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Show ,1 Sally of Sky Alley I By Vera Brown TNorsit Dick Hutchinson, the prodigal son, has come beck to Mother Kenton's boarding bouse on she edge of the airport, air-port, and to the friends be knew before be-fore he became famous. Sally Barnard, Bar-nard, the little girl flier whom he used to love, has brought him back from his wealthy new friends. He hss promised to stop drinking and to give up Yvonne Wsdsworth. beautiful wife of Colonel F. Wellington Wsdiworth, millionaire who backed Hutch's record-breaking flight. But the prodigal son doaa not slay long with Sally and his old pals. The boarding house which looked so much like home from a distance now seems shabby and poor in the morning light. And Sally's victory vic-tory Is only temporary, although Joe Wadiworth, Yvonne's brother-in-law. hss helped turn Sally Into a lovely creature through the right clothes. CHAPTER IS When Sally taxied the Streak up to the hangars alter her afternoon's flight, the first person she looked for was Hutch. She was tired but happy and. as she brought the ship to a standstill beside the doors where Tom was standing, she put her head out of the window and called to him: "1 can fly this thing, Tom. Really fly III She lands plenty 'hot,' but I'm not worried about that any mora. I could bring her down In a cow patch now without blowing tire, J know It!" Tom came up to the ship, as Sally turned off the Ignition and the motor died down. -You'll be flying her better than Hutch." ha remarked. "He's certainly giving the Streak a wide berth." "He's fed up on flying for the present. pres-ent. Tom, that's all We all get that way." Tom's eyes dropped quickly to the ground. He didn't want to see the smile and sunshine fsde from Sally's lace. "Ha told me to tell you he had to go Into town for a while tonight," he said hurriedly. "He won't be beck for a dsy or so. There was a business meeting of some kind." I Sally tried to pretend she did not cars that Hutch was gone, but her heart was leaden. She climbed out of VI- .1.4 - ..m- Ik- Km.- H..k I was Frank, Impatient for Bally. She ran down the front walk, waving bar hand at the handsome young man behind be-hind the wheel, and at the little boy, who stood up and shouted when she appeared on the front steps, "I'm going to buy you some Ice cream f" announced Frank, when ha was comfortably seated between Sally and Joe, his hand held fast in one of the girl's He looked up admiringly into Sally's face. "Did you fell down. Aunt Sally?' be demanded suddenly, Joe turned bis bead quickly In surprise. sur-prise. "I hurt It on the side of the cockpit when I hit an air pocket," she ex- Slalned swiftly. "I was flying the tresk today; it certainly Is a marvelous marvel-ous ship, Joe. Hutch ssld I could keep on flying it I want to hsve one of my own some dsy, only I'll paint It yellow Initead of allverr So Sally turned the attention of both the child and the man to ships and flying. They had a gay time together, to-gether, these three. Frank chose a fashionable tearoom on the shore as aha place where he wanted to buy the ice cream lor his Idol. "WHAT'S WEONOT" l "Nice night to fly." Sally (aid dreamily. "Do you know, I'm hungry. Please, may I have a salad instead of ice ereamT "You may have both," Joe answered. "Tea to one you didn't eet any dinner. What's bothering my best girl?" His tone was bantering, but, underneath, Joe was serious. He knew something was wrong. "Not a thing In the world, and dont look at my poor face. It la a meas." "I wasnt even noticing it I was looking st your ayes. They have shadows shad-ows In them." "Joe, sometimes you're positively a genius at repartee. I can't keep up with you," Sally retorted. -I lust tell the truth and then you think I'm different" Frank did not understand all this talk. Ha sat close to Sally and gradually grad-ually his wide green eyes, so like his mother's, closed sleepily and he snuggled snug-gled down Into Sally a arms. "What's wrong, SaUyt" Joe said III t low voire. safely Into the hangar. "He's gone back to Y von net" She went wearily upstairs to her stuffy third-floor chamber. She sat down by the window and looked out Into the gathering dusk. The roar of ships which had cruised all day overhead had died doem and the night seamed oddly alien t and lonely. A huge August mooa was Just peeping above the bori-son. bori-son. Bally leaned her head on the window sill and the tears slipped through her slim brown fingers and fell te the matting which covered the floor. Suddenly she heard Mother yen ton's voice calling her to the tele phone. JOB Maybe It would be Hutch asking her to coma Into the city and have dinner with him. She stumbled down the two flights of stairs to the telephone, tele-phone, which stood on a golden oak table m the halL Her hands trembled trem-bled so she could scarcely bold the receiver. But It was not Hutch, but Joe's voioe which spoke to her. "rvepromised to take Frank for a ride Their mother and dad are away, and Frank iniists on buying you soma Ice cream. Ha say he's got to tee Aunt Sally." Sally hesitated. Her swollen eyes and bruised cheek made her diffident and she had not the courage to lace Joe Just now. "It Isn't I who want to see you. Bally, Joe's, voice was full of laughter, laugh-ter, "It's Frank. He aaya he's aping te marry you when he grows up? Sally laughed In spite ef herself and capitulated. She could not resist the Utile boy who so frankly adored her. "IH be ready when you get here," (he promised, "but I'm tired and cant stay out late." She ran upstairs, bathed her eyes la cold water and put on a fresh drees. She covered her bruised cheek carefully with powder so that It did not show badly. As she brushed her tousled hair, aha thought again of Hutch. "I know he's gone back to Yvonne," aha argued. "If he hadn't been going, he'd have waited until I came down to sea how I made out with the Streak. He Just bolted. He hadn't the couragt to tell me be was going!" An automobile horn sounded. It moining, loe. wo ve got 10 taxe i this young man home. He should ' have been In bed hours ago." "But there Is something wrong. , Aren't we friends any more? Can t ; you tell me things?" Of course I can, Joe. There Isnt anything." TOO FOND Joe was silent for a moment while he lit another cigaret "Sally, Where's Hutch tonight?" T don't know," she ssld quietly, "Has he left Mother Fenton's again?" "He's coming back!" Sally Insisted. "Ha had some business In town late this afternoon and ha wanted to get that fixed up." She knew that Joe had the same thought she wsa fighting, but Sally could not admit anything, even to the young man who bad been such good friend. She snuggled Frank close to her and looked out over the waters. As Joe watched her mobile lace be wished he could paint "She'd make a lovely modern Madonna Ma-donna with that boy," he thought Then be smiled a little at his own romantic ro-mantic dreams. "I'm getting a little silly In my old age," he ehided himself. "Certainly I'm getting too fond of this girl!" Ha arose abruptly and picked Frank up in his arms The three made a pretty picture. Sally with her lovely love-ly brown eyes and windblown hair; Joe, handsome and distinguished, carrying car-rying the sleeping boy. Aa they walked out of the dining room, the head waiter bowed and smiled, -How old Is your little boy, madam?" mad-am?" he asked of SaUy, "Ha s a beautiful beau-tiful child!" Joe heard and smiled, Sally's cheeks were flaming and ahe fled ahead of Joe into the concealing darkness. dark-ness. Sally wondered at herself a little. Just why should she be so embarrassed em-barrassed at a very natural mistake on the part ol a hotel waiter? The three rode back to Wellington Heights in alienee. Sally followed Joe into the broad hallway, where Burkenheed met them and took Frank upstairs to his nurse and to bed. SALLY SAVES THE DAY Sally and Joe were trying to decide de-cide what they would do with the reit of the evening when Colonel Wadiworth came out of his study. His face waa a cold mask and he seemed hardly to aes either his brother or Sally. ' "Where Is Yvonne?" he demanded Joe was so surprised he could not answer. There was silence for an awful moment - "She telephoned and left word she was with you, Sally." "She's In town. Colonel," Sally answered an-swered quickly; "we were Just leaving leav-ing to pick her up. I had to be at the airport until late and couldn't meet her for dinner." Tho colonel hesitated for a moment nodded, turned abruptly on his heel and went back Into his study again. He paused at the door and turned back for a moment "I'd go with you two, but t have a lot of work to do tonight" Ha seemed to hesitate. Joa leaped Into the breech. "I've Just the roadster," he said. "We won't be late, so dont worry." That seemed to satisfy his brother. "Tell Yvonne I went to see her Im mediately upon her arrlvall No matter mat-ter what the hour, I want to see her." When ha had gone, Sally and Joe went out and climbed In the car. -Now you've done It" Joe accused "What else could I do, may I ak? You stood there like a stick," Sally retorted. TO HUTCH'S APARTMENTS -Do you know where Yvonne Is?" . "I've a good Idea!" "Where?" With Hutch, of courser Joe gave an Impatient shrug. -But I thought you ssid thing! were all over between them?" His voice was annoyed. "What's all this about Sally? Why didn't you tell me something some-thing before?" "It's very simple," Sslly said. "Hutch left the airport while I was flying this afternoon. I knew he was going to Yvonne Just as surely as 1 know we're here now. Don't ask me how I knew. I did. It's sbout the only advantage we women have knowing things sometimes by Intuition. Intui-tion. I'm right about it That's all!" "Yes. but child! Hsve we got to sit here on the roadway and catch Yvonne before she gets into the house? It may be hours before she comes." "I think I know where they are," she answered. "They're probably In Hutch's apartment" Joe was silent as he drove rapidly toward the city. He realised Just how much this conversation was costing the girl beside him. "You'd better telephone from the next druk store." he advised. "We don't want to miss them." Sally shook her head. -No use telephoning. They wouldn't answer anyway. We'd better drive right there." (To be continued.) (Copyright, IMS, by Public Ledger.) |