Evening star., 1933-04-30

busily reading the newspaper story, Is was
Indy.
In spite Of Betty's instructions to spare his
blushes. the hot blood really did mount to his
cheeks As Indy read what she had written
about him. The story opened with . vivid
account Of . flight which Betty had made as
Lindy's passenger, then told how he had been
inspired to become flyer by Charles A. Lind
berghs night across the Atlantic. From the
moment Iindbergh landed in Paris, Donald
Stevenson's one ambition had been to learn to
fly. He had become 50 engrossed In aviation
that he talked Of little else. and 50 his friends
soon gave him the nickname that had stuck to
him ever since.
DETTY'S story then told, in simple but NOV
- ing language how the poor circumstances
Of the Stevenson family were an obstacle to
the realisation Of the boys ambition, but how
he had worked at all sorts of jobs in order
to get the money to pay for his pilots lessons
The reader was taken through those lessons
told how Indy learned to be a flyer and al
lowed to experience that thrilling movement
when he had soloed for the first time.
It concluded by announcing that Indy had
finally received his private pilots license, and
how his two ambitions now we're to own
ship Of his own and to become transport
pilot Nor did it neglect to mention that Lindy
was now employed at the airport. doing humble
but necessary tasks, getting valuable expert
ence, and flying at every opportunity.
Lindy's face was awed as he finally con-
cluded the story.
"Gee!" he whispered. Gee Betty, it's great!
And the whole city will be reading this tonight
Why won't dare walt down the street"
THEN suddenly he stopped. He looked at her
keenly. you didn't say word about the
time I was grounded"
Enough has been said about that already"
snapped Betty. That's all water over the
dam, and you learned your lesson. Why say
anything more about it?"
Indy gulped well, II think that was
pretty swell of you, Betty" he said in shaky
voice. Then he turned away for moment so
that she would not see how deeply he was
moved.
The disgrace of being grounded the
most bitter experience in Lindys memory.
short time after he had made his first solo
flight he had taken a ship up alone one day.
He was exhilarated and thrilled, and when he
passed over field where some of his friends
were playing base ball, he simply could not
resist boyish desire to show off,"
Forgetting rules and common sense both he
had zoomed the plane half dozen times. pass
ing perilously low over the field, while the
boys ducked for cover. sgd Gray, who covered
the airport for the Messenger, opposition paper
to the Express. had seen fit to make the incl
dent an excuse for a crusade against low flying.
Lindys name had been splashed all over the
paper, he had been criticized, censured and
called such things as "fool" and smart aleck.'
Moreover, he had been grounded for his viola
tion of rules and the notoriety and disgrace
of the whole affair had simply crushed him.
10 wonder, then that he was grateful to
~ Betty Kerr for overlooking this already TOO
widely publicized incident. As she had said,
Indy had learned his lesson. He realized how
foolish he had been, and he had resolved that
never again would the authorities have cause