Show F e 1 ro m E S ima ff A JL cajka by RUTH COMFORT MITCHELL COPYRIGHT D APPLETON CENTURY CO INC SERVICE SYNOPSIS sarah lynn dana youngest ot of th the e dana women of Dana kanavale Da navale vaie calif chafes at the well ordered life approved by her mother adelaide who Is trying to marry her to duncan van doren detroit society youth great granny dana covered wagon pioneer and community matriarch recognizes in th the firl eirl the restless adventurousness of the dark danas a trait shared by her and cousin sally ann dana traveler and author and pleads with sally ann to take the girl abroad uncle lynn wh wheelchair e invalid adds his bis plea to sally ann to save sarah lynn as does the girls young brother bill mother another plea comes from miss pennington penny adoring governess of the girl saying she Is unhappy and misunderstood at a family dumer dinner party sally ann first hears of keaton danas ultramodern ultra modern wife ardine who runs a roadhouse called the stewed prune and is trying to wangle a flight with gunnar thorwald norwegian ace famous tor for his refusal to fly women through their mutual friend jim allison gunnar thorwald arrives with jim allison and sarah lynn is attracted to him duncan invites het hei to the stewed prune sarah lynn refuses to drink anything but ginger ale which ardine herself serves cousin MM mary dana webster tells sarah she suspects ardine and her friends of framing on gunnar and sarah lynn in an increasing stupor decides to warn him CHAPTER IV continued the customer is always right his helpmate reminded him say id rather lose the account he moaned ardine came back with the cool bottle and the tall amber glass here baby this will brush out the cobwebs then she looked at her sharply listen darling did you have a couple of drinks before you got here sarah lynn said no explosively you know she never touches mary webster began indignantly of course why im wondering ive never seen her this way I 1 thought maybe duncan had a flask and that while they were driving around oh well never mind she looked at ned webster the rising realtor pretty low his wife nodded well look the hostess said quickly why dont you take him home and well deliver the customer at your door in the rosy dawn mr webster made sounds of faint pleasure more people are coming and he has so large a displacement id rather have him do his sleeping in his own bed if you dont mind all right soldier the pardon has come his wife prodded him thanks a million ardine sarah lynn watching their exit yawned dawned widely again 1 I cant imagine what makes me so sleepy she apologized drinking thirstily the other regarded her shrewdly well if you really had anything sarah lynn was shaking her head violently it must be just this foul air shut your eyes and doze baby duncans very his v very ry bu busy Y proving he afraid of his nearly nearly mother in law she gave her a pat and went away sarah lynn was thankful to be left alone except that she must sta stay awake to warn gunnar thorwald she would be thankful for this drowsiness but I 1 wont go to sleep she told herself im going to sit up straight and watch for gunnar thorwald and warn him away it would be too horrible one of their silly tricks suddenly silently the flier stood on oil the threshold looking into the stewed prune he was very tall and he wore an odd foreign aviators suit of creamy leather and a stern helmet which gave to his lean young countenance an austere and classic expression he was angry jim allison had missed connections with him in some way and it was long past the hour set for the start of their night night flight to los angeles ile he saw ardine dana across the jammed smoke blurred room she would know he took a forward step and halted at a queer choked cry not far away alone at a small table ble he saw the thin dark girl he e had noticed at the fine old coun f try y home where allison had taken birri m early that evening to see the writing woman W oman whom he had met me in vienna she had not seemed on that mat first impression mp the sort to be round found here but after the metamorphosis P h osis of jim allison he would never be surprised again at these ameri cans she was staring at him she made the got le tow low strangled cry again and anc unsteadily to her feet there then evere re scarlet patches on her cheek bones and her eyes were those of a sleepwalker sleep walker she pointed a thin finger at him holding to the edge of the table with her other hand go awall she said thickly dont come in here the face of the young norwegian returning her scrutiny seemed bleakly composed of narrowed eyes and compressed lips fly away sarah lynn exhorted e d him fly away in the night then her face contracted swiftly into a wistful semblance of nursery glee she chanted ladybug ladybug fly away home she let go of the table in order to wave both hands and instantly her knees buckled under her and she sat S it down upon the floor passed groping fingers over her eyes fell forward on her face and slept it was the major thrill in the existence of the stewed prune not sarah lynn they gasped in person simply blotto duncan van doren reproached her heavily oh no you yeah had a compla drinks again ile he better cut that out they were standing together when reedley and lieutenant thorwald drove up and the older man saluted clumsily ashes like a pussy cat sir but caan allison he went home sick poor feller he hold his head up he says you must hop without him and hell tely graft to los angeles very good the norseman nodded he turned to the medical student with a stiff bow 1 I am obliged you may go all right then reedley said relieved 1 I sure hope there wont be any more jinx the aviator did not answer he was stepping swiftly about his ship ice blue eyes keen for the faintest flaw in her shining perfection reedley ran back to his car jumped in backed and turned and slid into high and was off at top speed half a mile down the ro road ad a parked car snapped on its lights 9 I 1 A incredibly out of all reason someone was standing behind him have a drink when I 1 asked you oh no oh duncan hush before I 1 slap you down ardine snapped at him taking competent charge the girl one thin hand trailing was rushed to the dressing room and the hostess turned to the flier gunnar im sunk that this had to happen the poor baby its the first time she ever he cut coldly into her speech 1 I seek jim allison acison oh yes of coursel course he telephoned he was detained but he was going right out to the field and hell warm up the plane or whatever it is doc eyll drive you out lieutenant thorwald this is is almost dr reedley just dashing down the homestretch home stretch to a degree and hell be so glad to the flier interrupted again at once please we go CHAPTER V jim allison and a couple of his friends had arrived at the field evening petey allison greeted the man who stepped forward lieutenant Thorwal ds delayed so ill warm up for him okeh caan allison the aviators keen bitter eyes ran over the outlines of the ship as he walked toward it gas her will you get the weather report report hell want to hop immediately 1 I beecherl bet cherl told me he was off at I 1 1 I told you he was delayed sri snap ap into it will you xou allison said sharply okeh sir ile he started away may have to sleep out in mexico of bedding to theres a big roll stow away ill tend to it sir you do what I 1 told you ill take care of the bedding you let it alone tinder understand stand hurried off walk wide the man he told a youth this night of him of his I 1 overalls out of the corner in mouth heu hell b bite ite the head off you and honked noisily and he jammed on his brakes and came to a slithering stop okeh jim allison a asked s k e d hoarsely well lord I 1 guess so reedley said beads of sweat stood on his face boy what a night and what a day is coming someone in the fliers car contributed say jim those doors dont fly open or or anything do they no allison said shortly well better beat it back to the prune and rehearse our parts with ardine sarah lynn said to herself 1 I cant possibly sleep with the music beating and pounding but I 1 dont want to wake up because I 1 can pretend im flying her head ached hideously and her mouth was dry but the air in her nostrils now was sharp and sweet and cold and she was shivering im pretending so hard that im actually cold she exulted but I 1 wont open my eyes because duncan will think im asleep and let me alone she dozed again then 1 I wonder if I 1 could open my eyes so heavy I 1 never heard such noisy music and there any tune just throbbing and pounding and roaring 1 I think ill open my eyes for a minute now but ill keep right on making believe im not here then she was saying in a scared whisper 1 I can pretend with my eyes wide opeal open sitting right here in the stewed prune with the hor horrible music roaring at me I 1 can pretend im in a plane up among the stars flying away in the night her teeth were chattering her heart was in her throat her head blazed with pain but why am I 1 pretending to be all wrapped up in blankets mercy if I 1 can make be lieve oe like this I 1 ever be aar afraid aid of anything again not ardine nor mot mother her nor duncan nor detroit nothing will matter her nostrils bilat dilated ed and she pulled deep drafts of cold air into her lungs her head cleared she sat bolt upright A rush of air chill stinging sweet A great round moon of daz dazzling platinum stars stars stars the steady pounding throb of a motor A small compact space enclosing her and directly before her and directly before her square shoulders in creamy leather a head in a sternly classic helmet sarah lynn heard her own voice in a strangled whisper am I 1 even pretending him gunnar thorwald norwegian ace was flying in a cold rage he was hurt disappointed deeply disgusted jim allison had failed him utterly and it was a blow because he was young enough in spite of his astonishing exploits to take hi himself 1 and his career with great se seriousness piousness rious ness he had come to america very earnestly pledged to study and learn to take home all he could gather from the nation wing awing a and he had counted confidently on jim allison acison 1 I think of asking you to break your rule about never taking women omen up the american flier had explained under ordinary circumstances but in this case if you could possibly make an exception id appreciate it no end you see the fact is ardine and of course her husband too a awfully decent chap keaton dana rather heavy perhaps but a prince he added hastily under the bleak young gaze are very special friends of mine illine and ashes set her heart on going up for a spin with you 1 I am sorry the yellow haired youth said civilly makes it pretty awkward for me I 1 dare say I 1 well I 1 strutted a bit about what pals we are and im afraid I 1 let ardine infer that I 1 could fix it up for her 1 I am sorry gunnar said again 1 I take no women in my ship he might well have expanded his pronouncement to say that he took no women anywhere riess cou sinless girl friendless rigidly reared by a stern grandmother he had pledged her and himself to keep his mind wholly upon his work until his career was well established the night was clear and calm with excellent visibility his hop to los angeles would be without excitement cit ement he came swiftly out of his musings as the nose of the plane dropped the whir of the motor increased in and they leaned toward a downward pitch he pulled on the stick to regain normal position wondering what freak of air currents caused the small disturbance he was aware of a slight jar had he perhaps struck a highflying high flying night bird he was immediately in level flight again eased off on the joy stick and began to reestablish establish re the course which had been briefly aba abandoned but directly he released his pressure the nose dropped a second time there was a jar again more perceptible cep tible this time and he turned his head to look back through his ship and found his vision blocked incredibly out of all reason someone was standing behind him his mind refused to accept it the thing was impossible it was the figure of a woman then young gunnar thorwald norwegian ace experienced an anger the like of which he had never known in all his years of living it was the sort of berserk rage his ancestors knew tricked by a wily WHY foe and which they eased with sudden blood jim allison had made m mockery of his rule jim allison had flouted him his friend to please the whim of his light o love iove made a fool of him in the eyes of the tipsy wasters basters at a tawdry roadhouse his teeth ground together and his breath came quickly the woman lurched forward and caught at his shoulder to steady herself bent closer to speak above the roar their cold cheeks touched TO BE CONTINUED |