The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-07

RANK WILLIAMS father pre-
tended not to look surprised
when a long Official looking en-
velope was laid beside his sons plate
at breakfast one morning.
Usually such documents came to him.
But today it was different Frank in
turn pretended 10 be as unconcerned
rs II it were an ordinary occurrence.
lie fingered the long envelope and
glanced at the postmark, Just as if he
didn't know that il would be the
name Of large western metropolis.
In the upper corner was printed "Ju-
Nor aero club" The eyes of the whole
family were upon Frank when he
opened the envelope. but no one spoke
while he glanced silently over the type
written contents. Then he appeared to
relapse into deep thought.
Finally AR. Williams summoned UP
courage enough TO interRupt his prom
ising young sons meditation.
something important. my boy?-
oh, Just the announcement of my
election. I'm a nonresident member
now Junior aero cub of @ you
know" answered Frank Importantly.
Henry Williams snickered. Henry was
FIVE years older. and everything Frank
did was a joke.
However, in spite OF fIenry's laugh
ter il was decidedly Franks inning
at the breakfast table that day. espe-
cislly when he disclosed TO the awed
family circle some very professional
looking blueprints also forwarded by
the Junior aero club
These plans meant q great deal TO
the youthful aviator. With their help
he felt confident OF realizing his dream
OF flying He had worked many a
Saturday trying TO perfect a real air
ship. but without success. Now these
working drawings gave him new hope.
His former efforts in aerial construc-
ton. the Christobel and the Zephorino,
were the cause Of interesting adven-
lures But they were only models. All
his ambitions now centered in the IN
finished machine lying inside the ball
loon shed down in the aerodrome.
Frank always called things by their
proper names. I suppose anybody else
would have called his balloon shed
COW shed and his aerodrome plain or
binary clover patch Everybody laughed
AZ him except his father. who realized
how deeply IN earnest Frank was about
his sirships
But if Frank had created family
sensation that morning Henry certainly
claimed attention the next morning.
This time the big long envelope lay
No. sir I'm doing something use
fult' answered Henry, grinning at
Frank. who tried not to show how
curious he was. Then il came out how
the old naturalist down at the village
had told Henry about the competition
being held by a famous natural history
museum. This museum announced a
competitive examination open 10 all
youths under 81. SIX positions were
open, and the lucky winners were to
be trained TO become fun dedged nat
uralists. The large envelope contained
the printed entry blanks which Henry
had written for. Henry had a great
bent in this direction He was no fool
even II he did make the mistake of
laughing at his younger brother.
Henry put Of filing ont the entry
blanks until tomorrow Tomorrow
somehow didn't leave any time, nor did
the day after. but the hot early sum-
mer sun that shone on Henry's to-
morrow" was working hard. II melted
the deep SHOWS on the mountain range
Just visible miles away across the
prairie
The Williams farm stood on a piece
OF high ground forming a bluff. The
river wound around the base. incIosing
the farm on three sides. The fourth
side was the meadow that Frank called
the aerodrOme. when his deep problems
Ia aerial navigation were being solved.
Now the Prairie river took its rise in
the distant mountains. and when about
= week later the result Of the suns hot
work began 10 be apparent the river
gradually rose from a sprswling. shall
low prairie stream into deep. swift