The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-05-23
Virginia Of the
Air Lanes B, .. 4 s::' ;':, Quick
Author of
Double Trouble"

ish to take him. wouldn't it un.
cle?'
Theodore hesitated. The weak.
ness of heightsickness and the hor.
rible vertigo of those subject to it
seemed to prove the captains disa.
bility, and yet
1T would be foolhardy," said he.
Well, can do it alone, if every.
thing goes we'll. A little help
hight be important, but L"
I'm going, uncle" said Virginia
There's no danger. | like it.
Think of my thousands of miles in
the Roc"
Il can't consent to it," said Theol
dore, entering the car. There's a
grave theoretical danger. l should
be blamed"
But Virginia was seated beside
him, wearing a dress of soft white
wool, a close-fitting little cap on
her head and carrying a jacket over
her arm. Evidently she had come
out with the full intention of doing
this.
My danger is theoretical" said
she. Yours in going alone is quite
real. Now, l shall keep the mano.
meter readings? Oh. you haven't
any! Well, then. the altimeter-
statoscope?"
Its self-registering." said Theo.
dore. Really, there's nothing to
do. except In emergencies, and"
And there'll be no emergencies,
She cried. Throw in the clutch,
Admiral Of the Circumambient In
sane. You do the work, and I'll
lpay LADY," We're Off"
Are you gilling," said he, turn
irg to her. ito forgive me, for this,
and everything | may have done,
whatever happens?"
Whatever happens. or doesn't
happen, | forgive YOU" she cried
Throw in the clutch before the gy.
roscopes stop, and the Virginia gets
brain fag-or shall II"
Just for luck" said Theodore,
you throw it in"
She threw over the lever-rather
toofar-and the wing sections start.
ed like forty thousand boys
'buzzes." A storm of sand roared
back from under the wings, pow
dering Mrs. Stot's dress, and fore
ing her to turn her back to the
tempest. The deafenIng howl, as
OF many winds, lessened as the big
bird rose perpendicularly from the
ways, and famed the ground no
more. Theodore turned on a little
more speed, put the rudders aport
to bring her head to the light sea-
ward wind. and. as she mounted
higher and higher. he tried her
control. He pushed over the lever
that determined the thrust OF the
driving blads, and she shot in over
the dunes like wild thing until
he headed her back for the gulf.
Well inside the bar, SO that an
overturn might not mean a drown.
ing. he circled about In wide
curve, which he gradually mar
rowed by a more extreme use OF the
hem. until she was spinning round
and round In an orbit. In which the
tips Of the inner wings were almost
stationary and "treading" air like a
pausing swimmer.
THAT tests out the balancing de-
vice." shouted Theodore. How
that"
Aye. aye. sir!" said Virginia.
THAT do sure test out the balanc-
ing device. And IL you let her
chase her tail like this much longer
I'm going to be indisposed, Please
while the other way while,
unkie."
All fear, all uneasiness even, had
gone from Theodore's mind. He
felt the subsection of the machine
as a horseman feels the obedience
OF his steed. He had much to learn
Of her navigating qualities; but the
thing which all aeronefs had re,
quired-the master yof balancing
he had not to learn. The gyroscopic
brain in the glass globe saved him
this. To every perturbation the
machine presented the resistance
and correction of the automatic diff.
ferentials of the wings. The pow.
erful eIght-cylinder engines purred
with an almost perfect freedom
F. from vibration. one TO each wing