Linda Carlton, Air Pilot Page 14

  CHAPTER XIV

  _The Flying Trip_

  About eight o'clock the following morning while her friends were stillsleeping, Linda Carlton, clad in a bathing-suit and a beach robe,dashed down to the lake. She thought an early morning swim beforeanyone was up would clear her brain and give her a chance to think overher plans and come to a decision. If possible, she meant to get intouch with Ted's company before the detectives arrived at his home toarrest him.

  She had thought, naturally, that she would find the lake deserted,for everybody ought to be tired out after last night's party. She wastherefore amazed and a little annoyed to see some one else already inswimming.

  "I'll go in the other direction," she decided, but before she was evenin the water she heard a familiar voice calling her.

  "Linda!" cried Louise Haydock, waving her arms, and starting to swimrapidly towards her. "Ho--Linda!"

  "Lou!"

  "Yes--me!" shouted the other girl. "But did you say 'Who' or 'You'?"

  "I said 'Lou'!" replied Linda, laughing good-naturedly. It was a reliefto find the other bather was her chum.

  They were within talking distance now, and Louise hurried to the shore.They sat down together and gossiped about the party, Louise laughingover Ralph's childishness in trying to keep up the quarrel with Linda.

  "To tell you the truth, Linda," she added, "I'm bored with him. Asa matter of fact, I'm fed up with most of the boys. Harry's allright, but he has so little time. All the others are so pleased withthemselves. They think we can't get along without them!"

  "Well, can we?" teased Linda.

  "Why not? Except for dances----"

  Linda dug her toes into the sand and smiled.

  "That's the trouble with us. There's always some 'except.' We ought tomake up our minds to stay away from dancing, if we really want them toget over their superiority complex."

  "It would be pretty dull in the evenings--we'd have to find somethingelse to take its place...." Louise paused to watch an airplane thatwas flying overhead. "Linda!" she cried, abruptly, "I have it! Let'sgo off on a trip--just the two of us--in your plane! Be gone a week ortwo!"

  Linda grabbed her chum's hands in delight. What a marvelous idea! Thefreedom! The adventure of it! And she could link it up with her ownerrand to Kansas City.

  "Oh, I'd adore that, Lou!" she exclaimed. "Would you really trustyourself to me? Honestly? You wouldn't be afraid?"

  Louise put her arm about the other girl and hugged her tightly.

  "Of course I would! I have an awful lot of confidence in you. And I'dlove it!"

  Linda's brow darkened suddenly. For as always, she had to think ofothers besides herself.

  "What's the matter?" demanded Louise, watching her companion's face.

  "I am thinking of Aunt Emily--and your mother," answered Linda."Wondering whether they'd give their consent--and if they did, wouldthey worry themselves to death?"

  "Mother would be all right--I can manage her, and Dad too," saidLouise confidently. "And, after all, think of the flying that girls donow-a-days. A little picnic like this is tame, compared to flying fromEngland to Australia."

  "Yes, I know--but Aunt Emily's so scary about planes."

  "Well, I tell you what we could do--we could map out our whole tripbeforehand, and decide where we would land each night. We couldprobably get the names of the hotels where we would stay. And eachevening after supper, we could telephone the people at home."

  "That's an idea!" agreed Linda, enthusiastically.

  "You wouldn't want to camp out, anyway, would you? They would be sureto object to that--just two girls alone."

  "No; we'd have to buy a lot of equipment, and I'd hate to load down theplane. But I'm afraid Aunt Emily would even object to our staying aloneat hotels. You know how particular she is."

  Louise was silent a moment, thinking it was too pleasant an idea togive up at once. She'd have to devise a way out of their difficulty.

  "I'll tell you," she announced, finally. "We can plan to stop withpeople we know each night--or at a hotel where some friend is staying.We surely can round up some relatives and friends!"

  "That's it!" cried Linda, joyfully. "That ought to be easy! And we cansend telegrams ahead. But the places will have to have some sort ofairports."

  "Oh, most every town has some kind of landing place," said Louise. "Idon't think that need worry us."

  "There's another thing," added Linda, slowly. "I'd want to start today.Because I must go to Kansas City as fast as I can." And she explainedto Louise her plan about establishing Ted's alibi.

  Louise leaped into the air in her excitement and approval.

  "That's great! You know me, Linda--I always hate to wait aboutanything. We can pack our suit-cases and send our wires in an hour ifwe hustle. Hurry up! Hop in for a dip, and come right back!"

  Ten minutes later they dashed breathless and wet into the dining-roomof the Carlton bungalow, where Miss Carlton was eating a leisurelybreakfast. In their excitement over their idea they could scarcelyexplain it. But at last the older woman understood; she heard them out,and gave her rather reluctant consent.

  "If you don't make the trip too long," she added.

  "A week?"

  "Isn't four days enough? Then we would have to arrange only twostopping places--the same one coming back. And I am sure I could dothat very easily."

  The girls agreed, delighted even with a compromise. Nothing they hadever done promised to be half so thrilling.

  They would fly southwest, making their first stop Kansas City, whereTed's firm was located. Searching through her address-book, MissCarlton remembered that she had a cousin living in a hotel in that cityand she wired her immediately to reserve a room for the girls for thatnight, and to chaperon their visit.

  "And then we'll fly to Sunny Hills--as our destination!" cried Louise,with happy inspiration. "It's in Colorado--where my Aunt Margaret andUncle John live! Oh, we'll have no end of fun there!"

  "You're sure they won't mind?" asked Linda.

  "They'll be tickled to death. They have a huge place--sort of afarm--and six children. Of course they're not children now--several ofthem are married--but they always keep open house. We used to go therea lot when I was a kid."

  "All right--you send that wire," agreed Linda, as she hastilyswallowed some food, "and I'll get ready and go down to my plane, andsee that it's O.K."

  "How about some lunch?" suggested her Aunt Emily.

  "Oh, yes, please--if you don't mind!"

  In an incredibly short time the girls were dressed, their suit-casespacked, the wires sent, and the lunch in readiness. About half-pastten, without saying a word of good-by to anyone except Miss Carlton andLouise's parents, they took off.

  The sky was clear and blue, without even a cloud to threaten them withfog or storm. It was Louise's first ride in a plane, yet she was not abit afraid. She said she had never been so thrilled before.

  "I'm getting the craze, Linda!" she shouted, above the noise of themotor. "If I only had a suit like yours!"

  She was wearing her riding-breeches and a tan sweater-blouse, with aclose-fitting hat of the same color--a costume, which though neat andappropriate, had none of the style and charm of her companion's.

  "But you can't wear earrings!" teased Linda, pulling at Louise's earsto make sure that the other girl heard and understood what she wassaying.

  "In the suit-case!" returned Louise, laughing and pointing towards thearticle she named.

  But neither of the girls wanted to try to talk. They were content torise higher and higher into the air, to feel the glorious sensation ofsmooth flying, knowing that everything was just right. Both of thembegan to sing.

  On, on they went, over fields and towns, watching their map and theirinstruments, dipping now and then to catch a glimpse of the landscapebelow, climbing back to the heights for safety. As the clock on theirplane neared twelve, they realized they were hungry, because breakfasthad been such a sketchy affair for them both. Louise untied the bo
x,and they ate joyously. Their first meal in the air!

  It was still early when they arrived at Kansas City, and Linda flew astraight, swift course to the large grounds that were occupied by thecompany for which Ted Mackay worked. Without the slightest mishap ordifficulty Linda brought her plane to a perfect landing in the largearea set aside for that purpose.

  A nice-looking young man in a flyer's uniform came to them in welcome.His face showed no surprise; it was evidently an every-day occurrenceto meet feminine pilots.

  "I would like to speak to the sales-manager," said Linda, after she hadanswered his greeting, and made sure that this was the right place. "Iwant to make some inquiries about Ted Mackay."

  "All right," agreed the young man. "I'll take you to Mr. Jordanimmediately."

  But when they were introduced, Linda felt suddenly shy. What righthad she, she asked herself, to pry into Ted's affairs? She wasn't arelative--or even a friend, if she adhered to her father's command. Soit was Louise who came to the rescue, as she always did in emergencies,and proceeded to take charge of the interview.

  "You see," she explained, "the people who had that valuable necklacestolen are pretty much perturbed over the whole affair--and naturallythey hired detectives. Well, Mr. Jordan--you know what detectives are!They bungle everything."

  "Yes?" remarked the man, looking smilingly from one girl to the other,thinking that they, too, were rather excited.

  "And just because they found Mr. Mackay by the stolen plane, andbecause they located a gasoline agent who swears that he sold gas to ared-haired man for that same plane earlier in the day, they're sure Mr.Mackay is a thief."

  "And they're going to his home--to arrest him!" put in Linda, now moreat ease.

  "But they can't prove anything," Mr. Jordan assured them, calmly.

  "Oh, but they say they'll put third degree on him, or whatever it is,and force him to a confession. And--and--think of his poor mother!"

  "But what do you girls want me to do?" he asked. "I don't see how I canstop them!"

  "We just want you to establish his alibi," explained Louise. "Writedown everything Mr. Mackay did from early morning till the time hestarted off in that new plane."

  "O.K.!" exclaimed Mr. Jordan, a light breaking over his face. "That'seasy! We had a salesmen's meeting at the Winton Hotel, and lunchedtogether. I can swear Mackay was there--and so can half a dozen others.We came back here about three o'clock, and Mackay was looking overthe plane and studying his maps for about half an hour. Then he tookoff--for Buffalo."

  "That's just what we want!" cried Linda, and Louise added, "wonderful!"and squeezed the elderly man's hand. He smiled at her as if she werehis daughter.

  "And will you dictate that to a stenographer, and send a copy to Ted byair-mail?" urged Linda.

  "Certainly," he agreed.

  "And now," added Linda, "will one of your mechanics look over my planeand put it away till tomorrow? We want to get our suit-cases, and taxito my cousin's hotel."

  So, half an hour later, when the girls were making themselves knownto the elderly couple who were expecting them, they spoke joyously ofthe perfect success of their first day's adventure, but they did notmention their mission on Ted Mackay's behalf.