Evening star., 1923-08-12

peller might kill him, if We weren't
blocked"
switch off :" said Jim.
rSwitch off," assured Paul, and Jim
carelessly spun the propeller.
Switch on!" requested Jim: Switch
on" warned Paul; and Jim pulled
down on a blade Of the airscrew. not
carelessly at all. Quickly he leaped
aside as the engine caught and spun
the propeller into whir of sudden.
roaring invisibility.
Paul throttled down and diminished
the racket 80 that he could be heard
when ne called, Ready" She replied
steadily: 60 ahead. I'm glad l learn
ed that
"What?" asked Paul.
How TO crank II we have to come
down, I can do II now"
Don't you think of it," yelled Paul,
and as Jim kicked away the blocking
he opened the throttle, and up they
few. and almost Immediately they
reached the air over the edge OF the
lake
Usually Paul explained to passenger
that she was likely TO feel a few
bumps" over the edge OF the water
on a day like this. He had not warned
this girl, and here were the bumps"
rocking them, tossing them, fitting them
sidewise. dropping them. This girl.
though unwarned. merely held tight to
the sides Of the seat and smiled when
Paul turned to her He steered the
airplane into the smooth, easy going
over the deep water.
NF course any real conversation was
~ impossible so Paul contented HIM
self with watching her dark eyes glow
with delight as she looked about. and
her lips part with exhilaration.
Smoothly. with long. soothing dips
as they rode the mildest OF the air
pillows, they flew on over the lake with
engine and sirscrew steady and tireless
in their rush forward.
The Michigan shore drew up under
them all too soon. and Paul gave his
attention to his mapboard. He pointed
out TO her the correspondence of the
roads and rivers to the lines OH his
chart This was agreeable. but the
mapboard emphasized the approach Of
Detroit, where was that man for whom
she was making this flight! 1t must
be a man so completely to control her
happiness that she had to hop across
the lake TO keep him from getting that
package. Paul became so intent in
r., hot ta a
missed" badly before Paul realized
that much was wrong. Then he put his
machine nose-down and dived.
The passenger could not know this
was not A fall; but she quietly held
on until Paul got the engine going
again and he was able TO "hatten
out" and fly evenly couple OF thousand
feet lower than before. When he gazed
at her then, she was white, but she
smiled with steady lips.
II was only a few minutes later
when they began to enter the smoke
and dust cloud of Detroit, Paul
picked a fiat field well in the out
skirts but with a travelled road be-
side IL, and lie landed.
Well, you are . hummer" she
cried to him Enthusiastically as soon
as the engine stopped.
Done up much?" ne asked her
guiitily, with that dive on his con-
science.
"Of course not" she protested, and
stood up. Dropping off her cloak. she
reached under her seat for her hat.
She opened Her vanity bag. looked at
herself, patted her hair here and
there and, putting on her hat, she
climbed down.
We've about forty minutes In hand
before four O'clock" Paul informed
her modestly.
Yes; you've done your part mar
velously--but me! Do you know, ]
never once thought during that ride"
You mean that you expected on
the way over here" he said, Ito do
some thinking which you had left
TO the last minute?"
That's just It; and when I got up
in the air. I didn't do it,"
Perhaps" Paul suggested, II
might carry on for you q Bit"
1T was my plan to get that pack
age ! came over for. You See
she hesitated. ITS addressed to Mr..
Shelby Selkirk. Hotel Touraine, De-
troit. Shel--Mr. Selkirk 10 not known
at the Touraine. So If were man
I'd simply 20 to the hotel. register
as Shelby Seikirk of Chicago. ask for
q room and claim his mail and got
the package that way. OF course,
being a woman, might register ~
his wife and ask for his mail but
But you're not his wifs7" Paul
asked quickly.
mo. or course not"
Then don't do IT," Paul forbade
with force. and astonished himself
by offering:
II can pass as a man; so when
get somebody out of this crowd
he gazed at the curious people ap-
proaching-"to look after this bus
Til 20 uptown with you"
oh, no, you needn't"
Paul picked out aa Individual to