San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-12

Hospital; hurry.
The driver got fast start. Wits
ties shrilled behind. but if they were
meant to stop Paul's taxi, they failed.
If Priscilla was keeping to his
orders. she would be waiting for lin
at the airplane; and Harper Hospital
lay in that direction. "I'm really
catching an airplane for Chicago" he
told his driver when the taxi was
clear of the heavy traffic, and gave
the location of the field. Rush l.
and there's fifteen dollars for you.
Another taxi. also rushing 1t, swung
out past slower cars. =,
"I'm trying to pull a getaway by
that airplane!" Paul called TO the
driver. There's a car after us. do
you think you can beat it!" Inc
driver shot one glance at Paul ana
another to the rear. II know L
cant, he assured: and Paul sat back
and wondered about Priscilla.
Paul reached the wide suburban
road fair three blocks ahead OF the
police cab.
"Run as near the plane as you
cam" ..
He could see that his machine
had ceased to be local curiosity ;
only one man was there, the watch
man, undoubtedly. A girl was there
girl in white. Priscilla! AS she
saw the cabs racing to the field. slie
ran few yards toward them. Then
she ran back to the airplane and
was doing something with the
Waterman. "Paying him off" Paul
realized. "Good girl, Priscilla.
And at this sight of her, with per-
ception of her duickness and nerve,
Paul experienced a marvellous return
of feeling for her.
As he jumped the fence and en-
tered the field, Paul saw Prisciiia
run around to the front of the air.
plane and reach up.
ashes trying to crank" On tip
toes. arms extended. she put her
weight on the propeller blade ana
hung there. He yelled franticaliiy.
Then the engine caught: the ar
screw flew about too quick for eye
to see and struck her down. The
engine and airscrew roared, moving
the airplane forward till the wheels
encountered her body. - ..o.,n =,
Paul reached the machine and
thrust down the throttle: then ne
pulled Priscilla from under the
wheels.
"Hello." she greeted him, staring
with dazed cy's. "You-got it?"
Il got it; but -you-.you-
"Good for you! Now let's get out
of here. They're after YOU.
"You." he stammered again.
I'm all right. Just knocked
silly. That's all. The engines 60
ingir she boosted proudly.
She seized the handgrip to the
passengers seat. and he lifted her so
that she got to her place. lie. sprang
TO his and opened the throttle. The
Waterman was keeping away from
the roaring whirl of the airserew
but two men from the cab that had
pursued Paul were running from the
road.
Paul opened the throttle and the
airplane moved. As it got into the
air. they started shooting but hit
nothing. Paul simply flew away.
But he could feel no triumph in
his escape; for Priscilla, who had
made it possible. was swaying and
toppling beside him. She crumpled
in her seat. and Paul let the plane
ride OF itself while he tried TO sup
port her with his hands.
She slipped down, down. Paul
held her with one arm and knew
that she had only tainted; and in
the exultation of that moment. he
found himself dreaming again about
her-about her. strong and well and
smiling, and with him riding the
sky.
She seemed to cease breathing and
he knew that he must get her down.
Gazing at the ground, he discerned
that he was beyond Ann Arbor, and
he circled over a wide field, in Q
farming section, with a big patch
of woods into which ran stream
He landed and lifted her out and
carried her under the trees till he
found a patch of grass where he laid
her down.
He bathed her face with cold water
and, when she revived. she lay look
ing at him with quiet, steady eyes
"You told me not to crank" she
admitted TO him. "But IL l hadn't
we'd never got away, would we?"
"No," said Paul.
IL remember those men were aftei
you. You got the package ;-oi
didn't your" -.
II got it, Paul admitted: he die
not like to be reminded Of that pack
age.
"where's your machine?" she ask
ed.
"On the field over there"
"Then shan't we go on:"
"i'll see," Paul rose and walked t.
the edge of the wood whete he go
a view of his machine now surround
ed by farm people.
Paul returned to her TO find tina
she was sitting up.
az want to know what you ha'
to pull in Detroit to get my package
They shot at you, as we flew up
didn't they?"
"They shot at u-." Paul amend
ed.
"All right she accepted the cor
rection. "Now. was ii too much fo
papa to square? He's got a grea
lawyer, / told you: and / guess he
worth four or five Million
Paul stood looking down and sud
denly feeling angry at her for con
tinuing to play him for a fool an,
pretending that she was a daughter o
rich man and had flown to De
troit on a purely personal errand. III
did not answer. and she demanded
"What happened at the hotel?"
Nothing at the hotel" Paul de
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