't know him. He ain't nothin’.” “I bet he ain't.” “Just trash. His name is Malignant Smith.” Vinnie winced. His thoughts flashed back to a brief moment that afternoon when & person of herculean physique had introduced himself. . . . “S-s-s-says which?"” “Malignant Smith.” “Not—not Mistuh Malignant Smith?” “Uh-huh. Tha's him.” Vinnie released the lady quiie suddenly. *“I has met that feller, Miss Perkins.” “Where at?” “Our location. He was lockin’ fo' a job.” “Hmph! An’' what about it?” “I don't like hium,” declared Vinnie positively. “He ain't even a 1i'l hit populous with me.” “Oh, Mistuh Napp. You ain't scared of & big brute like him, is you?” “No-0-0. But I'd be a lot less scared if he was a heap smaller. An’ furthermore. e “Yonder he is now,” she announced. *“An’ heah he comes.” Mr. Napp closed his eyes. When he opened them again it was to gaze into the countenance of the jealous Mr. Smith. The latter's voice boomed forth. “What you doin’ heah?” “I—Ise dancin’.” “Who with?” *“Miss—Miss Perkins.” “Didn’'t you know she was my gal?” “Nossuh. Honest, Mistuh Smith—I would of puck you’ gal to dance with. . Malignant stared at the trembling driver. “You better be careful,” he warned ehrally. “Man! ain’t you givin' good advice?” “Ise watchin’,” repeated Malignant. “Ise watchin’ ev'’y move.” He turned and sirode away. stared after him With distaste, “Tripe!” she anathematized. “Well,” returned Mr. Napp judicially: “If he is, he sho’ is a lot of it.” . He suggested that perhaps it would be wise for them to discontinue dancing together, but Coral knew that the eyes of all other girls were focused upon her and she was of no mind to relinquish the spotlight. Besides, she ex- plained to Vinnie that since Maglignant had failed to commit manslaughter in the first flush of his jealousy. he was not likely to re- sort to such a procedure at any time. Mean- while, Mr. Smith had gone for a walk under the trees. It had been difficuit to resist the primeval impulse to extermina‘e Mr. Napp com- pletely, but Malignant remembered that there was a faint possibility of acquiring a job with Midnight as Vinnie's assistant Coral Perkins MALIGNANT wished to think, and thinking was no swift process with him. Had it not been for instinct, the chances were he would have gone through life doing nothing. But this night he attempted to marsha. his thoughts, and all of those thoughts had to do with Vin- nie Napp and the Midnight Pictures Corpora- tion, Inc. And then he came upon a gleaming motor truck. His ear caught the hum of the motor and his eyes lighted as he recognized the truck which he ambitioned to drive. Suddenly his gargantuan figure stiffened, and his eyes narrowed. For the first time in years & thought struck him. . . . “Hot ziggity dam!” he enthuscd—“Heah's where somethin‘ gets done.” At 11 o’clock Vinnie left the pavilion, after promising Coral he would return immediately. Mr. Napp was enjoying himself thoroughly. ‘The crowd was seeking ‘o do him honor, and Miss Perkins declared frequently that she never had met such a gorgeous man. For more than an hour he had not seen the menacing figure of Malignant Smith, and belisved that his Nemesis had departed. Vinnie rambled happily through the darkness toward his sound truck. He wasn’t worried, but he wished to make sure that it had not been tampered with and that the motor was still functioning. The truck was parked in a very gloomy bower. The motor was purring; the vehicle had not been moved. But just as Vinnie turned away, a figure emergad from the shadows. It was a huge figure, and its very first words indiacted that Vinnie's period of enjoyment was about to terminate abruptly. “Now,” growled Malignant Smith, “I has got o And then before the paralyzed Vinnie could move, the power of a falling mountain caressed that portion of his jaw which is known to the pugilistic cognoscenti as the button. In a split second Mr. Napp ceased being vertical and be- came horizontal. Malignant dragged t un- conscious figure of Vinnie Napp into the un- derbrush and dropped it there. Then he climbed to the driver's seat of the Midnight sound truck and drove off toward that sylvan dell, where the company was encamped. He was riding to a job with Midnight. In the morning, when the dynamic little Mr. Fizz appeared, Malignant intended to inform him that he had found the Midnight truck stranded by the side of the road and that he had re- turned it to its owners. Surely, then, Mr. Fizz's gratitude would take the form of the job which Vinnie Napp had held. Meanwhile Miss Coral Perkins wondered what had become of her cavalier. Eventually she went in search of him. Mr. Napp was nowhere to be seen, and, what was worse, his truck was gone. Coral believed she understood. The gorgeous Vinnie had wearied of her charms and departed without so much as a Good Evening. Miss Perkins was hurt, but there was considerable solace to be derived from the fact that for one blazing evening she had been the colored belle of Habersham. When the melancholly strains of ‘“Home, Sweet Home,” filled the air at a few minutes after midnight, Mr. Napp was still slumbering in the underbrush. It was near 1 o'clock when the li‘tle truck driver struggled back to consciousness. He was . oppressed by the silence which surrounded him, and racked by a pain which stabbed through his jaw. He recalled the awful impact of fist against flesh and the sudden curtaining of the world immediately thereafter. . . . He mounted shakily to his feet. The pain of his jaw was intolerable, but he was grateful that Malignant was no longer present. “That feller,” groaned Mr. Napp, “was posi- tively indecent.” He staggered through the trees toward the spot wheer the sound truck should have been. But the truck was not there. Vinnie sought new bearings and made a fresh search. And suddenly he unders‘ood. SOME one had stolen .Midnight’s $20.000 lo- cation truck! Vinnie leaned against the trunk of a stately pine and informed the world in one awful, hollow groan that he was its most unhappiest citizen. “Agony done kissed me right in the face” he mourned. “An’ what is gwine to happen to me will be plenty.” Somehow, it never occurred to him that Malignant Smith had made off with the truck, nor <id he guestion the motive behind Malig- nant’s attack. That Mr. Smith had commit:ed a large assault and an effective battery for the sole purpose of ousting Vinnie from a job never came to the mind of the little man. He be- lieved that while he sprawled unconscious, some unknown person had taken the truck and been unable to resist the temptation to acquire that. It struck Mr. Napp that he had better resign from Midnight, effective immediately. He had $18 in his pockets as he started down the road in the general direction of Habersham. With this he intended to purchase one large, long railroad ticket—destination unimportant. But he felt that it was his duty to return to camp, make a confession to Director Eddie Fizz, and give him a chance to notify the police of all nearby towns to be on the lookout for the miss- ing truck. So he turned back toward Mustard Creek, but the course upon which he was now embarked did not fill hiin with enthusiasm. Shortly after 4 o'clock, Vinnie arrived at the camp. And there, spick and span and all agleam—its motor thrumming evenly—was a gorgeous sound truck on the sides of which were the words “Aidnight Pictures Corpora- tion, Inc.” Vinnie couldn’t credit the evidence of his senses. Then his eyes strayed and he saw 1930. The company was rehearsing a boating scene . . . Opus Randall was banged on the head with a rubber oar. e ——— " G e - W% something else. Lying flat on his back peside the truck, a happy and proprietary smile on his lips, was the figure of Malignant Smith. Malignant was sleeping noisily—as though he hadnt a care in the world. Vinnie Napp was slow to anger, but now a tense fury commenced to smolder in his skinny breast. The glance which he bestowed upon the slumbering giant was shot through with hatred. And because he hated the man so violently, as well as because this was a des- perate situation demanding desperate remedies, Mr. Napp acted with Napoleonic curning. From his pants pocket he produced a clasp knife. With this he proceeded to carve at a heavy wooden club. With quiet celiberation, he whit- tled the end of that club into a handle. Then he walked to the immediate vicinity of the slumbering warrior and stared down upon him. “Feller,” murmured Vinnie, “vou is goin’ to git compietely kissed right away.” He raised the club in his right hand and it swished through the air. The sound it made as it carassed the cranium of Mr. Malignant Smith was music to the ears of Mr. Napp. Malignant uttered a long-drawn whooooosh and became more completely unconscious. Mr. Napp proceeded to procure several strands of rope. He bound Malignant's feet and hands, and fitted a gag into his mouth. Then he sur- veyed his handiwork. "'s.m," he annocunced, “yo’ hair is now cut.” Then he seated himself on the gfound and leaned back against the sound truck. And as he stared at the helpless figure of his victim he found a spark of compassion in his heart. In the first place, he knew that victory was his and that Malignant had been victimized by presuming to pit brawn against brain. Malignant returned to consciousness. His eyes flickered open and came to rest, first upon the truck and then upon the smiling counte- nance of Vinnie Napp. Malignant tried to move and couldn't. He attempted speech, but the words wouldn't come. Vinnie waved him a cheery greeting. “Mawnin’, big boy,” murmured Vinnie. *“I hope you bhas slep’ good.” Malignant’s gaze reflected abysmal misery. “An’ now,” continued Vinnie, “I has got me a duty to pufform. Sposin’ you remain where vou is at until I complete such.” Malignant saw Vinnie strut toward the shack where Director Edwin Boscoe Fizz was sleep- ing . . . and Malignant needed no further hint of Mr. Napp's intentions. He knew Vinnie was about to notify the authorities that he—Malig- nant Smith—had attempted to make away with the sound truck, and that there had been a terrific battle, in which Vinnie had risked his life for the honor of dear o' Midnight. Aud now Eddie Fizz and Vinnie Napp and an excited crowd moved toward the mis- fortunate Malignant Smith. There —as a gen- eral babble of conjecture as they surrounded his helpless figure. And when all were present Vinnie Napp commenced a brilliant and amaz- ing oration. ! “Folks,” announced Vinnie persuasively, “sometthin’ terrible happened heah early this mawnin’. This feller heah—Mistuh Malignant Smith—come over fum Habersham an’ ast me again could he have a job as mechanic. I was just telling him ‘No,” when all of & sudden six bandits leaped down on us an’ commenced to steal Midnight's $20,000 truck. Well, I says “The stunned Mr. Smith saw Vinnie strike a royal attitude. “An’ then, brethren an’ sister'n,” continued voice, “the awfullest fight " Malignant fit noble, an’ we hard knocks.” He des- . “Right there is where hit me with an iron bar you cdn see fo' yo'self Malignant. He's all beat an’ gagged an’ ev'thing. Well, ished dispensin’ them robbers, I t into the truck an’ brought an’ right away I woke you think you ought to know the rose a shout of praise and congratu- . Somebody whipped out a large knife loosened the bonds which held Malignant Smith. That unimaginative person staggered to his feet and stared uncertainly at Vinnie Eddie Fizz stepped forward and pumped Malignant’s hand. “Mistuh Smith,” he proclaimed, “I thank you. An’' Midnight thanks you. An’ fum now on you is employed by this company as auto- mobile mechanic at a sal'ry of $12 a week. Does you assept?” Malignant teetered uncertainly. Vinnie walice ed over and patted his shoulder in friendly fashion. “C'mon, buddy,” murmured Mr. Napp. “Why not assept that job? You an’ me can work together swell.” Mr. Smith thereupon signified his accepte ance, and for the next 15 minutes the two men were made much of. The hero roles ap- pealed to both. Eventually they were left alone, Mr. Napp spoke first. “Malignant,” he inquored, “we is buddies, ain’t we?” Mr. Smith gave the matter careful thought, “I—I reckon so, Vinnie.” He rubbed his aching head. “Wha's the matter?” inquired Mr. Napp, so= licitously. Malignant grinned sheepishly. “Ise awful ashamed to tell you what’s the matter, Vinnie. You know—that wallop on the head must of made me kind of crazy.” “What do you mean?” inquired Vinnie, “Cain’t you tell your buddy?” “Well,” explained Malignant with proper embarrassment, “I don't remember nothin® about no bandits. Honest—until you told them ezackly what happened, I would have swore it was you an’ me which had that fight.” (Copyright, 1930.) Model Shows Need of 1'rees. A SIMPLE little model which clearly demse strates the danger of reckless deforesta< tion of hillsides has been worked out by the Forestry Service to aid in the educational cam- paign aguinst this evil. A wooden flat is obtained, upon which two heaps of closely packed soil are erected. The surface of one is coated with moss to repre- sent the leaf litter of the forest floor. Tiny twigs of evergreen are stuck into the dirt in profusion, similar to the normal forest growth on a hillside. The other hill of dirt is left barren. The two hills and then sprinkled with an ordinary watering can. The “forested” hill, after some moments, produces a slowly trickling stream of clear water coming out at the base. while the de- nuded hill is quickly gullied and down its sides run streams of muddy water. Such a situation is about what would exist on the large-scale hill. Rain beating down en a forest is broken up by the branches of the trees and lands in much finer form and with far less force on the ground than would have been the case on an open hillside. The water percolates slowly through the porous soil, to come out later in springs or streams, pure and clear. On the barren hilisides the water, with its suspended dirt, quickly fllls up the pores of the earth and the rest of the water then runs down the hillside instead of sinking in the ground, cutting deeper and deeper into the soil as it progresses down hill. The loss ane nually through this erosion runs into stupen- dous figures for the country. One Plant Feeds Another. PLANT which saps its food from another plant grows 20 times as large as the hest plant, yet dces not in any way harm but rather benefits the host, has been discovered growing in the desert of Southeastern California. Adding further to its peculiarities is the fact that it makes an excellent food for man, yet grows in an area where only 2 to 6 inches of rain fall annually. The plant is the Ammobroma, or sand roat, and was first seen in 1928 by white men, so far as the record is concerned. It was found, however, that the Papago Indians were familiar with the plant, and for generations had been digging the roots, which extend 3 to 5 feet into the ground. In spite of the depth to which the roots extend, they are easily drawn up out of the soil. It has little or nething in the way of leaves, and the only flower is a sand-colored blossom, which lies close to the ground. The stalks of the plant are much like asparagus, and are both appetizing and nourishing. Lacking green coloring matter, the plants are unable to manufacture their own food, and obtain it by attaching themselves to other plants. In return the root system of the Ammo- broma supplies the host plant with the vital, life-giving water. £ Saw Has 7‘:’vf}170f Sand, A SAW with teeth of sand is now being used to saw out large blocks in the slate beds of Pennsylvania. This ingenious device oconsists of a threee strand wire cable, which is built into an emde less belt. The cable is guided by orienting pulleys, which adjust themselves to the face to be sawed. As it arrives at the point te b cut, sand is spilled over the cable by means of a stream of water, the particles of sand lodging in the twists of the cable. The cable drags the sand, under considerable pressure and at high speed, against the bed of the slate and rapidly cuts its way through, the cutting being a trifle larger than the @i- ameter of the cable. The savings effected by this means run into & figure as much as 50 per cent of the usual amount of waste. Experimenting is now going on to work eut & method of cutting the slate into the sime of sheets to be shipped out by piling several slabs on top of each other and cutting them all at once with the wire saw. Output of Abrasives. I‘l‘lppenrsuutmemw'nhln ax to grind will find plenty of equipment to grind it. The outputt of abrasives of all sorts during 1929 came to a total of about $14,000,000. Thig included about $3,000.000 in natural abrasives, such &s emery, garnet, grindstones, oil stones, pumice and tripoli. the balance consisting of manufactured abrasives.