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Show "There's an exit at the end of the aisle. Skate for it like mad!" Grover, who had leaped from the mezzanine, swung upon a bicycle and gave chase. The skaters separated sep-arated as he neared them. Grover followed Ravelli. Seeing the manager man-ager almost at his heels, Ravelli heaved himself up on a counter and started skating along, jumping across the aisles between counters. A gap of twenty feet appeared too suddenly for him to stop. He went flying over the gap, hit the counter, lost one roller skate, slid to the floor and began to spin about on the remaining skate, his body doubled up like a jack-knife. Grover spurted towards him, but Wolf and Wacky, joining hands to meke a seat, cut in ahead of him, scooped Ravelli up and skated on. Grover, in hot pursuit, bumped into Duke, running up from a cross aisle, was hurled against a column and the bicycle wrecked. "Where's Joan?" demanded Grover. t ' t ' ' t. 1 t r , ; i v. -T' V ' A -: - ' ' . .' -tit. ' a , x . , . . sneered." - - - "Flywheel," demanded Tommy, "wasn't there anything on the negative you developed?" "Sure, but it wasn't a very good picture of me." T "Nor of me," said Grover. He struck a match, brought the negative nega-tive from behind his back and touched it to the flame. A putf of smoke and the evidence against him was gone. "Better go upstairs and peddle your store." The cameraman of the News stepped forward. "Not before we get a picture of you, Mr. Grover. The other photographers adjusted their instruments. Grover shivered in panic. "Not yet! Wait a minute! I'll tell everything! every-thing! But don't snap my picture yet!" "Go ahead," said Ravelli. "Snap him and get it over w:th." "No, wait!" pleaded Grover. "There's a gun concealed in one of the cameras!" "So that's why you wanted them to take my . picture alone!" said Tommy. His fist landed on Grover's chin and the manager sank to the floor. "I told you he was a crook," said Wolf, "the minute I saw him . . ." Returning to the party, George Hastings met them. "Oh, Mr. Rogers, I've just been speaking with those three old clerks over there. My brother and I feel sure we'll have to make a change in the age limit clause " "Age limit?" struck in Tommy, "Yes. We don't want old men like them on the payroll. It's hMe throwing money away." "Come with me, Joan," said Tommy, "and we'll straighten this out." He mounted the platform and called the three old clerks to him. Then he addressed the assembled employees: "These three fine gentlemen standing before you represent 165 years of faithful service to this store. Miss Phelps and I have just realized that the Phelps Department Depart-ment Store does not belong to us, but to all of you. It is you who are responsible for its success. So, we have come to an important decision. de-cision. Friends I want you to meet "You haven't got anything on me" sneered Grover. Adapted from the Metro Goldivyn-Mayer Picture by LEBBEUS MITCHELL CAST OF CHARACTERS Wolf J, Flywheel . , GrouchoMarX Ravelli Chico Marx Wacky . Harpo Marx Tommy Roger Tony Martin Joan Sutton ,, Virginia Grey Martha Phelp , . Margaret Dumont Mr. Grover ' Douglass Dumbrilla Peggy Arden Marion Martin Guiscppi , , .-Henry Armetta 8YN0PSI3: Wolf J. Flywheel, engaged as a bodyguard to Tommy Rogers, half owner of the Phelps Department De-partment Store, against whose life someone appears to be plotting, plot-ting, mistakes the two men whom Tommy is going to sell his half of the store for the killers and handcuffs them. His brother Wacky, and Ravelli, Tommy's former music teacher, accidently capture the killers. But even then the danger is not over, for Joan Sutton is just warning Wolf of an attempt on her brother's life and of danger to Tommy when the lights go out. She is heard screaming just as Ravelli takes a flashlight flash-light picture. Chapter Three hit the bottom of the shaft with such force that all the occupants were bumped upward. Ravelli, just under the open tray, was shot part way through it, caught the cable and pulled himself out of the car. When he came to the open mezzanine mezzan-ine door, he jumped through It just as Grover, coming up through the trap, reached for his legs. As the elevator came level with the mez zanine landing, Wolf and Wacky jumped' out, leaving the cur-s rent on. They ran down an aisle towards a rear elevator. In the meantime Grover your new board of directors: Mr. Andrews, Mr. David and Mr. Pavey. The store is no longer for sale and from this moment, ladies and gentlemen, gen-tlemen, we are partners." When the applause had died away, the old clerk named David said: "As one of the new board of directors, I make a motion that a trust fund be established to endow the Phelps Conservatory of Music." The motion was carried with a shout. "Martha," said Wolf, "this case will go down In my memoirs as Incident 3X64287, Series A. Tomorrow To-morrow I start a new case." "And tomorrow," struck in Ravelli, Ra-velli, "I start some new pupils ... Well, Flywheel, I guess it's goodbye. good-bye. As much as I hate It, I'm beginning to like you." "Ravelli, I feel the same way. To prove it, my future wife and I would like to invite you to our home for six months a year maybe forever . . ." As Wolf and Martha stepped out of the store, Wolf whistled and a ramshackle old automobile driven by Wacky drove up. Wolf helped Martha in. The seat collapsed under un-der her and he explained: "I had that seat specially built to sink bellow be-llow window level. It makes me safe from bullets. The car's a demonstrator's de-monstrator's model and I've been trying for twelve years to make up my mind whether to buy It or not. Driver, to Miss Phelps residence." resi-dence." A hand reached in and grasped the wheel, and a belligerent voice said: "To the Square Deal Auto Finance Company! Flywheel, I been looking all over for you. You haven't made a payment on this car in twelve years." "You can't fool me," Martha smiled out at him. "You are one of Mr. Flywheel's operatives. Don't you love working for him?" "I'll send you your check in the morning, old man," said Wolf. " promised Mr. Feinstein I'd bring this car in today! Make her fast, boys." Two workmen hopped out of a tow-car and fastened a chain to the front axle of the auto. "Martha," said Wolf, "I've just made up my mind. I don't want to buy this car. Shall we take a taxi?" "No, dear. My chauffeur is waiting wait-ing around the corner with tht limousine." THE END Copyright 1841 by Loew's Inu Printed In V. S. A. Ravelli drew the negative out of the developing bath in the store's dark room and held it up to the red light. "That man back of me looks like Grover," said Wolf. "See, he's caught Joan and covered her mouth with his hand. Who do you think it is, Ravelli?" "It looks very like Grover," responded re-sponded Ravelli. "Then let's find Grover!" They opened the door and were confronted by Grover, gun in hand. "Give me that picture!" he ordered. or-dered. "Can't we talk this over socially?" social-ly?" asked Wolf. Upon the manager's man-ager's repeating his order, Wolf called out: "T formation!" as though giving signals at a football foot-ball game. Ravelli moved to his right and Wacky to his left. "Signals: forward pass. Pass the picture." Ravelli stepped forward, the negative ne-gative in his hand. As Grover grasped it, Wacky made a sudden move and Grover pointed the gun at him. Thereupon Ravelli seized the wrist of Grover's gun hand and Wolf snatched the negative. A blow from a stick in Ravelli's hands caused Grover to drop his gun. The three bodyguards dashed out of the dark room on the mezzanine floor and sped for an elevator with the shaft door standing open. Wolf tnd Ravelli leaped inside and turned turn-ed on the power. Wacky, seeing the elevator descending, and Grover almost at his heels, made a slide for the door and shot through it barely in time to avoid being crushed. Grover, unable to stop, hurtled through the open door, but managed to grasp the cable and let himself down to the top f the elevator. Opening the trap door in Its roof, he poked his gun through, ordering: "All right up with your hands!" Flabbergasted, the three did as commanded. As Grover let himself him-self down Into the car, Wacky made a dive and turned off the light switch. In the ensuing darkness dark-ness there were sounds of a fierce struggle. Then Ravelli shouted: "I've got him!" The lights went up and there stood Grover at the control. Ravelli Ra-velli and Wacky were pummelling Wolf In one corner. "All right. Now the picture!" commanded Grover. Slowly Ravelli tepped towards him, extending the neeative. But just then the elevator had climbed back into the car, stopped it at the mezzanine and dashed out. He fired a shot at the three in flight. Then began one of the wildest, craziest, most dangerous yet funniest fun-niest of chases imaginable. Ducking Duck-ing behind counters, sneaking across aisles, circling and backtracking, back-tracking, the fugitives at length darted back into the elevator and went down to the main floor. Grover, boiling with anger, sprinted sprint-ed down the stairway. Passing three dummies of the Marx Bros., he came to a suspicious halt, turned turn-ed and fired. The dummy of Harpo fell to the floor; the placard at its feet read: "See the Marx Bros, at the Capitol Theater all this week." Voices cried out and soon the watchman and a janitor ran up. "There are a couple crazy killers loose in the store!" shouted Grover. "Tommy Rogers' bodyguards. Turn on all the lights, close all the doors and shoot on sight!" Out of breath after another long chase, Grover stopped in a window containing a display of beach costumes, umbrellas and cabanas ca-banas narrow bathing tents and leaned against one for sup-post, sup-post, not noticing another cabana which, seemingly moving under its own power, advanced towards a store aisle, stopping when he made a movement, then continuing to advance. Grover's support gave way under his weight. He fell to the floor, and the fleeing cabana scurried down an aisle, then came to a halt. Grover dashed up shouting: shout-ing: "Come out and give me that negative!" Obtaining no response, he lifted the flap; the tent was i empty. When next Grover caught sight of the bodyguards, they were at the top of the mezzanine stairs. He ran after them. They followed the balcony rail, coming to a halt as Grover gained the top of the stairs, at a spot overlooking the sports department. "Over the rail, down to the main floor!" cried Wolf, and leaped. He landed on a counter of roller skates. One foot landed spank into a large shoe with skate attached, used to advertise the "special sale of roller skates at $1.98." Wolf was struck by an inspiration. He rolled to the floor and put on the mate of the shoe, calling to Ravelli and Wacky, as they jumped: "Put on roller skates! Grover can never catch up with us then!" "But can we skate faster than his bullets?" asked Ravelli. "She got away big fight with Tommy! Cops will be coming!" explained ex-plained the winded Duke. One of his eyes was blacked and his face was badly bruised. "Don't worry about the cops! Help me get the picture those bodyguards have got and we'll be safe. Here, they're coming back down . the aisle at the side ! Grab a weapon! My gun's empty!" Grover seized a baseball bat, Duke a hammer such as i3 used in athletic contests and made for the side aisle. The three skaters whizzed past too rapidly for Grover to strike. Duke hurled the hammer after them, but, unused to hammer-throwing, did not release re-lease his wrist from the hand-hold. The result was that he was pulled off his feet and sent gliding along the floor after the hammer which struck a down chute opening, dragging drag-ging Duke in after It. Skating to the end of the aisle, the three bodyguards all but crashed into a door labeled "Electric "Elec-tric storeroom." "In here quick!" said Wolf. Once inside they began piling crates of goods against the door. Ravelli put the negative on a shelf for safe keeping. Suddenly there was an explosion, like a pistol shot, behind them. An electric elec-tric light bulb had been shaken from a high shelf, loosening others, so that in a. moment there seemed to be a blitzkrieg of shots. Madly the three men threw themselves at the door and began digging their way out. As Wolf opened the door to emerge, Grover was throwing himself him-self against" it to smash it open. He hurtled through, crashing into a pile of wooden boxes that tumbled tum-bled down upon him, while the fugitives, once outside, slammed the door shut and threw their weight against it. "Get the police! Quick!" shouted Wolf. As If in answer to that cry, Tommy Rogers, Duke's gun in his hand, emerged from an elevator, followed by Martha Phelps, Joan Sutton and half a dozen photographers. photog-raphers. "We've got Grover In there, Tommy!" gloated Ravelli. "Good work, boys! Martha, I never dreamed Grover could be such a desperate criminal." He vanked open the door. "Come out, Grover!" Grover appeared in a moment, one hand behind his back. "You haven't pot a thine on me." h |