The Tomahawk., 1920-01-01


a five-barred gate before which men
had often paled. What was she fright
ened about? A man? Why, in the
vulgar vernacular of across the water,
men had been her ailment for years
Her backbone stiffened with a snap,
she assumed her natural erect and
square-shouldered carriage, and, lean
ing forward from the hips, laid her
hand on the mans arm. Gentle action
failing to command his attention, she
tugged at him, then shook him. He
showed no sign and Andrea's lips
gradually set in thin straight line.
Doubling up her fists she started to
pummel him into submission.
The onslaught was sudden, and it
was reasonable to suppose that the
man would half jump out Of his skin
to their mutual peril. She was pre-
pared for that but not for what really
transpired. The man merely raised
his shoulders at the first blow and paid
no heed whatever to the ones that fol-
lowed in rapid diminuendo, ceasing
suddenly when Andrea painfully real
lied that such fists as hers were never
intended for stone crushers. She sat
back filled with wonder and a. vague
admiration for the construction Of the
male frame.
In the meantime the airplane con-
tinued to mount steadily into the
chilly morning blue. She looked about
her and down. The world was very
far away AND very small. 1t looked
like something that one might forget
and leave behind entirely. She tried
in vain to pick out the tiny roof that
was sheltering Aunty Gwen through
her morning nap. Tears once more
came into her eyes and then receded
as new idea came to the assistance
Of her hard-pressed determination.
She stopped over, took off one dainty
satin slipper, and after a foolish
glance upward to assure herself that
the man couldn't possibly look, undid
certain fasteners with fingers that
could see in the dark, and subsequent
ly removed one Of her best party,
heavy silk champagne-colored stock
ings. This done, she sat back with the
stocking in her lap and stared long
and pensively at the man sitting be-
fore her intent on the business of 60
ing somewhere at the rate Of hun
dred miles an hour. That thought elec-
trified her. A hundred miles an hour
meant fifty for every half hour, and
thirty minutes had certainly passed
,I,o n o1i hnr info
the trap of kindly smile that was not.
She took a long breath, leaned for
ward, slipped the stocking deity
around the mans neck, tied it In a
single slipping knot and pulled.
The results were immediate. The
man headed the airplane up for last
grab at altitude, started it on long,
straight downward glide and cut off
his engine. The blessed stiffness that
followed was so ineffably sweet that
Andrea had to give vent to one great
sigh before she spoke, and while she
was doing that the man calmly drew
q hunting knife from his belt and
severed the restraining strands OF
stocking that only a moment before
had been almost worthy of the ankle
it had clothed and adorned.
ooh" gasped Andrea.
lis that all you had to sayT' asked
the man. Into the vast and rushing
stiffness his calm voice dropped words
as cool and hard as pellets of ice.
Andrea choked with rage. She had
to swallow lump in her throat before
she could gasp. II want to go back
at once"
"You asked me to take you with
me-" said the man in the same calm
voice, "and I don't happen to be going
back" ~-.. @@...-,
"Not going backl" suffered Andrea,
trying valiantly to appear collected.
II did ask to c-come, but It's ev-
cry woman's privilege to ch-change
her mind. .....~. ....
"When I first looked at you I saw
smile that was kindly and chival-
rous. How could know that your
smile is nothing but camoudage made
up of lines Of dissipation, and your
hideous goggles nothing but a mask
for hard eyes? I thought you were
man, but you're nothing but beast,
willing to torment girl who has fool
ishly put herself in your power"
my dear GIRL" said the man. you
asked me to bring you with me, and
like a fool I did. Now, like a woman,
YOU are crying because didn't bring
YOU and leave you at the same time.
Some old story. Women are forever
wanting to eat their cake and have it
still.", .....a.
81 am not crying" said Andrea, "and
my name isn't my dear girl but the
Honorable Andrea Pellor." She paused
on that weighty announcement.
.Really2'' said the man, unmoved.
Brother in the Flying Corps. Nice,
humdrum noble family, as I remember
it. Well7''
'Don'tp cried Andrea. "Don't start
that horrible noise again. I want to
fall, To Won. want tO-Oh, what are