The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-07-16
CHAPTER I.

WIEN MA1DENs FELL FROM THE SKY.
~OR twenty shimmering miles the
gulf beach lay in the sun,
white straight edge against
blue. A1istily through the surf
haze gl1mmered the tower of Sand is
land light save when obscured by the
smoke plume Of a fruiter standing in
past Fort Morgan for Mobile. 1t was
early forenoon. The yellow globe of
the mooring balloon at the fort shone
in the sun like dome of some auda-
cious new architecture flung high into
the pulsating air. Two men far down
the coast toward Pensacola caught the
farof splendor and noted in the very
act Of casting off from it long, cigar
ashaped aeronat-an immense. elongat-
ed bubble of quicksilver 1t foated
zseaward, rounded to, stood moment
end on, Hbrating like balancing top.
."She's boun' TO- N'Yawlins, All reck-
on, subj"
The speaker was typical gulf fish
erman, long bearded, soft of speech,
courteous as a diplomat, barefooted,
weathered in garments and skin. Over
his checks and nose were scattered
broad brown blotches which had it
not been for their size might have
been called frecklcs. He rolled ciga-
rette, lighted it, turned his eyes on
his more youthful companion, repeat
ing, "She's sho' boun' TO- N'Yawlins."
In the mien of the younger man there
of LII tn ho al
as there might be in New England
chemist or engineer something that is
like his forty-second cousin fishing on
the Newfoundland banks. The soft
ness Of speech was modified to sub
tie tirmness and subdued decision.
The slight, tall frame was arrowy and
erect, as If the youth had imbibed
from some winier air latent self
esteem expressed in the hint of in
cisiveness in speech. The boy also had
the areas Of mottled freckling, overlay-
ing pink glow. He wore blue fan
mel shirt with q bright silk cravat.
His shoes were secured gray by the
beach sand, and his well shaped hat
was powdered with it. His trousers
were of cadet gray and were striped
down the side; seemingly they were q
part of some obsolete uniform. He sat
on a great square timber half buried
in the sand and had been studying a
blue green Portuguese man-of-war cast
ashore and rolled up before the breeze,
!. dragging its yard long tentacles. On
the beam lay steel square. brace
and bit. roll of blueprints, some steel
drills and book of logarithms. The
speech of the old fisherman made
him look up. He picked up pair of
. binoculars from cast-up crate and
studied the distant airship.
"Alo' likely bound for Pensacola, cap.
tain" he said. She's coming this
way-a Condor with bow rudder"
The aerOnat. drawing nearer. swell.
ed like a great silver moon The men
admired her as they walked inshore
through soft. trodden sand down to a
lower level Of yellowed palmettoes
and scaled a steep dune slope thicket.
5 ed with curious scrub oaks. Here was
hidden cabin of rough boards with a
{ wide yeranda or gallery. on the col.
umns of which were to be seen
bleached barnacles. telling of the
storm tossed voyage which bad
brought them hither. Auditing on the
cabin by one end was spacious shed
without visible door or window. So
thoroughly was the edifice concealed
by the oak scrub and the low growing
stunted spruce that one might have
passed q dozen times within stones
throw Of it without seeing it. and even
from the airships its drab roof powder
ed with blown sand was we'll nigh in.
visible Under the gallery was per
feet safety from observation from
aloft
AS seen through the glass. the air