The Dolores star., 1916-01-28
HIN. EGBERT
EopraiGHT tOt9
WG.CHApMANl
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
O.IRWIN MYERS

chaxo9u, gay ana gn00tIy In the early
morning, seemed replete with history.
and every single window was. in my
imagination. filled with the forms Of
earlier owners: great lords and fair
ladies who had played each his or her
part In the history Of Clichy and left
the scene. Something Of the sense OF
this continuity made my surroundings
singularly unreal. The Comte and
Charles mother seemed now hardly
more than phantoms upon ghostly
stage In q mysterious setting. But
such fancies were morbid. I turned
my face resolutely away and started
tho motor. I felt the wheels revolve
and take the soft sod under me; there
was . moment of swift gliding, and the
ground shot from beneath me.
l pressed the lever that controlled
the rudder and few upward. Now
was cool and calm a. though this were
the flight Of an experienced aeronaut-
l was. In thought, again flying with
Charles In the English aviation meet
ing. Right and left the monoplane
turned at my insistence, skimming the
soft airs lightly a. Q swallow. I rose
above the tops Of the old elms and
clrcled the grounds. Once, twice !
made this course, and then. rising to
two hundred feet, shot straight AZ
bee eastward toward Paris.
Towns and villages unrolled them
selves beneath me Is sped over the
fair panorama Of northern France.
kept an altitude of about four hundred
feet: In this manner I was enabled
to travel by the bright ribbons of the
railway line. clearly perceptible below
me. and, at the same time. to escape
any too intimate contact with the deni-
zens Of the district; for above all
things I wished to avoid awakening
curiosity as to my identity and desti-
nation. Several times a railroad train.
unrolling like a caterpillar out of the
ground, swept past me: twice, too, l
trains Paris bound. The ma
chine seemed like a sentient thing. I
no longer wondered that we had beat
en- all our competitors In London, for
we seemed 20 to harmonic that we
were no longer twain; / was an aerial
and this mechanism of steel
and aluminium was part Of me.
After an hour and a half dark blur
beginning to spread over the horizon
told me that was approaching Paris.
! had resolved not to ny over the CAPT.
tai lest some too adventurous news
papar should send out its aeroplane
correspondent In search of me. One
thing I longed for greatly-a news
paper. that I might learn how Charles
Jared. what was the latest news Of the
trial, and whether the flight that l
was to make had yet become public
But overcame my long
ing and. wheeling in a southeasterly
mounted to an altitude of a
thousand feet and shot over the green
tracery Of the Bots. which from that
height appeared exactly like a field
Of corn in tassel. set on an indistin-
guishable brown background. At this
height. though 1t was July. the air
was crisp and keen, the wind sang
past my ears, every sense tingled with
l must save Charles!
Now 1t was impossible no longer: no
longer dangerous even. I flashed over
the poplar-lined roads Of the environs,
and. gradually descending to height
of four hundred feet again, made my
way along the highway in the direc-
ton of Troyes, where descended at
noon in a large field to lunch and to
inspect my motor.
Everything was satisfactory. |
stepped out, a little cramped, and,
lying upon a bank of softest turf.
snatched few morsels of bread and
cheese, washing them down with a
draft Of clearest spring water from a
rill near by. The sight Of the great
bird had already aroused the interest
of the neighborhood, and / knew that
my sojourn must be a brief one. In
fact, hardly had 1 rinsed my hands
after my meal when the advance guard
of the rustic population came running
up in the shape Of farmers boy,
who. seeing me. threw up his hands
In dumfounded amakement, suffering:
'It's a woman! Holy Virgin. a
woman!"
d, Seeing that little group was NOV
ing over the brow Of the hill, and not
wishing to communicate anything of
my purpose or identity, I entered the
machine again and started the motor.
As the wheels revolved they shouted
and ran forward threateningly, their
first impulse, after fear. being hate
a phenomenon common everywhere
among the unintelligent For a mo-
ment l feared that the long grass
would hold my fight; then. Just as
the first came painting up, the mono
plane rose. almost sweeping him from
his feet with a whir of its mighty
wings. I heard cries Of anger beneath
me. I looked down and waved my
hand. What were these Doors to me
when Charles' honor and liberty were
at stake! Charles! The wind sang
his name through the steel stays, the
motor hummed It I was high In air
once more, sweeping along the great,
white, dusty road toward Dion.