Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-09-02
Virginia
of the
Air Lanes
A ROMANCE OF
FLYING
By -.
Herbert Quick
Copyright. 1899. by the Bobbs"
Merrill Company

the winds, from him VINO Wln0S the
commands. greeting" 1t ran. BE OF
good cheer. The train Is laid. the gin
Is set, the dogs of war strain forward
In the leash. But Is there any aeronef?
Broom end If ripe dream assumes ter
rifying concreteneSS Noble. sir. assure
me of thine Just wire saying you are
you and there is an aeronef, collect!
did you answer this" asked Vir-
glna.
Theodore shock his head.
1T was days and days before I got
It,"
"Why didn't he send 1t to the planta-
tion?" asked Virginia.
81 gave him this address" said Theo-
dore. Ell stayed there too-too long"
He opened the gyroscope globe and
began running the engines lightly. set
ting the heavy little wheels spinning.
rocking the aeronef from side 10 side
to note the operation of the balancing
devices. Preserving their perpendicu-
larity, as If of intelligent purpose, the
horoscopes moved the levers Of the
wing differentials which would accel-
crate the propeller wheels of the low
cred wing and correspondingly slow
the upper Right or left, stern or bow.
the depressed area would work the
harder. the raised part slower. while
powerful rudders co-Operated. moving
like fish's fins. even now while the
propeller rested. Theodore was get
ting past an awkward reference to his
long stay at the plantation by pains
taking examination Of the brain Of his
airship.
"See how 1t works. Virginia" he ex-
claimed. ut knows the levers to be
moved. Why, If puff starts to over
turn her she'll strike with the lowered
wings alone like a bird. And see the
intelligence of those rudders! And
Wilmer said she'd turn turtle!"
And Mr. Craighead doesn't get any
report of all this! What must he
Think"
II told him about It." said Theodore
proudly. And it was no time to tele-
graph apologies. 1t was a time to
work"
Virginia opened another Of Craig
heads kilograms. 1t was addressed to
Palmetto Beach. cor somewhere 1t Is
hoped" and seemed to be regarded by
Craighead as very important. MY
luck hath turned! 1t is Craighead Fe-
lix now" said he. Have found a
gang of grafters organized to get us
grants in no time; will cinch New
York by Friday; Chicago already hem
med in. New thought-fee Of roads In
grangers everywhere. Will sec',re title
except for road purposes. Shayne, thy
sun sets apace! Whoop! Whoop!
WhoOpee! We've got 'em. we've got
'em! Caroline's dad ready to bust all
eight banks to back scheme You must
make good. Theodore. Answer for the
sake of divine pity just one leetle
teeney peep! Napoleon BOnaparte
Hannibal Miltiades Craighead."
what does he mean," asked Vir-
ginia, "by all this about grants, high
ways and fee simple? It's awfully
queer"
81 don't know" replied Carson.
"SOme visionary thing"
"And who is Gardiner" asked Vir-
ginia.
"Mrs. Graybill. Mr.. Waddy's daugh-
ter. Now, listen. Virginia. and watch.
She's ready to try"
He threw in the clutch. and the
wings began whirring like great buzzes.
Faster and faster the wing sections
whirled until the aeronef strained up
ward on her lashings like FESTIVE
horse. Theodore tipped lever. and
she leaped forward. stretching the
ropes at an angle Of forty-five degrees.
He reversed 1t, and she Stacked back
ward, as might an eagle repulsed by a
foe. Virginia swung her hat and shout
ed.
pull the line on the end Of that
wing" said he, land see If you can tip
her. Pull!
Virginia walked gingerly forward,
her dress flying, her hat whisked to
the top Of the room. GraSping the fly
ing rope end. she pulled downward.
The wings settled slightly, and then as
the gyroscOpe brain felt the depres-
sion the lowered wings lifted as If con-
sciously rising to load. 1t was mar
velous.
"Can't you pull harder" cried Theo-
dore. bareheaded. his hair flying.
"Try."
AYE, aye sir" cried Virginia cheer
fly. TRY 1t is"
Reaching up. she pulled herself clear
Of the floor. her strong little form
swaying like II most charming pendu-
lum. The enormous dragon fly. throw
ing its power into the depressing wing,
rode level. with nine stone weight or
solid American girl dangling from the
tip Of one wing-a mechanical para
dox. The boat stood in air as level as
ship in calm.
"Hurrahw shouted Theodore swing
ing his arms. Never anything like 1t
In the world Carried you on one wing
and kept level. Hurrah for the Viz
ginia!'
He eased her down and stepped to
where Virginia waited, hands out
stretched, red from the rough rope
hair blown abroad.
"And are you going to name her
thatT she cried. "Oh. how perfectly
dear of you"
Theodore held the chafed hands. tri-
umph in his face. He opened the little
red palms and kissed them over and
over again. Mrs. Stott came In and