The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-09-21

away 10 accompany her parents. AS
she Travelled home her girlish fancy
! wove pretty dream of her experience.
| but always with the same sad ending.
The days wore on into the late fall,
when Lura, after her summers rest
at home, left again for the city, TO
resume her last year In a training
school for nurses.
Her mother had been quick to de-
tect the lack Of interest Lura evinced
In taking up her work. Anxious to
keep her daughter with her, she said:
why not stay at home this year
Lura?"
mo, mother"
Girls are so different nowadays"
she sighed. "A good housewife used
to be enough for any girl"
Yes, mother, but nurses are Just
as necessary as housekeepers."
Thus valiantly did Lura Phillips
argue until whatever barriers threat
ened her future as a nurse were de-
molished.
But upon Luras return to the train
state fair, her enthusiasm over her
work seemed to have suffered a blow,
and her energy became FESTIVE and
misdirected. She found herself scan
ming the papers for news of the young
aviators feats.
In one paper she found an account
Of Young Weldon as he was called.
He had taken up aviation as a fad-a
natural sequence to his bent for me-
chenical contrivances. During his col
lege days, the paper related. he had
driven a motor car. Then, during the
summers at the seashore, the paper
stated, he became a familiar figure
skimming the water in his green
motor boat.
But, the article related, those grew
trivial and embarrassing so that when
the aeroplane became a reality, he
made a trip abroad where he made
ascensions and noted experiments.
Thus it was he set about in serious
endeavor to perfect machine embody-
ing his own IDEAS He had spent q
plane.
In some rush of examination work
The article which announced Marshall
Weldon's Intention to compete for a
$4,000 prize in round trip of $50
miles, escaped the attention of Lura
Phillips.
Weldon has thrown himself more
recklessly than ever into the sport he
loved so well. For, since failing to find
again the girl who at the state fair
had come SO suddenly into his life.
he had devoted himself more than ever
to the excitement of aviation. For
the first time his heart was stirred,
and his one wish was to look again
into the big dark eyes that had held
him with such haunting sweetness.
He tried to concentrate his thoughts
and interests upon the great race.
The day-one year later than his
ascension at the state fai--dawned
fair with strong head-on wind From
the five entries there proved to be
just two of the human birds daring
enough to start.
Weldon was one of those, and all
of the inspiration of an ovation was
his as he slid gracefully off for the
trip.
He had made about half the run
when currer. of wind struck him
with such force that temporary
.anding was necessary, to learn the
extent of the engine trouble.
Selecting cleared spot, he skinned
the ground, settling gently; then he
began his repairs.
Amid quickly gathered crowd from
the small town upon whose outskirts
he rested, he worked over the weak
ened carburetor. Finally, taking des-
perate chances upon his success of
his adjustments, he again scared
away with the wild applause of the
excited villagers singing in his ears.
He had turned homeward and was
flying along faster and faster, almost
intoxicated by his own pace. At last
he sighted his home goal. Would his
engine hold out? Was he fool to
drive on and on when, by threatening
sounds, it warned him of it's refusal
to work? Would she see an account
Of his attempt to race If anything hap
pened to him? For something was to
happen-was happening now. His
brain grasped 1t all quickly enough.
His engine had stopped and nothing
would respond to his frantic efforts.
AS If life had been extinguished by
shot from below, the mechanical bird
fell to earth, dead weight.
No more dramatic spectacle was
ever witnessed. For almost directly
above his goal Weldon had dropped.
Only those nearest realized the acct
dent Amid cheering multitude. the
biplane plunged madly to earth and
settled as IL parting from exhaustion.
But no sound of cheer reached the
dulled ear Of Marshall Weldon, victor
In the race, as he lay pinioned be-
meath his car.
Carefully his unconscious form was
extracted and carried to a hurriedly
summoned ambulance. and thus rushed
away to the nearest hospital.
His injuries, while painful, proved
to be mostly head cuts. 1t was some
time after his wounds had been
dressed before pair Of anxious eyes
from under becoming nurses cap
were rewarded by signs OF her patient
returning to consciousness.
A moment his face relaxed from the
twitching movement betokening the
pain he felt, and he stared with un-
believing eyes as he whispered
"YOui"