The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-02-18


supplied Virginia.
Virginia" said Mrs. Shayne,
1--WE should not mention an origin
of which Max never speaks.
!. But to do what he is do
ing, takes a great man. Your
uncle will tell you SOL
Silberberg made the hay oil
courtship in the sun of opportun-
ity. Virginia pondered on hel
aunt's standard of greatness. The
dark line of pines at thesfort drew
nearer; and beyond lay the Gulf
"a sparkling. blue, outspread dia.
gram.
Where's Uncle Finley?" she
asked. 1--WE are getting a long
way SOUTH"
Giving the helicopter a private
examination" replied Silberberg
at is happiness to me that he is;
but the inventor would go wild ii
he knew the sort of expert his
precious machine is alone With
"Wiid?" repeated Virginia
Listen, even now!"
Above the purr of the screws
came the angry voice of the in
ventor in the engine-room abus
ing the Roc's second engineer fol
some remark derogatory to hell
copters. Already he was quite
wild enough, Virginia thought.
"Why don't We try his ma
chine?" she asked. "Must we gt
out over the Gulf? Isn't the Ba.
big enough?"
"Mr. Shayne wants to pick VI
specialist at the fort" replied
Silberberg, "the man who wrot,
up the Chinese war-aerostats. He!
here on some aeronautical bust
ness for the army"
Miss Suarez gave her attention
to the wonderful landscape spread
about her and below her. Fal
astern she could dimly make on
the aerial harbor at Mobile, clus
ter of khaki-cclored bubbles float
ing over the old city. To star
board lay the gardens and or
chards of the western shore. TIL,
white scarp of the eastern cliff
cleaned through the haze far t.
the northeast past the sharp spi
of Mullet Point. Away to the cas-
lay the wide, blue Bon Secoul
semicircle beyond which she imag
ined she saw the triangular splotcl
of Perdido Bay. A fleet of white
sailed smacks bore off toward tn,
western oyster-beds, and lay fore
shortened and out of drawing be
low her. Virginia looked, ant
wished she were alone, or tina
Silberberg might for a moment b.
content to pay his court by being
rather than by doing.
A battleship was coaling at tn,
Fort Morgan wharf, her deck
alive with blue-jackets; and, Will,
Virginia watched them, the re
tractile telephone was tossed
down, and brought word that Cap
tain Wickham cuold not accom-
pany them. At Shayne's ordel
they cast off; and it was ther
that Theodore Carson, at his mys
terious shed in the dunes, had OBJ
Served their ship.
The Roc circled to the west tc
avoid the inhibited passage over
the batteries, and stood east
along the beach. Wilmer aban.
doned his quarrel and came for.
ward to make the test. He sci
the helicopter on the deck, where
it stood unsteadily on its slender
bamboo legs, its painter hanging
over the rail, its top crowned by
the SCREENINGS, slanted a little
|outboard for the launching.
How will you get her off, Wiz.
ner?" asked Mr.. Shayne.
Easy enough" answered Wiz
ner tartly.
maybe we'd better make a de.
scent for you," suggested SLIDER.
berg. ut may be one of these
terrestrial helicopters."
"I'll ask, when I want you to
go down." replied Wilmer, glar.
ing. you'll see whether it's 9
ground machine or not. May
take down a section of that rail?'
Certainly" answered Mr.
Shayne. But don't let the hell.
copter topple off. 1t might fall
on a fisherman. What are you
doing, Virginia?"
The girl had stepped forward as
IL to take seat in the little cany
car of the helicopter.
Let me sit in it." said she. 81
want to imagine how you fee
when you get out into space"
II wish you would" said Wiz.
ner. at will hold her still. It's
perfectly SAFE"
Virginia, laughing at playing
paper-weight, entered the car
where she sat fascinated by the
inventors turned-back thumbs as
he went over the bearings, the In.
bl ic&tion, the feed and the igni.
ton. and, with word of reas.
surance to the girl, started the
tiny engine. Softly, steadily, the
finely adjusted mechanism re-
volved, setting the car into ting
ling vibrations which thrilled like
electricity.
(which is the clutch-lever?n
she asked.