The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-21
Euening Story
When Some One Cares.
BY r. RAY BAKER.

.
field and conversed with three men
clad in army olive drab.
! Nearby was an airplane. loaded
with gas and oil, the motor tuned to
perfection. Several mechanics were
going over the machine to see that
every nut and bolt was tight, every
connection secure.
About the field a crowd had as
sembled. Predominating in the as
sembly were many men, altho a num-
Der of civilians and several women,
/ old and young. were on hand.
| The three men grouped about Jack
were arguing with him.
| Il tell you ittcan't be DONE" one of
them, venerable officer with white
mustache, protested. IF you should
get up 10000 feet you'd die from cold
and lack of oxygen; besides, the air
would be too rare to hold the ship up"
! Nevertheless" said Jack, firmly,
Il m going up 10000 feet if there's any
possible way of getting there. Major
Schroeder made it $4,000 feet at Day.
ton, you know"
You'll never live to tell of it," said
another of the group. Schroeder
| nearly paid with his life, you'll re-
member. He was lucky, that's all.
Better let him keep the altitude rec
ord"
III SUNG 10 Try LOT I, anyhow,
| declared Jack, eXpelling a cloud of
tobacco smoke.
! If you don't think anything of
your own life" said the third member
OF the group, have a thought for
those you leave behind and who will
suffer because of your foolhardiness.
Think Of your father. your mother,
your brothers, your sisters-your
sweetheart"
Jack smiled somewhat grimly.
have none of those" he replied,
and stepped into the seat of the throb-
buckled, the big bird took a quick
run and scared aloft. gradually cir
cled higher and higher until it be-
came speck
The group of three kept vigil in
| building at the edge of the FLYING
held. The officer with the white
mustache sat at wireless telephone.
I've got him." he announced, after
listening for some time. He SAYS
he's up $4,000 feet and still going"
In the attic of a modest dwelling
In middle western city a girl sat
in an old rocker and united a Blue
ribbon from bulky pack of letters.
The girl was pretty, altho her form
was rather frail. She had an album
dance of burnished-gold hair. There
demeanor. and something expressive
or sadness about the downward curve
at the lip corners.
She sighed as she separated the
letters one from another, and select
| ing one haphazardly drew it from
its envelope
Good old Jack" she said. some
what wistfully. as she read, and after
i sne had finished she sat holding it
idly in her hand while she looked
thru the attic window at-nothing.
She resumed her perusal of the
messages from the past, but as she
separated the letter her eyes suddenly
TOOK on an expression of astonish-
ment, and she held up a bulky envel-
ope, addressed to her, but unopened.
Here's one L never read!" she ex-
Claimed How could it have hap
pened? Possibly when I was down
at the lake last summer little sister
got this from the postoffice."
She looked at the postmark and
made out that the letter had been
ma I'm IN Texas just a year ago. lack
1T must have been his last" she
decided. and suddenly she tore open
the envelope. AS she read her face
became pale.
"This.this is a tragedy" she
hold the letter idly and look out the
attic window at-Iiothing.
She left the rest of the letters on
the floor and rushed down to the Ii
! Drary, where she busted herself with
paper and pen, and wrote a telegram.
calling the telegraph office on the
telephone, she read the message. Then
she sat and again perused the closing
lines of the letter she had unearthed
in the attic. These lines were:
know it may be a forlorn hope
this hope that you will consent to
marry me; but I just can't keep still
any longer. So consider this a pro-
posal, and 1 will look for your an
swer by return mail II do not re-
ceive letter 1 will know that your
answer is no, and then-well, then,
snail enter the aviation service, as
I have been considering doing for
some time. With love,
JACK"
The earth was so far below it looked
like hazy dream world. Many
clouds intruded between the distant
globe and the aviator; it was like toss
ing about in boat on a white-capped
sea, looking down thru the depths to
an ancient city engulfed by a flood.
Frost covered the fliers clothing; 1t
hung to his eyebrows and his nose,
and film of it held his mouth shut.
I What little of his face showed thru
the headdress was almost devoid of
blood. He was breathing heavily but
he was smiling, somewhat grimly, as
he looked at his altimeter and saw
that he was 10000 feet above the
earth.
Mechanically he pulled back the
stick and began climbing farther. AS
he went up the difficulty of breath
ing became more pronounced, and
frost gathered; but he did not hest
tate. Into a wireless telephone strap
ped about his shoulders he called:
| Hello, major; $1,000 feet now"
He was struggling to breathe, but he
managed to speak the few words rath-
er calmly, altho the effort was prodi-
gious.
I'm a fool to go up any farther"
he thought. but what's the use of
returning to the sorrowful old world &?
There's not much sunshine any more
since Elsie went back on me-"
He pulled back the stick and con-
tinued the climb. and his suffering
increased with every foot he mounted.
He began to grow weak and his head
n hx,f n Ala