The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-06-04
How an Aeronauti
Was Captured
By MARTHA v. MONROE

Lieutenant Ben Harbeson of the
United States aeroplane CORPS was call.
ed to the telephone.
"WellT"
Mr.. Harbeson?'
Eyes, I'm Harbeson."
I'm Colonel Darlington. rye called
you up to say that Jack is anxious to
60 up with you for a fight"
What JackT"
my Jack"
The colonel was laboring under q de-
fusion that Harbeson had been at his
quarters and was familiar with bis
family. The truth was that the lieu
tenant had never been at headquarters
long enough to make their acquaint-
ance. There was a pause in the dia-
logue. Darlington expecting that his
subordinate would offer to take Jack
up with him, the lieutenant shrinking
from the responsibility. OF course the
former had no authority to command
the latter to do such a thing; he must
volunteer.
How old is Jack?" asked Harbeson.
Eighteen"
"Nervy?"
Every"
"Well. I'm going up this afternoon
for a short trip. I don't mind taking a
passenger"
THANK you. What time?"
Three O'clock"
There were two goodbys and two re-
ceivers were hung up. Harbeson went
away muttering to himself. He dis
liked to take any n up with him that
he did not know and as to whose nerve
he was ignorant. Indeed, he would
have positively refused the request had
1t not been made by his commanding
officer. AS it was he could not very
we'll refuse. He only hoped the boy
would not get frightened or dizzy and
bring about an accident.
Shortly before 3 O'Clock Harbeson
superintended the rolling of his ma
chine from the sheds on to the level
ground from which he proposed to
make his start and was examining its
parts to see If everything was secure
when he saw q girl open the gate and
come tripping over the turf toward
him. She came up with a smile and
saluted Harbeson in a very friendly
manner.
TITS awfully good Of you to take me
up with you, Mr.. Harbeson," she said.
take you up with met" replied the
lieutenant wonderingly.
"Why, yes" rejoined the girl, some
what taken aback at his asking the
question and his manner. didn't papa
arrange it with your"
Colonel Darlington telephoned me
that his son Jack wished to 60 up"
"I'm Jack" rejoined the girl. laugh
ing. MY names Jacquelin. Everybody
calls me Jack"
Here was a dilemma. If he took the
girl up with him and she should be-
come panic stricken she might cling to
him like a drowning person and be the
aus Of the death Of both of them. If
he sent her away he might offend his
commander. He stood i%rresolute for a
moment, then gave in to the girl. who
was dainty and pretty as a s~hepherdess
on the mimic stage.
After a few more minutes of search
for weak parts in his machine Harbe-
son mounted to his seat, the girl climb
ed to the empty one beside him, there
was a burning and a whirring, and
the machine lifted on an inclined plane.
Miss Darlington from the first showed
no more sign Of appreciation of danger
than II she had been sitting in an auto.
isn't it nice"
Harbeson was not yet an expert at
driving an aeroplane and understood
perfectly that any Encouragement on
his part would a tragedy. He
was not displeased that his companion
was insensible to the danger so long as
nothing unusual occurred. She chat
tered like a maybe, calling his atten-
ton to this and to that. just as though
the sensation was as new to him as to
her.
Presently there came q gust of wind
that turned the aeroplane on its beam.
Harbeson paled, while Jack caught her
breath. But the moment the machine
righted itself she clapped her hands
delightedly, exclaiming:
Wasn't that just too lovely for any
thing! Do it again."
Harbeson, whose heart was beating
like q kettledrum, made no reply that
could be heard. though he remarked to
himself that If w there was a fool It
was the girl beside him. Nevertheless
despite the shock be had received he
almost smiled and could not help think.
ing that Jack was a very delightful
fool.
The weather was a tri6e gusty when
they started, and in the upper air they
found it more so. After having been
nearly capsized Harbeson started to
return. He was caught in another gust
so severe that Miss Jack was this time
suddenly made aware that she was
likely to be spilled from a thousand
feet up in the air.