Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-09-25


ing In the other.
If this car. now within three days
Of its completion" Orlando proceeded
uoes not rise from the oval of my
hangar like bird from its nest, and
ai1er wide and circling flight de.
scend again into the self-same spot
without any swerving from its direct
course, then have failed in my en-
oeavor and must take back seat
with the rest. But 1t will not fail. I'm
certain OF success, Oswald. All /
want Just now is a sympathetic help
eT-you, for instance; some one who
VIII aid me with the final fittings and
mold his peace to all eternity IL the
impossible occurs and the thing
proves failure"
Have you such pride as THAR"
Precisely"
So much that you cannot face fall.
ure?"
Not when attached to my name.
you can see how feel about that by
the secrecy have worked under. No
other person living knows what have
Just communicated to you. Every
part shipped here came from differ.
ent manufacturing firms sometimes
part of part was all / allowed to
be made in any one place. MY fame,
like the ship, must rise with one
bound into the air, or 1t must never
rise at all. | was not made for petty
accomplishment, or the slow plodding
OF commonplace minds must startle,
or remain obscure. That is why I
chose this place for my venture, and
you for my helper and associate"
You want me to ascend with you ?''
Exactly"
AT the end of three daysY-
Yes"
Orlando, / cannot"
You cannot? Not strong enough
YETI III walt then--three days more"
The times too short A month Is
scarcely sufficient 1t would be folly.
such as you never show. to trust q
nerve SO undermined as mine till time
mas restored its power For an en-
terprise like this you need a man of
ready strength and resources: no one
whose condition you might be Obliged
to consider at very critical mo-
ment"
Orlando, baked thus at the outset,
showed his displeasure.
You do not do justice to your will.
II is strong enough to carry you
through anything"
ut was"
You can force it to act for you"
fear not, Orlando"
i counted on you and you thwart
me at the most critical moment Of
my life"
Oswald smiled; his whole candid
and generous nature bursting into
view in one quick flash.
Perhaps" he assented; "but you
viii thank me when you realize my
weakness. Another man must be
quick, def, secret, yet honor.
ably alive to the Importance of the
occasion and your rights as a great
original thinker and mechanician.
DO you know such man?"
! don't; but there must be many
such among our workmen."
There isn't one; and haven't
time to send to Brooklyn. I reckoned
on you"
Can you wait a month";"
mo"
"A fortnight, them"
mo, not ten days"
Oswald looked surprised. He would
like to have asked why such precipi-
tation was necessary, but the tone In
which this ultimatum was given was
OF that decisive character which ad-
nlits of no argument. He therefore
merely looked his query. But orlan-
do was not one to answer looks: be-
sides, he had no reply for the same
1mportunate question urged by his
own good sense. He knew that he
must make the attempt upon which
his future rested soon, and without
risk of the sapping influence of length
ened suspense and weeks of WAITING.
He could hold on to those two demons
leagued in attack against him, for a
definite seven days, but not for an
indeterminate time. If he were to be
saved from folly-from himself
events must rush.
He therefore repeated his mo"
with increased vehemence, adding. as
he marked the reproach In his broth
er's eye, Il cannot wait. The test
must be made on Saturday evening
next, whatever the conditions; what
ever the weather. An air-car to be
serviceable must be ready to meet
lightning and tempest, and what ia
worse, perhaps, an insufficient crew."
Then rising, he exclaimed, with
determination which rendered him
majestic, IF help is not forthcoming,
I'll do 1t all myself. Nothing shall
hold me back; nothing shall stop me;
and when you see me and hear my
car rise above the treetops, you'll feel
that have done what could to make
you forget"
He did not need to continue. o.
Wald understood and flashed prafa-