Show STRAIT RAI GATE GA by RUTH COMFORT MITCHELL COPYRIGHT D APPLETON APPI ETON CENTURY CO INC SERVICE I 1 1 CHAPTER VIII continued 9 sarah lynn drew gunnar aside 00 e while the hermod was being wheeled to the line its a gorgeous thing to do and I 1 adore it look at him almost expiring wi with th bliss but gunnar he looks so sick he has such a wretched color and see how he breathes I 1 mean suppose up pose he has a weak heart she put an anxious hand on his arm he looked down at her his gaze at once stern and gay reckless and reasonable thinking still with fear of death you have not listened then while I 1 told you life is one adventure death is another to be alive that is nothing unless life is good Is he living in that foul holed hole better death in clean ar air we go CHAPTER IX the gate was richly golden bathed and burnished in a strong strong metallic radiance and the sun was sinking into the western sea in a molten blaze of unbelievable glory pop perched on the edge of his seat looking off looking down his unpleasant pallor was enhanced and there was a pinched look about his nose and mouth he was breathing badly but his eyes were enraptured he caught her scrutiny upon him and smiled at her drawing a long quivering breath tipping his head back relaxing like a swimmer about to float on a gentle sea the hermod swooped and swirled like eke a gull dipped and rose again sarah lynn pulled herself to attention this proud dominion over the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea was not a birdlike bird like inconsequence but a business of infinite important detail of levers and gears and hair trigger precision the sea gulls white dots against green blue far below them now flew because they help it but men flew because they had conquered the taxi driver was waiting for them hi pop h he e said you better beat it lena ashes fit to be tied the little man tried to thank gunnar but he made only a series of embarrassed gurgles the flier gave him a comradely clap on the shoulder it is good 1 I now you remember always sarah lynn escorted him back to the restaurant driving back to Da navale she said again 1 I want to come down in a parachute gunnar yes after you have soloed for a month then I 1 will take you take me you shall do it from the hermod I 1 will remove the door for your department of commerce conrad jordan has told me makes 1 I you wear two chutes when it is the jump of intention oh in case one work and it would be too bulky to get out through the door but after im once out its perfectly simple it gunnar just to wait long enough to be clear of the ship before I 1 pull the string that is all he agreed his mouth looked rather grim gunnar did you mind when you did didat di dit it on the ground before I 1 had fear like a great sickness in the air it left me le roy suggested her first flight alone in secret but she decided against it it was due great granny and uncle lynn and old penny if they wanted to come and at the last instant she whispered to her young brother bill bills freckles standing out like brown polka dots on his paled face were the last things she thought about as she walked over to the plane she slipped round to the further side unobserved and laid her face against the chine chinese S e lacquer red dont be jittery jitter Y darling he whispered 1 I wont even even nick n i c k your r nail polish I 1 promise I 1 ill t take a k e ayou you up like a swallow and bring you down like a leaf she got into the cockpit and went through the routine she had rehearsed again and again it had become an integral part of her mental process the assistant sprang aside from the propeller clearl clear clear oh clearl clear forever and forever life for the queer dark dana girl shining and clear sarah lynn pushed her throttle to the stop and ladybug went for ward with a roar left the ground and began to climb into the wind sarah lynn reached the altitude she wanted readjusted her stabilizer to take the load off the joy stick leveled off banked to the left building her own road as she flew she exulted no matter what comes to me if I 1 live to be a hundred I 1 can never be as happy as this in instant the little ship quivered under her hands sprang forward at her touch dipped soared it was a living thing vibrant sensitive delicate and dear helpless in her care depending upon her courage and skill ill take care of you sarah lynn pledged her plane ladybug ladybug fly away home I 1 mary dana webster went to drink tea with lynn dana an anxious pucker between her eyes ardine is perfectly poisonous about sarah lynn he shrugged Is it important probably not but it disturbs me ashes such an exceptionally good hater doubtless the basis ot it partly disgust at having the ugly duckling turn into a skylark and at yielding first place as Da navales center of shocked interest but chiefly on account of jim allison she has worked it out in her nasty little mind that sarah lynn by being the victim of her joke on gunnar thorwald is responsible for his complete and final defection and that goes deep apparently in her predatory fashion his young kinswoman said she cares enormously did you know hed been grounded yes drinking nice lad to begin with and what a mess ashes made of his life I 1 lynn dana nodded of every life she really touches poor old keaton 1 I dont think hes ever come fully out from the ether his cousin scorned him but as to sarah lynn I 1 dont see mary after all the only two things in the world which matter to her are flying and gunnar thorwald ardine could no more ensnare him than she could take an ax to the plane much as she would enjoy both activities I 1 really dont see what she can do well I 1 dont either uncle lynn her plain and pleasant face lifted a little but just the same she sort of worries me the parachute jump now held the limelight in Sarah Lynns thoughts she read and studied and asked questions and listened eagerly to conrad jor jordan dan and the ace and lynn dana sat in his wheeled chair and approved wont it be pretty bulky with two chutes one in front and one behind she wanted to know 1 I have said I 1 will remove the door gunnar reminded her then you can dive out forward and much handier than backing out conrad jordan said lighting a cigarette then have to push your way with your back against the door against the air pressure lynn danas amused gaze slightly grim went from one calm speaker to the other if you dont mind sarah lynn id rather like you to take whatever precautions suggest themselves of course uncle lynn I 1 want to be sensible sensible the small slight thing with her clear olive and ivory face and its crowding eyes her fine th thin hands relaxed in her lap planning irin 9 this dazzle dazzling n g danger as c casually as her cousins made dates to go dancing the mental reactions are very different her uncles fly flying ing friend said in a premeditated jump and baling out in an emergency to save your life all al the breaks are with you now youre going at the thing scientifically you have no fear and no nerves and I 1 prophesy its going to be a tremendous satisfaction to you at the moment and in your memories but I 1 want to tell you frankly that have some bad minutes before you go up he leaned forward to knock off an ash never knew it to fail the the most hardened jumpers experience it though I 1 dare say in most cases its purely physical and subconscious I 1 know a young chap at an airport who does exhibition jumps but always before he goes up he turns deathly pale and his face and hands twitch and the minute he climbs into the ship hes fine like a soldier in the trenches waiting the command to go over the top lynn dana contributed or I 1 remember before a big game the agony of waiting of wishing you had elected to play winks instead of football and the departure of all doldrums when the whistle blew exactly tremendous relief in definite action setting the body into directional motion toward a determined objective physical action replaces mental fear evaporates my conviction is that with a normal mind danger brings a calm and alertness and a cleverness far beyond ordinary experience that I 1 also believe the norwegian ace said jordan went on theres the case of an english army officer years ago his chute caught in the ship and tore leaving only the harness on him he know it and the motion pictures showed him calmly feeling round the harness and ripcord rip cord trying to figure why his umbrella open almost the whole way to the earth earth cheery anecdote lynn dana said a trifle tartly that was an old fashioned affair lynn sarah lynall have two modern absolutely reliable chutes foolproof fool proof she grinned at him foolproof fool proof which is superfluous in your case he grinned back approving her warmly lynn danas study pulsed with approval with wilh affection for her her uncles lifelong devotion the cordial friendship of his friend the cool comradeship of the flying boy from norway what more besides a gipsy moth did a girl need for happiness fliers did not marry 1 I have wondered if id really remember to pull the string she said but I 1 was reading lieutenant cramers account of his first experience an old timer told him he keep his finger away from that ring if he tried jordan nodded your only d difficulty biffi will be to wait until you are entirely clear of the ship he faced lynn dana shell have two chutes fastened to the webbed harness about her body the main one has a 28 foot spread and the second a 24 on her chest made of silk light but entirely substantial both have pull rings and rip cords to unlace and throw up the parachutes and the rings are handily placed have everything clear in your mind a hundred times over sarah lynn the thing you must be prepared for is the scream and the flapping of the silk and the report like a gun and the violent jerk when your parasol opens after that he ground out his cigarette its really delightful but I 1 was reading yesterday when im almost down with in a hundred feet of the ground then you must reach up and hang onto the big rings above the sling in which youre sitting and lift yourself and take some of the bump out of your earth contact sarah lynn nodded gravely uncle lynn what about great granny shall we tell her and let her come out to the meadow and watch 11 he shook his head im against it sarah lynn she been up to the mark lately and it would be bound to be a strain not understanding as we do the simplicity and safety of the thing I 1 believe better tell her about it afterward 1 I expect youre right but shell b be e furious at us I 1 must go home now 0 V v uncle lynn she stood up and jordan and gunnar rose we must be on our way too the older man said yes but I 1 walk first with sarah swe lynn anred to her house gunnar answered they stepped briskly in the summer dusk lightning bou bounding g ahead d bounding almea and racing back to touch her er mistress is hand with her sharp cool muzzle so now you fly an and d you make the great jump the youth sai said d soberly that is good the courage you have the skill you swiftly learn I 1 think my grandmother living today would be also like that sarah lynn fought back crazy laughter of all the roundabout round about detached and diluted compliments compliment si I 1 his grandmother a girl in her period would be like her 1 I return next month to norway I 1 have there the fine offers one from the government one from a great flying firm it is wise that I 1 go she heard herself making a faint sound but I 1 like well america california I 1 will come again one day and you also should visit my country oh yes indeed cousin sally ann has told me how glorious it is she said clearly and cheerily and and told him goodby good by and ran in the house well what of it why not was there any reason why he should linger forever in an alien land fliers did not marry but fliers occasionally it appeared fell in love achingly absorbingly sor bingly terribly in love she faced it then idiot youve known it for weeks months always the use of lying to yourself yo you u may as well admit it hell never know the nonagenarian was beside lynn dana when he was driving out to the field for the parachute J jump u m P she had guessed or divined w what h at was to happen cant fool your she sat on the edge of the seat the dabs of color which excitement always brought on her cheekbones cheek bones her sunken eyes gleaming 1 I never saw the beat of that young one she said complacently but you keep that ambulance out of sight lynn dana or ill box your ears till you see stars old as you are plumb foolishness anyway sairy lynall come down just as if she was playing on a featherbed am I 1 running true to form sarah lynn asked conrad jordan as they fastened her harness about her no a bit too calm and not pale enough I 1 should say he told her cheerfully then he looked at gunnar and away again grinning without comment it was the hardy norseman who was showing the regulation jumpers symptoms his ice blue eyes blazed in a face of sudden snow his young mouth was set in a taut line come he called harshly all sarah lynns slimness was overlaid with her equipment 1 I feel like and both she laughed she was comfortably casual in her brief good bys making no ceremony of farewell the hermod looking oddly crippled with its missing door took off into a brisk wind the flier d did not look at his passenger nor speak 1 I wonder what makes him so deathly white she asked herself just a detached interest in all branches of aerial conquest she felt suddenly gay all her instructions were etched on her memory she was past the traditionally bad moment of leaving the ground she knew exactly what to do to get clear of the ship and after that she had been assured the adventure would take on elements of distinct pleasure they climbed to a thousand feet two thousand the meadow fell away beneath them human beings took 0 k 0 on n t the h e v value a 1 u e 0 of f p playthings 1 a th i n s to puppet u p p e t p people e 0 p 1 e w with i t h t toy 0 y a automobiles u tor m 0 b il e s there was likewise a toy ambulance at three thousand feet gunnar nodded ready now you go he shouted hoarsely sarah lynn stood up and made her bulky way toward the op opening ening i S she h e t thought h 0 tog bath h he e w was as eve the h e p palest eal est living ln g p person e r s n she e ha had d ever r s seen n fling yourself far from the ship make sure you are clear count t a slow ten before you pull the cord his words came jerkily wait you are sure you wish to go there is no need if you suddenly sarah lynn laughed aloud filled with a wild mirth which was heady and sweet still the fear of death she mocked him thi life f e i is s one one adventure death is another 0 e r 1 she e was confident shining eyed radiant but as she made a forward movement his arm shot out and caught her pulling her against him TO BE CONTINUED |