Swamp Island Part 8

"Take good care of this," he warned. "Don't turn it over to any one except the city editor."

After the cab had driven away, Salt, Jerry, and Penny re-entered the theater. Mr. Parker had come backstage and was talking earnestly to the doorman. Glimpsing the three, he exclaimed:

"There you are! And just in time too! The stunt goes on in five minutes."

"Are the newsboys here?" Jerry asked. "And Johnny Bates, the electrician?"

"The boys are out front. Johnny's waiting in the stage wings. Where's the revolver, Salt?"

"I'll get it," Penny volunteered, starting for the dressing room.

The revolver lay where she had left it. As she reached for the weapon, she suddenly sniffed the air. Plainly she could smell strong cigarette smoke.

Penny glanced swiftly about the room. No one was there and she had seen no one enter in the last few minutes.

"Someone must have been here," she thought. "Perhaps it was Old Jim, but he smokes a pipe."

"Penny!" her father called impatiently from outside. "We haven't much time."

Picking up the revolver, she hurriedly joined him.

"Dad, why not call the stunt off?" she began. "Something might go wrong--"

"We can't call it off now," her father cut in impatiently. Taking the revolver from her hand he gave it to Jerry. "Do your stuff, my boy, and don't be afraid to put plenty of heat into the argument. Remember your cue?"

"I'm to start talking just as soon as the Mayor finishes his speech."

"He's winding it up now. So get up there fast."

As Jerry started up the stairway, Penny trailed him.

"Someone must have been in the dressing room after I left the revolver there," she revealed nervously. "Be sure to check it before you turn it over to Mr. Bates."

The reporter nodded, scarcely hearing her words. His ears were tuned to the Mayor's closing lines. A ripple of applause from the audience told him the speech already had ended.

Taking the last few steps in a leap, Jerry reached the wings where John Bates was waiting. He gave him the revolver and at once plunged into his lines. So convincingly did he argue about the stage lights that Penny found herself almost believing the disagreement was genuine.

The argument waxed warmer, and the actors moved out on the stage in full view of the audience.

"Jerry's good," remarked Salt, who had joined Penny. "Didn't know he had that much ham in him!"

The quarrel now had reached its climax. As if in a sudden fit of rage, the electrician raised the revolver and pointed it at Jerry.

"Take that--and that--and that!" he shouted, thrice pulling the trigger.

Jerry staggered back, clutching in the region of his heart. Slowly, his face contorted, he crumpled to the floor.

Scarcely had he collapsed, than newsboys armed with their papers, began to rush through the aisles of the theater.

"Read all about it!" they shouted. "Reporter Shot in Argument! Extra!

Extra!"

The newspapermen chuckled at the joke as they accepted the free papers.

On the stage, Jerry still lay where he had fallen. The electrician, his part ended, had disappeared to attend to regular duties.

"Come on, Jerry!" Salt called to him. "What are you waiting for? More applause? Break it up!"

The reporter did not stir. But on the floor beside him, a small red stain began to spread in a widening circle.

Penny and Salt saw it at the same instant and were frozen with horror.

"Ring down the curtain!" the photographer cried hoa.r.s.ely. "Jerry's really been shot!"

CHAPTER 6 _AMBULANCE CALL_

Penny ran across the stage to kneel beside Jerry, who lay limp on the floor. In horror, she saw that the red stain covered a jagged area on his s.h.i.+rt front.

"Oh, Jerry!" she cried frantically. "Speak to me!"

The reporter groaned loudly and stirred.

"Hold me in your arms," he whispered. "Let my last hours on this earth be happy ones."

Penny's hands dropped suddenly to her sides. She straightened up indignantly.

"You faker!" she accused. "I should think you'd be ashamed to frighten us so! That's not blood on your s.h.i.+rt! It's red ink!"

Jerry sat up, chuckling. "Ruined a good s.h.i.+rt too!"

"You shouldn't have done it," Penny said, still provoked.

"I wanted to put a little drama into the act. Also, I was curious to see how you would react."

Penny tossed her head, starting away. "You needn't be so smug about it, Jerry Livingston! And don't flatter yourself I was concerned about you! I was thinking what a scandal it would mean for Dad and the paper!"

"Oh, sure," Jerry agreed, pursuing her backstage and down a corridor.

"Listen, Penny, it was only a joke--"

"Not a very funny one!"

"Penny, I'm sorry--I really am. I didn't realize anyone would get so worked up about it."

"I'm not worked up!" Penny denied, spinning on a heel to face him. "It just gave me a little shock, that's all. First, that threat from Danny Deevers. Then when I saw you flattened out, for a minute I thought someone had subst.i.tuted a real bullet in the revolver and that you had been shot."