White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-10-30
CHAPTER 1.
Out of the Sky

| Mary Marshall sat gazing at tn
sky and wondered about love. A
though she. was eighteen, and de
liciously pretty, all that she kne,
about that fascinating subject ha
been cleaned from romantic books
For no Prince Charming ever er
tered Paradise Canyon, that myster
GUS retreat in Mexico, just across tn
Arizona border, where she had live
all her life with her widower father.
The only men Mary knew wer'
Daddy, and his three retainers, But
Hughes, soldier of fortune whom he
father had given refuge, and Mique
and Ramon, two young Mexicans.
Paradise Canyon was closed Of
from all the rest of the world. 1t hat
been Mary's whole world, for she hat
been brought there while still yer.
small child, and remembered no othel
place. There was only one secre
pass by which the canyon could bt
entered, and that was kept CONSTANT,
guarded by one or the other of the
servants. There were never any
guests, for John Marshall, Mary's
father, cared for no company. Ant
no stray, unlimited guests had ever
found their way in.
There was some mystery behind al
this strict seclusion, Mary knew, but
what was the reason Of it all mel
father had never told her. Whateve,
1t might be, 1t had effectively kept
romance out Of her life.
But not out of her heart The
beauty and solitude of Paradise Can,
yon led to dreams. Dreams of the
things called love which Mary had
known only by hearsay and printed
words. So Mary had spent many
hours gazing at the sky above and
living alone with her dreams, as she
was on this summer afternoon.
Her reverie was suddenly interrupt
ed by large rough hand which gently
caressed her soft sunshine-colored
hair. Mary leaned back farther and
looked up into the face of her father.
He bent over her and did what no
other man had yet been privileged to
do-kissed her. Gotten Mary wished
there had been others.)
"Star-gazing again, dear?' asked
Daddy Marshall. "But how can you
see stars in the afternoon when the
sun is shining, Mary?"
ooh, but / can see many other
things up there, even with my eyes
closed, Daddy" Mary replied, laugh
ing.
Funny little dreaming girl" he
unused, his eyes following hers back
into. the sky. do you think some
thing you want will come down to you
out Of the clouds?" He paused. Some
what's that?" he calculated.
Mary had seen it too. She leaped
to her feet.
\There was black speck moving far
N}in the sky. 1t was almost directly
above them, and was coming closer at
a rapid. rate.
"An airplane, Daddy" cried Mary.
II wonder who 1t can be, flying In
these parts" said Marshall.
The speck doomed closer and larger.
1t was descending. They could make
out the shape of the wings now, and
hear the whir and hum Of the throb-
blng motor. They heard several re-
ports like pistol shots-backflres in
the machines exhaust.
Hes coming down, Daddy" ex-
claimed Mary. HE seems to be having
trouble"
But there's no place he can land
here. He'll strike a rock or tree
and be killed"
They watched the progress of the
plane excitedly now. 1t was coming
very close to earth. The pilot seemed
to be accommodating for a place to
land. He swooped low above the tree
tops and rose again. The sounds of
backfiring continued. They watched
him make desperate dips and curves
in the efforts to find safe spot to
come down. Then suddenly the noise
Of the motor ceased altogether. The
machine started dropping dizzily.
He's falling, Daddy"
II guess It's all over with him."
Down, down, down-the pilot was
desperately trying to maneuver the
machine in such way that he could
volplane to safe spot. How fast he
was coming. He was close to the
ground now-forty feet-twenty feet
now, he had reached the ground
the plane was bouncing along the
rough surface. He couldn't bring II
to stop. 1t was headed right for a
giant tree. There was crash, and q
pun OF smoke, as the plane collided
with the black trunk.
Mary and her father started running
to the spot When they reached 1,
they found the aviator white and un
conscious, bleeding in spots.