The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-03-06

room. Virginia wished herself any
where away from Silberberg.
She felt herself thrown at his
head by her aunt. Little privileges,
which in another would not have
offended, seemed like the unspeak-
able liberties Of prospective pur-
chasers with slaves offered in the
| market. She was getting morbid
and almost hysterical. Silberberg's
/ slight badness, running up in shin
| ing coves from his forehead, his
we'll groomed groossness Of body,
his oily black curls, made of him
beastly sultan gloating over the
last importation from Circassia.
And yet, his appearance and behav-
ior were not inherently bad-the
situation made them uncomfortable.
Perhaps Mrs. Shayne's tributes to
his greatness, and her emphasis on
him as an opportunity open to Vir-
ginia, a mere dependant, we're
more chargeable with producing
this tension, of which Silberberg
was quite unaware, than anything
actually done by him.
so you think, Aunt Marie" she
had said, q" that Mr.. Silberberg is
one of the greatest ones Of the
earth?"
Most certainly" rejoined Mrs.
Shayne. Gle is retaining and in
creasing the enormous wealth and
, power inherited"
From old Israel Silberberg," sup
piled Virginia.
virginia. said Mrs. Shayne, 1--WE
should not mention an origin Of
which Max never speaks. g.
But to do what he Is doing, takes
great man. Your uncle will tell
you So"
Silberberg made hay Of courtship
in the sun of opportunity. Virginia
pondered on her aunt's standard Of
greatness. The dark lines of pines
at the fort drew nearer; and be-
yond lay the gulf, a sparkling, blue
outspread diagram.
where's Uncle Finley" she
asked. eve are getting long way
south"
Giving the helicopter a private
examination" replied Silberberg.
ut is happiness to NE that he
is; but the inventor would go wild
if he knew the sort of expert his
precious machine is alone with"
"Wild?" repeated Virginia. List
en-, even now!"
Above the purr Of the screws
came the angry voice of the invent
or in the engine room abusing the
Roc's engineer for some remark de-
rogatory to helicopters. Already
he was quite wild enough. Virginia
thought.
"Why don't we try his machine?"
she asked. Must we go out over
the gulf? Isn't the bay big
enough?"
"Mr. Shayne wants to pick up a
specialist at the fort" replied Silb-
erberg, "the man who wrote up the
Chinese war aerostats. He's here
on some aeronautical business for
the army"
Miss Suarez gave her attention
to the wonderful landscape spread
about her and below her. Far
astern she could dimly make out
the aerial harbor at Mobile, clus-
ter of khaki colored bubbles float
ing over the old city. To starboard
lay the gardens and orchards of
the western shore. The white
scarp of the eastern cliffs cleaned
through the haze far to the north
east past the sharp spit of Mullet
Point. Away to the east lay the
wide, blue Bon Secour semicircle
beyond which she imagined she
saw the triangular splotch of Per-
dido Bay. A fleet of white-sailed
smacks bore off toward the western
oyster-beds, and lay foreshortened
and out Of drawing below her. Vir-
ginia looked, and wished she were
alone, or that Silberberg might for
a moment be content to pay his
court by being rather than by doing.
A battleship was coaling at the
Fort Morgan wharf. her decks alive
with bluejackets; and, while Vir-
ginia watched them, the retractile
telephone was tossed down
and brought word that Captain
Wickham could not accompany
them. At Shayne's order they cast
off; and 1t was then that Theodore
Carson, at his mysterious shed in
the dunes, had observed their ship
The Roc circled to the west to
avoid the inhibited passage over
the batteries, and stood east along
the beach. Wilmer abandoned his
quarrel and come forward to make
the test. He set the helicopter on
the deck. where 1t stood unsteadily
on its slender bamboo legs, its
painter hanging over the rail, its
top crowned by the screw wings,
slanted little cupboard 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 descent for you," suggest
ed Silberberg. "It may be one Of
these terrestrial helicopters."
"I'll ask, when want to go
down." replied Wilmer, glaring
You'll see whether it's a ground
machine or not. May I take down
section of that rail-"
Certainly" answered Shayne.
'But don't let the helicopter topple
off. 1t might fall on a fisherman.
What are you doing, Virginia."
The girl had stepped forward as