Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 38: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

612 “ You see,” Miss Sheldon explained, “ I think there must have been some great pur- pose behind out little nightly radio conver- sations, for as it happened they were the means of saving Dick’s life—although I thought it was just a lark when I started it. That day you went up over Heath- down Field for the radio test, I knew you were going up. “Mr. Garvin is a great friend of father’s. I tuned in and listened to the conversation you and-he were having. Then when you mentioned that about the cold weather and the Hawaiian song, I couldn’t resist the temptation to surprise both of you. My uke was hanging up there on the wall. See? It’s there now, right beside the radio. I snatched it down afd started on the song. Id like to have seen your face just then.”’ “— was certainly astounded, Miss Shel- don.”’ ‘““T knew you would be. And, after that 1 got to—er—sort of look forward to our radio talks. It must be lonesome up there through the night hours. I’ve been up many times myself, of course, but never at night.” “Tt is lonesome,” Glenn admitted. “But that stunt of yours did much to remove the lonesomeness,’’ he managed to Say. ‘““1’m glad,” said Betty. ‘‘ Well, to con- tinue. Dad’s heart is set on winning this transcontinental race through the air, or at least make a good showing. It will mean a great deal to the Sheldon ship. Dick had arranged to test the new plane at night. We’d had such bad luck lately that dad and Dick thought the greatest secrecy was necessary. That’s why, although it was at night, he went to Heathdown to make the test. “ There are no airplane factories down near there—except, of course, the ‘Trico, and they’re not interested in racing planes; they go in for commercial stuff. And be- sides, we had nothing to fear there. We know Mr. Hatton, at the head of the Trico. A very interesting man. “J had been talking over the radio with Dick before I sang you my Hawaiian song. ‘Then I tuned back to him, to ask if he ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. had heard it. I got his message, that he was going down, out of control. Then I got you, and—you know the rest.” Glenn Kerry was thinking that his visit had been a tremendous success. No jazzy, noisy flapper here—if she did play the uke. Later he was taken upstairs to a large, airy bedroom, where in an old-fashioned canopy bed Richard Sheldon lay pale but smiling. The injured lad stretched out a bandaged hand. “I can’t shake as heartily as I’d like to— with you,” he said, with his wholesome smile. ‘And I can’t tell you how grateful T am.” Kerry tried to deprecate his service. “ It was a piece of luck that I was so near,” he said. “A great piece of luck for me,” young Sheldon corrected. “Gee! When I lay there, pinned under that ship, and heard the roar of your motor and saw you drop that flare, I knew that help was at hand. You seemed more important to me just then than the President of the United States. I'll never forget you, Kerry.” Later, when the trained nurse had gone downstairs with Betty for afternoon tea, young Sheldon took Kerry into his confi- dence. “ There’s been a terrific fight on to force dad out of the game,” he explained. ‘““Somebody’s awfully afraid of that new ship of his.” “But do you suspect anybody? You think that spies are tampering with your planes?” ‘Oh, I’m sure of it. Our recent bad luck can’t be entirely due to accidents. They were manufactured ‘accidents.’ And yet I don’t know whom to suspect. There are only three other entries in the race, and the builders of those planes are all fine fellows. I know them personally.” He continued his story of how test pilots had left the Sheldon concern with- out notice; how some of their engineers had been bribed, and most of the help. “But we refuse to be licked!” he ex- claimed. “ The ship that I was flying the other night can be fixed up before the race, or else dad will build another. The only - ZA CORNICLOOO KS (E@)