Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-02-13
WHERE EVE
WENT
A WOman's Flight In an
AerOplane
By CLARISSA MACKlE


'Ah. pleuse"' pleaded Eve Durham,
with her hand on one Of the propeller
blades Of De Mennes' beautiful flying
machine.
But mademoiselle Is not quite pro-
hcient." objected the young aviator.
Tomorrow. perhaps next week, after
you have made II few more trips with
me. you understand better the stop. the
pause. the descent. VOLTA tout! You
fly alone"'
But ] want to fly today, NJ. de
Mennes." pOuted Eve. lin my own lit
tie machine. 1t IN like u feather and
responds to II mere touch Of the wheel.
Nor How stupid"
The Frenchman bowed his regret ut
having cast shadow over Miss Dun
hams sunny countenance and he
watched her walk back to her own
mOnoplane with some doubt In his
keen eyes.
'She look like-she look like she take
Il chance when nobody Is around" be
muttered. But 1t was time for an
other one Of his spectacular flights be-
fore his assembled pupils, and he
promptly forgot Eve Durham and her
discomfort
Ewes friends were not surprised at
her sudden passion for aeroplaning.
One by one Eve had taken up other
fads and dropped them, but when her
engagement to Lewis Thayer was an
nounced 1t was discovered that Eve
had reduced her hobbies to three.
tennis. music and domestic science. and
was entirely faithful to them until
there came a day when she quarreled
with Lewis. He did not quarrel with
her. 1t was Ewes whole affair, and
the domestic science fad was aban.
doned, music was agonizingly reminis-
cent Of happier days, and no one could
play tennis like Lewis.
1t was not surprising that the broken
engagement was marked by Ewes pur-
chase Of monoplane and learning to
operate It Happily or otherwise, she
had plenty Of money at her disposal
to indulge this fancy.
Now she stood in the vast Enclosure
and watched the fantastic flights Of
her teacher, De Mennes. Her adven-
turous spirit yearned to pierce the blue
sky.
Tonight It would be moonlight and
the field would be deserted. She could
bride Patrick MCGEE. who had charge
of her machine. and away she would go!
The moon was high In the heavens
when Eve motored down to the aero
drome alone In her runabout The
sheds were all closed and the ground
was deserted. but she knew that Pat
rick MCGEE would be waiting behind
the gate.
The gate swung inward, and she
rolled over to the shed where her ma.
chine was stored. Patrick came run
ming up behind. begging her to desist
from her mad attempt. but Eve was
insistent
Soon the monoplane was outside.
Patrick declared 1t was in perfect or
der, and, having assisted Eve to her
seat and strapped her in, he started the
propeller. the engine caught, the ma
chine quivered. and away 1t went.
wavering over the rolling ground: then.
responding to Ewes guidance. 1t rose
up and up until she had reached the
desired height; then along her chosen
air lane she flew dizzily.
Beneath her the aerodrome diminish.
ed and faded from view. Overhead
the moon grew larger and more bril-
liant The stars stared at her with
luminous eyes, and the wind rushed by.
Presently she flew over the city with
its myriad lights, and the machine. fly
ing like homing bird. pointed north
ward. for Eve had lost all sense of
location.
Below she caught the silver CLEAN Of
n river 1t was gone, and the dark
bulk Of hills took its place.
Now 1t was time to return home for
she had promised herself Just spin
In the air. out Of defiance to NJ. de
Mennes. But which way led homer
Eve Durham confessed to herself
that she did not know. She guided
the machine around In a sweeping cir
Gle. trusting to chance to reach the
city. Once over the city she was posi-.
tive that she could find her way back
to the aerodrome, for she had made the
flight over the city many times with
her instructor
But where was the city,
Back and forth Eve few, once de-
ceived by an upward glare against
the sky. II was only a barn on Gre,
and nowhere did she see the reflection
Of city lights.
Then when she paused uncertainty
she was aware that something was
wrong with the engine. 1t was miss
lng-once. twice, again and yet again.
Suppose 1t fell!
Well. she had taken her chance II
I'm s-something Of fa-fatalist,"
Eve assured herself with chattering
teeth, not knowing what a hand fate
was taking In her affairs this moonlit
night
She attempted to volplane.
ITS that or der murmured plucky
Eve, and she began the descent.
Ali went well for awhile. As she
neared the earth Eve tried to select a
favorable spot In which to land. but
the grouping OF woods and hills and
moonlit patches was very confusing,
and what had seemed to be a wide
field suddenly changed to n park. dot