Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-09-02
VIRGINIA
I HE AIR
By
HERBERT QUICK
CHAPTER x1.
THE AERONEF VIRGINIA.

/ ~
" er glad Of 1t. Her desertion
" of the Shaynes was a crisis
In her life. She had acted
impulsively in matter of great mo-
ment and needed time for thought.
She had taken flight to Carson's Land
ing and to shelter in the shade Of the
sole remaining branch Of her family
tree. full Of confidence that she would
find there a silver haired uncle and a
delicate old lavender aunt. redolent Of
tthe old regime and ready to receive
her tenderly loyal to the Carson blood.
Instead Of silver hair, Theodore. the
audaciously false uncle. had the ''lit-
tie. silky kids mustache." and there
was no aunt. The grandniece Of old
General Carson. related to Theodore
Carson by no chain of descent save
the dubious one Of the original third
Carson brother Of hundreds Of years
| ago and the ownership Of this planta-
ton. was weakly allowed to assume
kinship from the place and name and
never thought Of sitting down with
Theodore and tracing the thing out.
She wondered just what the relation
| ship was anyhow. Chloe said that
Cabsonses were Cahsonses. and she
never bothered about different kinds.
He couldn't be real uncle. Virginia
felt sure of that. He might be son
of General Carson by second wife.
He was the head Of the family any
how. She must be satisfied with that
OF his invention. save that 1t was in
the mysterious shed. chosen because
Of Its remoteness and its unrestricted
beach. she really knew nothing. She
began to wonder now whether he
was a worlds genius or only the
crude product Of country college,
with nothing to command second
glance except his sinewy erectness.
the pathetic yearning in his eyes and
the wonderful softness in his voice.
Uncle Theodore suggested Viz
ginia to Mrs. Stott. has invited us to
visit him. And. do you know. ! think
we'll go back with the captain II you
can overcome your aversion to the wa
ter"
"Will the bay be rough?' asked Mrs.
stott as If confident that the captain
served out the weather.
Dead cam. ma'am."
well 60" said Mrs. Stott.
The ladies hurriedly packed their
dunnage and embarked. They were
gay party. Virginia was full Of laugh
ter. Her color rose and her eyes dilat-
ed as they took the stream early
enough to let them through the new
canal into the lagoon by daylight.
DO you see any signs Of Storm
asked Mrs. Stott. noting his upward
glances.
mo. ma'am," he returned. .Ah was
Just tryin' to make out II Aid eve
seen that craft befo' aloft thah."
The craft alluded to was a great sill
yer Condor. cleaning In the sun.
Virginia studied her absorbedly with
her field glasses.
~ think" said Virginia. that she's
the Roc. I'm sure of It,"
Eyes. ma'am." replied Harrod.
"She's lynn to-" said the captain.
"Thah goes huh lift down.
why" asked Virginia wonderingly.
"what can she want over there In the
woods?'
'She's fist about ove' yo' home.
ma'am." said Harrod.
Virginia grew pale and, asking for
the glass. scanned the great aerostat
with the lowered lift. like nexus. to
the ground.
Cant you go little faster?" said
she. laying down the binoculars.
"Aftah we clear Weeks bay" said
the captain.
Once clear Of the channel. they stood
for the south shore, the engines firing
in continuous explosion. Suddenly
with a little scream Virginia leaned
out to look upward past the awning.
In the water, instead Of bird or sail or.
cloud, she had seen, coming up from
the depths under their rail. the Roc.
under full speed. her great engines
purring like tiger cats, her screws
shimmering, her giant hull resplend-
ent bubble of steel. Looking up. Vir-
ginia saw her overhead and covered
back into the boat. for peering over
the rail and calling like an evil bird
was Silberberg.
"Shall All answer the hail. missT'
asked the captain.
"No!' whispered Virginia. Take
no notice. beg of you. captain"
The Roc swept on like meteor.
leaving the launch behind. Virginia
EsKed the captain II ne supposed she
had been recognized.
"Ah reckon not. miss" said he. "Jist
chance meetin'. All reckon. She's
come to. raght ove' the inn." said the
captain.
Virginia sat under the middle Of the
awning, quite In tremble. The boat
slowly threaded the shelly entrance to
the bayou and passed the wharf Of tho
inn. The people on the quay were
craning their necks at the descent of
the passengers from the Roc.
Hurry, captain. hurryg' urged vir-
Ginia.
"Ah CANT, ma'am." said he. "Ah'll
hev to lie to a minute fob that boat
Neve' fear. miss: yo' all raght with
me!''
Here you see." said a voice from
the wharf, two soon to be discarded
modes of navigation-the boat displac-
ing water and the aerostat floating in
the air upheld by gas. The hydroplane
must replace the boat: the aeronef,
the aerostat have made special
ty Of this. know. The value of