The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-17
CHAPTER XIV

Jackie spent most of that day at the airport, waiting in vain for some news of Roger and his silver ship. But there not only was no word from him, no news from any source about him.
 Hes blanked out" Mac ad- mitted finally, after trying over 10 his persistent signals. He took one look at Jackie's white face, and tackled on quickly, Though maybe it's only his radio that went haywire."
 You know it's more than that" Jackie said. "Oh, Mac, do you suppose he can possibly make landing under such conditions, with his motor dead, no ceiling or visibility has he got any chance at all Give me the truth. I can take it." She would have to take it.; she would have to keep standing by, as she had promised Roger, so long as there was the slimmest hope to which to cling.
 Hell have a job on his hands, Mac returned reluctantly, his thin lips twitching; Jackie had no idea how stricken how fearful her lovely eyes looked, their golden fires dimmed. If anyone can squash that crate down in that rough county Roger will do it.. If not, he'll have sense enough to bail out"
 "You mean he'll jump?"
 Mac nodded. Hes probably sitting in a treetop somewhere right now" he said. But he knew his attempt at humor fell pretty short. "See, here, Jackie, there's nothing you can do around here why don't you run along home and take it easy for spell? l give you my word, I'll let you kHow the second I get any dope.
 "All right" Jackie said duly, It was true; there was nothing she could do That was what made it so hard.
 She felt numb all over, almost as though the life had gone out of her body; her heart was beating slowly and painfully, as though it were heavy weight within her breast. Her mind did not seem to register any outside impressions; it was burden ed down with but one thought what had happened to Roger?
 In that last message from him he had estimated his position as the west leg of the, Bellefonte beam; Jackie knew, without being told, that that particular stretch was the most hazardous in the Alleghenies It would be a mir acle to achieve landing, flying practically blind, with the motor dead, and after that tremendous dive from 35,0O0 feet. To think that Roger had flown the silver ship, taking off from Burbank, clearing the mighty Rockies, swim ming over all that vast territory between, only to come at his hour of triumph to this sudden and perhaps tragic end.
 But no, she would not - she could not - allow herself to think that. Roger was such a wonder full pilot; he would come through somehow, if it were humanly pos sible. Yet, Jackie realized how fragile the human element may be against such strong forces as fog and wind and mountain tops
 On her way home from the field she heard the newsboys calling the first extra. She jammed on her brakes to purchase one. There, looking at her from the front page, was Roger, wearing his broad confident grin. He was standing with Beryl Melrose, beside the silver ship, ready for the takeoff from Burbank. There was nc news except what Jackie already knew, an account of the strato- sphere flight, giving the bulletins received en route, and then Rogers last message - and the silence that had followed.
 Volunteers were securing that section of the country where it was believed the plane - or what was left of it - would be found; farmers, townspeople, even the National Guard had turned out besides a number of planes carry ing on the search from the air Without doubt, the paper stated there would be some discovery before nightfall.
 It was almost dinner time when Jackie reached home. She hurried up stairs to her own room; she Tell she could not face anyone. Not untll she knew what had happened tc Roger.
 Mac had promised he would let her know the moment he learned anything new. She knew she could depend on him. But oh, this terrible agony of waiting, this gnawing uncertainty! If she hao thought those hours, waiting 1ol Rogers call letters to come through to the little tower room had dragged with leaden feet, what would these next hours be, how could she get through them?
 Are you home, darling?" Eve lyn's voice outside the door, her hand rattling the knob. Why