Life — June 18, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- LIFE - The Rover and Over Boys By Corcy Ford Volume VI: How Spring Came to the Rover Boys’ Series “LJIP, hip, hurrah! Sis, boom, bah! Rockets!” “Well, if it isn’t Alexander Pop!” cried Tom merrily, as he spied the col- man-of-all-work driving — the hors “Have a cigar, Alex!" “Ah bets dat cigar am loaded, shc’ nuff!” winked Alexander Pop slyly, as he touched a match to the stogie. Instantly there was a terrific explosion, and then the “African” climbed down painfully from a telegraph pole with his coat inside out, and shook his finger warningly at Tom. “No, sah, Massa Tom!” he grinned. “You cain't fool dish yer nigger!” And then Tom had to join sheepishly in the general laugh that followed, when he saw how completely the col- ored man had “put one over” on him. Thus cracking wise, what should the three Rover Boys and their girl friends heave in sight of but an apple orchard filled with apple trees. “Just the spot for a picnic!” cried Dora, leaping onto the emerald greensward. Here they all devoured the picnic lunch with gusto, who barked and wagged his tail happily. Tom, indeed, proved the life of the party, what with dropping caterpillars down the girls’ backs and sprinkling ground-glass in the lemon- ade and one thing or another; and their merriment was not a whit abated when the fun-loving Rover broke his tooth on an olive-pit immediately afterwards. Tom was in great de- mand everywhere, and in some places they even offered a sub- stantial reward. ored Citavter THIRTY-SEVEN UNCHEON over, the party lounged under the trees admir- ing the sylvan. setting. Overhead the branches were pink with apple blossoms, while some- where a bird whistled the “Humoresque” and a couple of girls in ballet-slippers danced a little allegory entitlec rom Pupa to Butterfly, with a Happy Birthday,” depicting the four seasons, East, West, Cool and Cloudy, in their search for the Guiding Spirit of Indus- try, followed by a man who did card uricks with matches. “Come on,” whi: pered Dick to Dora. “The next number is an Educational Film about ‘How to Tell an Angle- worm from his Sis- ter’; and so they wan- dered away under the over - hanging apple blossoms. ‘*Be- sides,” Dick added seri- ously when they were alone, “there's some- thing I've been wanting to tell you all these 578 volumes,” and here he gazed sentimentally at the blossoms, which im- mediately com- menced to drift down slowly from the canvas branches. “Yes, Dick?" said Dora. “Ever since I met you in 1892, I've never pulled anything more intimate than simply squeezing your finger-tips ardently once or twice,” Dick reminded her. “I've tried to keep this Series clean enough for all our Young Readers.” “I know,” sighed Dora a little wist- “NO, SAH, “SEURRAY! THE RACE IS ON! PARTNER LEADS! No TRUMPS!” YOU CAIN’T FOOL DISH YER NIGGER!” ~q fully, me, his “You've been a good hero to And she looked up into while her hair lifted gently it breeze from an electric fan in the wings, and the apple blos- soms continued to flutter down real- istically in a pink shower. Dora,” blurted Dick, seizing her hand tremu- lously as the first violin sounded the key in a long-drawn note, “I love you!” They ad- vanced three steps. “Whenever I gaze in your yes,” continued Dick, “as blue as sum- mer skies, I simply sigh, Between you and I, I lo-00-o00ve you, dear !” “Whenever you're holding me tight,” re- plied Dora, as Dick folded her in his arms, know everything's all right, o> MASSA Tom! So T just reply, I wonder why I lo-00-o00ve you, dear!” “I wonder where these lyrics came from?” mused Dick to himself, but he thought no more about it at the time, as they continued singing together: “I love you, dear! I love you, dear!" gaz- ing ardently into each other's eyes, “I love you, do you hear? I love you so, Because, you know, T tuh-huh-hove you, dear!" Then suddenly there were two sharp raps of a baton, and the pink “apple blossoms” stirred and rose to their feet. and to every one’s surprise it was scen that they were so many attractive chorus girls and the “petals” were really comicbooks.com