Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
INSTALLMENT I.

Johnny Decker was undoubtedly the
most envied boy in Halesburg when he
had his first ride in Stan Mullen'S air
plane. Other fellows from the high
school tilted their heads back and
watched the black speck against the
gray of the clouds, and said to each
other, He certainly has all the luck"
But it wasn't entirely luck that took
Johnny into the sky while his friends
stayed on the earth. Part of it was
luck, to be sure, such as the chance
the only suitable landing field for a
plane in all the billy country wherein
Halesburg lay. But Johnny had put
many hours of toll into smoothing of
a portion of the pasture, and much in
genuity and trouble into the plans for
a hangar before Stan Mullen approved
them, so he deserved his ride, after all.
Stan Mullen was the son of E. c.
Mullen, the president Of the Security
Savings Bank, and the wealthiest man
in HaleSburg. Stan had received his
training as a flyer in 1917 and 1918,
and while he had not got overseas until
a few weeks before the armistice, he
had learned to handle a plane we'll.
Stan now worked as assistant cashier
in his fathers bank but he still had the
flying bug, and the whole town gasped
when he went away for a week during
the summer and returned to announce
that he had bought monoplane.
Johnny had almost dubbed over with
excitement when, few days later, Stan
approached Mr.. Decker and proposed
the matter of using his pasture as a
flying field. Mr.. Decker might not have
consented had not Johnny added his
voice to STAINS. That started the friend
r1a hat M
Johnny, and the latter had soon proved
his value to the flyer.
Johnny had been minded" ever
since he had built and flown his first
model airplane three years before. He
had read everything about aviation
that he could set his eyes on, and
already knew much Of the theory Of
aeronautics. Therefore he was an ideal
assistant for Stan, and his willingness
to work was an added quality.
Before the summer had ended, Johnny
had smoothed off the pasture during his
spare time until there was a narrow
strip that was ideal was take-off or
landing Then he had drawn up plans
for q hangar for the plane, and after
Stan approved them and bought the
lumber, Johnny began to build the
structure, aided by his father and the
flyer when they had time. He had
always been handy with tools, and by
the middle of Autumn the construction
was well on the way to completion.
But long before that, Stan had taken
Johnny up for his first taste of flying.
Belted in the rear pit of the light two
scatter, Johnny first felt the Joy Of
speeding high above the earth. From
that moment on he was STAINS slave.
He appointed himself official grease
monkey" and kept the little blue mono
plane as clean as pin from propeller
to tailskid. And at every opportunity,
Stan taught him more and more about
the plane. until he needed nothing but
actual flying experience to make him
pilot.
One day in early November, when
Johnny waS spending all Of his spare
time on the hangar, he stopped in the
bank after school to consult Stan on a
point in its construction. AS it was
after banking hours, he was admitted
by friendly teller at rear door, and
made his way to Mr. Mullen's office.
But he could not see him at once, fer
several Of the officers of the bank were
in conference.
Johnny sat down to wait Finally
Stan appeared, wearing a worried look
on his face. Johnny asked him about
the hangar.
II guess I'll run out and have a look
at it." said Stan. I'm through work
for today. Just minute and well run
out in my car"
A few minutes later they were driving
toward the Decker farm, located on the
edge of HaleSburg. Stan still seemed
worried and preoccupied. Finally he
turned to Johnny.