Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

118 AIR WOND “Well I'll be damned!” I expostulated, “You young Bovds seem to have control of everything. y in Suddenly a blood-curdling shriek sounded overhead like the wail of a tropical tornado. I looked up, won- dering what sort of a craft was demanding the right of way to land on top of the Wright Aero Hotel. Swooping in graceful circles at a terrific speed, Joan’s trim little aerospeedster, with its tiny, transparent aerofoils, whined above with muffled twin-screws in preparation for a drop landing, The tiny ship, glistened under the glare of the sun, zoomed upward in three dating half-cockle turns to slow its speed. We watched it breathlessly. “That's Joan, my boy!” I said proudly, nudging Bob. “She's certainly in a hair-raising mood today.” “She can handle that mosquito alright, Mr. Holdon,” Bob Allison said, admiringly. “She’s got plenty of landing space, She must be getting a bird’s-eye view of the Annihilator. Here she comes!” Instantly Joan’s tiny plane stopped dead above the landing, the twin-screws on each of its two small, gyroscopic motors, rigid and still. Over the enclosed cockpit rose a series of small, whirling blades that held the aerospeedster in the air with the ease of a humming bird: Gradually the whirling heliocoptic screw slowed down as the speedster settled toward the landing. It came to a gentle standstill between. the leviathan Amnthilator anda huge trans-continental air- liner with a few scant inches to spare on either side of her tiny ship. She looked like a tick nestling under the belly of a wolf-hound. Immediately she stepped out of the cockpit, a vari-hued dressing robe around her slender form and a tight-fitting helmet covering her head, and there arose a great applause from the crowds of officers and civilians grouped around the Annihilator. True to the traditions of eternal femininity, Joan accepted the plaudits joyously as though she expected men to slap their hands together in appreciation of her flying ability if not the exciting warmth of her beauty. As she walked blithely toward the elevators which would carry us down to our apartment floor, she waved at an occasional acquaintance or spoke to a casual friend. She seemed to show little interest-in the huge leviathan of the air-although:I could see, as she neared us, that she was bubbling over with excitement. “Joan!” I called, with my usual severity that ex- ' pressed more of a habit than actual wrath. “What ~~ ~ do you mean by stunting like that over the airdrome? ~~ Don't you know that I have to pay your fines every- ‘time you get caught performing like an idiot? Where on garth did you get that crazy siren? Come here, dear ‘dd “Come along, daddy, be a good sport. Gosh! The siren? You mean my new Right-of-Way whistle! I bought it over in Los Angeles at the Sky-Hi. They have the nicest things there, daddy! I just had to stop off for a few minutes and I couldn’t look without buying a new whistle.” Bob Allison stood aside as I remonistrated with Joan. He was smiling happily. I wondered if Joan would tecognize him after a lapse of ten years. She grasped the lapel of my jacket and shook it playfully. “Father,” she whispered, “who is that handsome young Lieutenant standing over there? His face seems familiar. Why the idea! He’s even flirting with me! How brazen!” She stamped a daintily-clad foot, still encased in her , STORIES natrow, orange and red bathing slippers. ; “Why Joan, dear!” I said, feigning an expression of astonishment. “Don’t you know that young man? I’m ashamed of you, Joan. Think hard, and see if you can’t remember the young man you used to think was put into this world-for the sole purpose of teasing you.” CHAPTER II Making Plans WINKED at Bob, who maintained his distance, taking pleasant amusement out of the situation. He smniled broadly behind a gloved hand that hid most of his face. “You don’t mean to tell me that he is that little shrimp of a Robert Allison, do you, daddy?” she asked, excitedly. ‘Why the very ‘deal He still laughs at me, too! I hate him!” - “Tt’s Bob Allison and no other, darling,” I said, patting her gently. “He piloted the Annihilator here from Kitty Hawk just to see you, Joan. He's going to be our guest until the ship departs at seven. Come here, Bob!” In several swift strides Bob reached us, hat in hand, his.dark brown hair ruffled by a slight breeze blowing in from the west. eke “Joan,” I said, turning her head around after she had. deliberately swung her upturned face toward the Annthilator. “This is Robert Allison, son of m ae dear friend, Senator Allison: You remember Bob fron your childhood days back in Washington, don’t you?” He thinks your nose is very pretty now, don’t you” Bob,-my boy?” “T think it is adorable, Mr. Holdon,” te replied, enthusiastically. “In fact I think it is the prettiest nose I ever saw! Honest, Joan! If you'll give me a chance to appraise: it I’ll———”” “You'll laugh at it, Bob Allison,” she interrupted impudently. “I'll never forgive you for teasing me about my fumvy little nose!” “Ah, Joan,” said Bob, appealingly. “That was only kid play. How could you hold any- tad-feslinpehavedd me for something I did when I wasn’t responsible? You seem,to forget that you always called me ‘that little shrimp: of a Bob Allison’, don’t-you?” The sides of Joan’s pretty, clearly-arched lips twitched in an effort to suppress a laugh that was struggling to find an outlet. [noticed it but Bob could hardly have seen the slight movements, for he con- tinued, ill at ease over her impudent attitude toward ~~ him. I felt that Joan was enjoying the situation at — his expense. She is a chip off the old block when it comes to teasing people who appealed to her. “Just think, Joan,” he said, softly. “It’s been ten years since I laughed at your nose. I’ve never for- gotten and I am here really to ah-a-ah er-er apologize for making fun of it. Honest, Joan!” “Well do you expect me to stand out here freezing to death while you stumble all over yourself trying to apologize?” she said. “I never accept apologies in public anyhow, Mr. Allison. You may accompany us to the apartment,” I shot a wink-at the young man as we entered the radio-controlled elevator. His discomfiture under the stinging lash of Joan’s: ready words was amusing indeed, and I understood perfectly that Joan was merely playing with him. It was her way of enjoying the companionship of: her most cherished friends, and of course Bob could not know this. She was not