The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-09-18
CHAPTER VI

Rays first run on the Overlan AirWayS route was from Ren to San Francisco bay. The hom port was Reno, in the pleasan green valley of the Washoe rive "a veritable oasis in the midst o the Nevada desert. But Kay wa lonely there, terribly alone.
 Her early lessons in Self-disci pline served her well. She trie, to organize her life around he job. During the day there was { four -hour run to the Oaklant Airport and a four-hour return Sometimes, when the shift changed she spent the night on the bay. Blu in Reno, where most of her leisur :, hours were spent, she rented a littl 1 furnished apartment.
 She did not meet Ted Graham as she had so fondly hoped to do She read about him in the news papers and followed the routine of the trans-Pacific flight, day by day, eastbound, westbound.
 She knew Ted's approximat, position every day of the week Honolulu, Midway, Guam, Manila But on the days when he was ir port, at Ship Harbor, he usually went to his ranch in the San Car los valley to rest. Between sucf rest periods he was away from the home port for three weeks al time. Kay had never been or they bay when his ship came in.
 As the weeks passed she be- came increasingly absorbed in hel work. She felt like a veteran now. At first she had missed the bustling activity of the Centra Airport. At the flying field ir Reno there were not nearly a. many planes coming and goini and the local passenger traffic wa not heavy.
 Kay usually drove out to tn, airport with the pilot who wa! taking the plane down to the Pa cific. It was long drive, leaving 'rThe Biggest Little City in the World" behind and following a paved highway through green fields that had been salvaged from the desert. In the distance were the snow-capped peaks of the Si- erra Nevada range.
 The westbound plane appeared first as a tiny Speck on the horizon. It always reminded Kay of her first trip by air through the vast spaces of the west.
 But those vast spaces only in. creased her feeling of loneliness She began to feel 8 nostalgia fol the friends she had left behind the scenes that had been familiar since her childhood. Kay needed the warmth of human sympathy There were times when she would fling herself face down on hel bed and lie there, very quiet, fol hours at a time. One night she let the tears come, and sobbed out this feeling of loneliness and de. sertion.
 Then she read in a newspaper that Ted Graham's ship was duo in San Francisco bay the next day. { Again, deep in her heart Kay felt a kindling of hope. Il she could only see him again!
 The two-room apartment, witt its chintz trimmings, seemed in. tolerably lonely. Kay got up, put on an evening frock, and flung 6 cloak over her arm, The night { was cool, as were all nights al this altitude.
 Her adventurous spirit was stir ring. She took taxi and rode tc the Marlin Dude Ranch which she knew was a rendezvous for mem- berp of the air corps. If there were any aviation figures in town she would find them here.
 But, at first glance, Kay saw nc one she knew. She sat down al the roulette table and bought some counters. She had no idea how the wheel operated, but she was game for anything tonight.
 She lost one stack of chips and bought another. She was placing g counter on the red marker when 8 hand caught her elbow and eased 1t gently back.
 Play 10 green" @ voice said and then she heard 8 gay laugh. Kay turned and saw a man stand- ing behind her, a handsome youth of bout 28. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes.
 He had also, Kay noted, had several cocktails. She did not recognize him, but his face was tanned with the leathery sort of tan by which one comes to recog- nize a man as an inveterate flyer. Perhaps she had met him some- where. There was no denying, either, that he had gay, fmpu- dent smile that intrigued her!
 She smiled, but played the red again and lost. Number 10 green won and the young man who was stlil standing behind her laughed.
 Try 10 green again." he said, and she put her money on the red. When 10 green won again she stood up to go. smiling little
 ~oh. wait pleasel" he begged. 3hen she showed some money d0wu on the table. sThe lady plays number 10 green"
 Kay hesitated. There were SO many people standing around, talking and playing that thsi en- Io1ufer seemed quite harmless. Nisd khen the rcd wont