Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-23
The Daily
Short Story
ACE OF THE AIR
By Genevieve JJlmar


lingsby should be delighted to have !,
introduction to Lieutenant Norman
Montague. 1t was at his club that a.
of its members brought the acouaint.
anceship about. 1t soon grew into n.
timacy. for the Judge was effusiye h .
counting military lion, 50 believed
and the shrewd lieutenant" vas MAJ
ing business of breaking in wher.
ever pleasure and profit promised
Lieutenant Of what?" suspicioa.
fellow club member asked Of the spcn.
sor Of 1.-The hero from the front"
ooh, not in this war, he says" en-
planned the other. "He was lieutsn.
ant in the English army. Then he ~.
came interested in aeronautics ana ~.
fered his services to the French armv
He's done his bit famously, under.
stand"
How is that?" propounded the
skeptic.
Hes an ace Of the air."
"Ah, indeed?"
yes; you know that they 90 desis.
nate an aviator who has brought down
five enemy machines"
Which this lieutenant Of yours
did,"
Fourteen Of them
"Tell you, Judge" responded The
other. you know our plant has made
number of airplane motors. Well,
in a conversation with your lieuten.
ant, l mentioned some points In air
navigation as applying to our motor.
He showed ignorance of the first prin.
ciples of motor construction. That
made me suspicious, for there are
lot of fake war heroes these days"
"Oh, that's easily explained" the
champion Of the doughty lieutenant
declared. Il am a crack automobiles
but l wouldn't know the exhaust from
the manifold. Same way with Mon.
tague. It isn't mechanical details
with him. It's nerve and proficiency At
the wheels and levers"
Lieutenant Montague was generally
received as a distinguished person.
age. Mr.. Silingsby introduced him ct
his home. Miss Hortense Silingsby,
J husband hunting, began to wonder L
he was not a desirable party and
helped exploit him in a social way.
ooh, somewhere in France. You
know we are restricted as to exact
latitude and longitude the clever "sce
of the air" would say evasively, when
cornered as to location of some Of the
scenes of valor and hairbreadth
escapades he described. 1.-THE comman-
der of our corps insisted on my leav-
ing the front after the time brought
down four airplanes in one skirmish
for the enemy had set price on my
head. That was the time shot erased
me and but for my medal would have
ended me- See," and he would e.
hibit the medal in question. THAT
shot sheared off my engraved name
clean as whistle"
The Silingsbys gave a reception IN
honor of Lieutenant Montague. Some
very good people attended the func-
ton and among them were the Ash
leys, and that was a cause Of intense
qualification to Miss Silingsby
Hortense had always entertained .
sentiment of dislike and resentment
toward that old and respected family.
The Ashleys were not Of the newly
rich. The Ashleys had only moderate
means, but were Of blue blood in the
truest sense of the word. They had
entertained guests of national distinc-
ton and always courteously included
the Silingsbys in their functions.
Lieutenant Montague had exhibited
his prize medal as usual and Aida
Ashley viewed It as it was passed
around. 1t was a week later that she
received a visit from a cousin who
lived in another town. Quite incident
ally Aida mentioned the lieutenant
and the medal, and general details
concerning him. Her cousin was In
'terested and there was an enigmatical
expression on his face at the recital,
A few days later this same cousin
called, this time having with him Z
companion in uniform The latter had
a face that at once interested Aida
He was apparently a convalescent
and, the cousin informed Aida, was
home from active service in the army
abroad on'a furlough.
1t was later in the day that thil
young man and Aida's cousin callel
upon Lieutenant Montague at his no
tel. The latter changed color as hs
recognized the convalescent.
Il have called for my property
James Martini" spoke his caller, .
tinge of sterness and menace in oil
! tones. including the medal. l WI
: give you "a hours to disappear"
} The false lieutenant acted like
. whipped cur He, indeed, vanished
that same night, after passing worth
less checks on his friends to a larg'
amount. He had robbed Walter New
combe. the real lace of the air. wnei
t the latter was supposed TO be dying Il
hospital in France. and was exploit
ing the medal and the past valian
deeds of Newcombe Martin had Deei
Spectator in news on the pst.i'
: front and driven thence for selling I'M
same to the enemy.
Walter Newcombe was modest, NO
DESTROYS OF publicity. but sharp re
porter got hold of the case and I'M
Silingsbys were humiliated by the e
posure.
So it came about that there was
social function at the Ashley hom'
that far outshone that OF the SHINES
,bys. Hortense was invited but do No
come. and also made it convenient =
hide her chagrin at e distance W.
tn brilliant wedding q Aida ana W
real Ace of the Air" took place.
TEACHERS QUESTIONABLE OUT
Chicago.-Faced by prospects OF :,
creasing demand for and dimlnisnisua'
supply of school teachers for lSie-ls