Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

516 And Glenn Kerry listened. And as he did, his eyes became bigger and bigger with astonishment. VI. As the date approached for the non-stop transcontinental air race, the newspapers were filled with stories of the plans of the various contestants, photographs of prob- able pilots, and the facts about the pro- posed race and the rules governing it. In- terest had been unflagging for weeks. The achievements of the gallant Lind- bergh, the Lone Eagle, were reviewed, as well as those of Chamberlin, Levine, and the various flyers who had accomplished flights to Europe and flights between the Hawaiian Islands and the mainland. Due to the fact that several planes had been lost in transoceanic flights, these ventures were beginning to be somewhat frowned upon, but not one word of criticism had been heard anent the present overland race. Betty Sheldon, bred to the air, was seen much in the company of Glenn Kerry. One evening her father, Samuel Sheldon, re- turned to his home as his son hobbled in on cruches. “Don’t let this business excite you too much, Dick,” his father advised. ‘ You’re not over that smash yet. You seem to be a little too active these days. Save up your energy. If the Sheldon plane wins this race, you'll have a big job on your hands after you get well, and if we lose— well, I’m afraid it ’ll need a healthy young man to carry on the almost hopeless fight. You ought to be in bed. Where have you been?” “T’ve just returned from a little dinner party, with Betty and Glenn Kerry.” Samuel Sheldon frowned. ‘‘ He’s a clean- cut young fellow, that Kerry,” he said, “but, Dick, after all, he’s a penniless pilot. Do you think—”’ “T think he’s the man who saved my life, dad. We can’t forget that, you know. And, after all, a young girl follows the dic- tates of her heart these days. I hope you’re not going to say anything against Glenn Kerry, dad,” he added, with a look of con- cern. “ Of course not. Well, I’ve had a busy ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. day. I guess I'll be off to bed. in?” ‘‘ She’ll be here soon,” said Dick. ‘ She and Glenn have gone to the theater.” A prize of twenty-five thousand dollars had been hung up for the winner in the coming transcontinental non-stop race, and another of ten thousand dollars to the con- testant who came in second. In addition, wealthy sportsmen and air enthusiasts had added various prizes for those who would finish the flight, regard- less of their position in the race. It would be a good opportunity, it was said, to com- pare the various types of modern airplane, as any type of land plane could be entered in the race except that multimotored ships were barred, and there were no rules as to how many rode in the cockpit or how much fuel was to be carried. Before the closing of the entries, Samuel Sheldon had registered two entrants—Glenn Kerry and a pilot named Runyon, who had a good flying record and had come to the Sheldon outfit with good references. Run- yon would fly the repaired plane and Kerry the new one. It was a thrilling day for Glenn Kerry when the assembling of the new Sheldon ship was completed in the Sheldon hangar, and with Samuel Sheldon as a passenger he made his first test flight. Both were en- thusiastic over the new ship’s quick take- off, its gas capacity, its promise of speed and maneuverability. Th former air mail pilot now slept in the hangar every night, and the hangar guard was doubled. Philip Hatton still had the brass to make a call at the Sheldon home, but received word that Miss Sheldon was out. He seemed as pleasant as ever these days, however. He left an invitation for Miss Sheldon to make a flight in one of the Trico entries—an invitation that Miss Shel- don never availed herself of, for Dick Shel- don had discovered that Carson, the dis- charged Sheldon pilot, was now in the em- ploy of Hatton, and was to be one of the Hatton race pilots. “It’s all business, you know,” Hatton had said, pleasantly, when Dick asked him CORMICLOOKS Is Betty _ (C@)