The Washington times., 1937-08-23

MARGARET DIXON, his
bride-to-be, but lives to see
the day when his ideals
go up in smoke.
and run internationally. The plane
was almost overhead now. with its
engines popping and Spluttering
dangerously. Ben ran to the door
and looked out, but there was
nothing to be seen but gray fog,
swirling over the tops Of the pines.
He expected the plane to pass
over, but the sound scarcely dimin-
ished. Suddenly to his right across
the valley and among the trees he
saw a bright light. They had
dropped a flare! Evidently the
plane was in real distress. Watch
ing the flaming light, he saw
the dim form of the plane suddenly
appear among the tree tops, then
zoom upwards again.
IMMINENT DISASTER
Ben thought of the planes occu-
pants-probably six or eight PEG
pie, rushing through the air to
waiting homes and dinners, now
suddenly threatened by disaster.
He saw another flare drop a few
hundred yards away. They'll
never do it," he exclaimed inward
ly. They'll never make a forced
landing in this valley without
crashing to smithereens!" The
whole valley is wooded. except
-. except my strip of farm" An
anguish filled Ben's heart.
The plane was circling round
and round, dropping flares every
few minutes. Ben's whole mind
went dumb. Like an automatic
toy that has been wound up and
set going, he started to work.
From the cellar he threw out
several double armfuIs of straw
against the side of the newly
painted house.
He seized a five-gallon tin
marked Kerosene" slit the lid
with an ak, Splashed the oil over
the straw and walls. Then he
looked up again. There was no
sign Of the plane, but he heard it's
unsteady roar from the further
side Of the valley. He took deep
breath, Lit a match, threw it on
the oil-soaked straw. The flames
leapt up.
But the pilot Of the plane had
seen the flames, too, the last time
he had dipped below the fog to
see what his flare would show.
Ben heard the plane overhead
again: then it swept down for q
minute, almost directly over the
house.
Then it climbed weakly into
the fog, circling. Ben sighed with
relief; the pilot, he knew, had
seen that strip of farmland lit
up by the blazing house. He heard
the plane coming down again,
lower =. lower closer. Sud-
denly It appeared out of the fog,
headed right for the potato patch
at the far end of the field.
1t gided down quickly, a huge
gray wounded bird, taking the
ground. The wheels touched,
bounced up, settled again. The
whole plane tipped dangerously to
one side, then righted itself.
HOPES DESTROYED
Ben looked at his house, the
house he had built with his own
hands in Pinetree Valley. The
whole building was a mass Of deep
flame and heavy black smoke that
shot upwards in sudden bursts.
Above the swapping of the fire
he heard voices coming towards
him, mems deep voices and the
excited talk of women. A little
group was approaching, slowly be-
cause Of the difficulty of walking
on the uneven land. The flames
lit up their figures, their travelling
clothes, the hgh-heeled shoes of
the women.
He saw one figure detach itself
from the group. run swiftly and
silently over the rough ground to-
wards him. DaZed, for a moment
he watched her come; then with
a few great leaps he was beside
her, had his arms about her,
clenched her to him. Darling /!
Darling!" was all he could say,
trembling like sick man.
Ben. my dear one. .don't!"
entreated Margaret gently. Oh
Ben, your poor beautiful housed"
"The house doesn't matter!"
said Ben hoarseiy, holding his face
above hers.
oh, but it does!" cried Marg-
aret. "There'u never, never be
another like it! But there was a
man on the plane, an official on
the line. When we first saw the
blaze he said. he said, by God,
the man that fired that house will
get his money back, every penny!"
THE END.