Linda Carlton's Ocean Flight

by Edith Lavell

  CHAPTER XII

  _Waiting for News_

  As Linda had surmised, her aunt did not expect her to wire every night,unless something happened, so when December twenty-ninth passed withoutany message, the latter naturally supposed that the girls were still atPlattsburg with friends. Heretofore, the older woman had known all ofher niece's companions, but since Linda had gone away to school, hercircle had naturally widened. Miss Carlton frowned when she recalledthat she had neglected to ask the names of the girls Linda and Louiseintended to visit.

  When she heard nothing from them again on the morning of the thirtieth,she grew anxious and called Mrs. Haydock on the telephone.

  "I don't want to alarm you, Miss Carlton," answered Louise's mother,"but I am afraid something has happened."

  "Why? What makes you think so? Because we haven't heard from themsince the twenty-seventh?"

  "Not only that," replied Mrs. Haydock. "But I put in a long distancecall for Ted Mackay--Louise said they would keep him informed of theirwhereabouts, in case they had any difficulties--and I got the messagethat he had gone to Canada in search of two missing flyers!"

  "Canada!" repeated Miss Carlton, aghast. "That couldn't be our girls!They were going to New York."

  "So I understood. But they may have gone on to Canada.... Well, letus hope that Ted flew up to search for someone else. All we can do iswait."

  "Oh, those dreadful airplanes!" wailed Miss Carlton, hysterically. "Iwish they had never been invented.... Well, I'll call my brother," sheconcluded, for she had no idea what to do.

  That, of course, was the difficulty everybody met--every one of LindaCarlton's and Louise Haydock's friends at Spring City, when the newsgot around that the girls were lost. Nobody knew where they were;nobody had any way of helping find them.

  Anxiety for them spread over the little town where they were sopopular. Particularly at the Flying Club, where their most intimatefriends were gathered that afternoon to play bridge or to dance, as themood seized them. A skating party which had been planned by Dot Crowleyand Jim Valier had to be canceled on account of a heavy snow the nightbefore. Even now the storm was still raging, reminding them all themore of their two friends with the open Arrow.

  Dot Crowley, however, resolutely decided to be hopeful, to make aneffort to dispel the gloom that threatened to engulf them all.

  "No use weeping till we hear that something has happened," she said, asshe turned on the radio. "I'd stake a good-sized bet on Linda and Lou!Haven't they always come through with flying colors?"

  "If they're still _flying_ colors, or anything else, they're allright," remarked Jim Valier, lazily stretching his legs out toward theblazing fire. But, lazy though he always appeared, he was ready to helpDot in her valiant effort to be cheerful.

  "They'll be home yet--in time for the New Tear's Eve party!" sheasserted, with conviction. "I'm not going to lose faith."

  "I'm not either," added Kitty Clavering, who was usually so timid, butwho had a deep admiration for Linda Carlton. "I think Linda is one ofthe cleverest girls I ever met."

  Everybody agreed with her, and somehow they all suddenly feltoptimistic. The bridge tables were brought out, the couples began toplay and dance in the intervals when they were "dummies." Everybodyseemed happy again--everybody except Ralph Clavering. Off in a cornerhe was smoking a cigarette in doleful silence.

  Dot, who still felt the responsibility for the atmosphere of the party,went over to cheer him up.

  "What's the matter, Ralph?" she asked half teasingly, halfsympathetically.

  "Nothing," he muttered, with a frown that plainly said, "let me alone!"

  "I know, though," persisted Dot, seating herself beside him. "Youhaven't any partner for the New Year's Eve dance!"

  "Well, I'm not asking you," he replied, rudely.

  "You know it wouldn't be any use!" retorted Dot, her chin in the air."I'm going with Jim."

  "O.K. with me." He continued to smoke in silence.

  "Well, buck up!" she advised, patting his shoulder. "Linda may fly homeany minute."

  "Here comes a plane now!" cried Kitty, jumping up and rushing to thewindow. "Why, it's our own Moth!"

  Everybody dashed to the window, to see Bess Hulbert make her landing,and three or four of the boys slipped into their overcoats to go outand help her put it into the hangar. But Ralph sat stolidly gazing intothe fire.

  Five minutes later, Miss Hulbert, her cheeks glowing and her eyesflashing with excitement, came into the room.

  "Welcome to our famous flyer!" cried Kitty, turning off the radio.

  "What's weather to her!" laughed Joe Elliston, admiringly.

  "All in the day's work," replied Miss Hulbert.

  "Tell us where you've been," urged Kitty.

  "Up to the Great Lakes," replied the aviatrix, vaguely. "I bought myown gas and oil, but I feel I owe the Club ten dollars for the use ofthe plane.... I--I'll pay myself!"

  They all smiled, for Bess Hulbert was still treasurer of the club.

  "Don't be silly!" protested Kitty. "You're a member of the club."

  "But I was using the plane for business--not for pleasure."

  "Just what is your business, Miss Hulbert?" inquired Ralph.

  The girl colored; she did not like his tone. It was a bitter blow toher pride that this rich young man had never fallen for her charms.

  "Fish!" she replied mockingly. "Poor fish!"

  Everybody laughed, not knowing whether she was serious or not, and thistime the joke seemed to be on Ralph.

  "You didn't see Linda or Louise--in the course of your trip, did you?"asked Dot Crowley.

  "Linda--Louise--?" Miss Hulbert was stalling for time.

  "Yes. The two girls who fly in an Arrow Pursuit. They've been missingfor two days and Miss Carlton and Mrs. Haydock are almost crazy. We'reall worried too, only we try not to be."

  "Too bad," murmured Miss Hulbert. "But they really shouldn't be flyingin this sort of weather. They haven't had the experience."

  "How else would they get it?" demanded Ralph, brusquely.

  "Short trips," answered Bess. "It's foolish people like them who doharm to aviation. Make the public think it's so dangerous."

  "How do you know they went on a long trip?" questioned Kitty,innocently.

  "Oh--er--I don't. I only supposed they did."

  "Yes, we're all afraid of that. They were last heard of fromPlattsburg--the twenty-seventh."

  "And this is the thirtieth," remarked Bess, absently. "I wonder if thatwreck that was reported in the early afternoon papers could have beentheir plane."

  "What wreck?" demanded everybody at once.

  "The charred wreck of a plane was found by an aviator named Ted Mackay.Up on the border, between New York state and Canada."

  "Ted Mackay!" repeated Dot. "That's Linda's friend--the one who rescuedher before."

  "Well, he didn't rescue her today," asserted Bess. "There were nobodies in the plane. But then it was almost completely destroyed."

  At this gruesome remark, Kitty immediately burst out crying, and evenDot Crowley could find no reason to be hopeful any longer, and wipedthe tears from her eyes. Oh, it was dreadful to think of their twolovely friends as dead! Worse still, for them to meet death in such ahorrible way!

  "It may not have been their plane," Bess reminded her companions,although in her heart she felt sure that it was. "Or, even if itis, they might still be alive, if they had the nerve to use theirparachutes."

  "They had plenty of nerve!" responded Dot. "But even if they jumped, itisn't likely they'd still be alive in this terrible weather."

  "If they were, we should probably have heard from them," said Ralph,glumly.

  Nobody spoke for some time; resuming of the games was out of thequestion now. Finally, to break the silence, and to have something todo, Kitty rang the bell for the club matron to serve tea and sandwiches.

  Over the tea-cups a low murmur of conversation finally arose, but itwas all in a gloomy undertone. Nothing could have
been more depressingthan the atmosphere in that room--until the door was suddenly flungopen by a small boy--Louise Haydock's brother.

  "Whoopee! Whoopee!" he shouted, throwing his hat straight into RalphClavering's tea-cup. "The girls are alive and safe!"

  "Linda? Louise?" cried everybody at once. In the excitement all eyeswere upon the boy; nobody noticed that Bess Hulbert's face went ghastlywhite.

  "Yeah! Ted Mackay wired just now. He found them on the Canadian border,locked up in a cabin!"

  "Locked up? Kidnapped?" demanded Ralph.

  "No. Locked up by law. They have to go to jail."

  "Jail?"

  "It's some joke!" exclaimed Jim Valier.

  "No. Honest!" protested the boy. "They're being held for some crimethey didn't commit. Smuggling, or something!"

  "Oh, they probably brought a bottle of Canadian wine into the UnitedStates," laughed Ralph. "They'll just have a little fine to pay----"

  "But Linda doesn't drink--or Lou either!" asserted Dot. "I know theywouldn't think of such a thing."

  "Well, so long as they're safe, it'll be an easy matter for them to getfree," said Ralph, more relieved than anyone realized. "Why, they maybe back in time for the New Year's Eve dance!"

  "Not a chance," answered the boy, with a vehement shake of his head...."Don't forget the Arrow is a thing of the past--they've got to come homeby train. Besides, they can't start till Dad and Mr. Carlton get upthere to bail 'em out!"

  "I wish they had the Moth," sighed Kitty. "If it were only decentweather, Bess could go get them."

  Miss Hulbert was horrified at such a suggestion, but she managed tocover her consternation with a smile.

  As soon as the excitement died down the party began to break up. ButBess Hulbert continued to sit before the fire, thinking deeply, tryingto decide what to do.

  So the law had gotten wind of the fact that smuggling was going on,by a girl in an airplane! And had arrested Linda Carlton and LouiseHaydock, thinking them guilty. She smiled in a nasty, superior way.What a joke it was on those two upstarts! But her mouth grew grimagain; it was only a question of time now, before the officersdiscovered the right person, before she too was brought to justice. Andshe wouldn't get off so easily as these two others.... No, there wasonly one thing for her to do--and that was to leave the country, beforeanybody thought of accusing her of this crime, or of the more seriousone of damaging Linda's plane....

  Lucky thing, she thought, that she had already made some money out ofthe business! But how she wished she had more!

  Kitty Clavering, who was the only person still left at the club, cameover and put her arm around Bess, attempting to pull her to her feet.

  "What's the matter, Bess?" she asked, noticing that the other girl didnot respond to her embrace.

  "Lots of things, Kitty," replied Bess, soberly. "I've had some prettybad news today.... Of course I didn't say anything about it in front ofthe others, especially when I found you all so worried about your youngfriends."

  "Well, we don't have to worry about them any more! So I can give allmy thoughts to you.... Come on home with me, and tell me about it!"urged the younger girl. She did not add that she wanted to hear aboutLieutenant Hulbert, whom she had not seen for over a month.

  "Oh, all right," agreed Bess, without any enthusiasm. "For a littlewhile.... But I must get back to my hotel. I'll have to go to New Yorktonight."

  Kitty did not question her any further until they were alone in herpretty boudoir, Bess relaxing on the chaise longue, Kitty in theflowered chintz chair.

  "Now tell me, my dear," repeated Kitty, sympathetically.

  "Well," Bess began slowly, "it's about business. I was joking thisafternoon, of course, but the fact is I've been going into somethingpretty deep--and--and--I'm going to lose. Fail, in other words.... Andthe worst of it is--I'll have to go to England to get some money, if Ican. My brother and I are English, you know."

  "Oh, I'm so sorry!" cried Kitty. To the rich young heiress, povertyseemed terrible. And Bess had mentioned her brother--was it possible hehad lost money too? Was that the reason he was staying away from her?She put the question to her friend.

  "Yes," lied Bess, for she knew that this would draw more sympathy fromKitty, and the latter might even offer to lend her some money. "Yes, Iwas investing Bob's money, and lost that too."

  "How terrible!" Kitty got up and went over beside the older girl. "IfI could only help you, dear--financially, I mean."

  Bess's eyelids narrowed. This was just what she was hoping for!

  "That's good of you, Kit--but I really couldn't accept it!"

  "But as a loan? Oh, please! I'd love to!"

  "Well--" Bess paused, as if she would need a great deal of persuasion."My idea would be to borrow enough to order a big plane, and fly theAtlantic and win that twenty-five thousand dollars. Then I could payyou and my brother both back at once."

  "And bring glory to our Flying Club!"

  "Yes, of course.... But Kitty, have you any idea what a good planecosts? I'm afraid you couldn't raise so much money, could you?"

  "About how much?" asked Kitty, vaguely. She was thinking of Bob Hulbertnow, wondering whether she couldn't write and tell him she understoodwhy he was staying away from her, and urging him to come back.

  "Well, novices like your two friends would probably expect to pay abouttwenty thousand dollars for their plane.... But I wouldn't have to havethat kind. Because, even if I did win the prize, it would hardly payme.... No, I wouldn't pay more than eight or ten thousand for mine....But you could never raise that much, could you, Kit?"

  The girl shook her head.

  "I'm afraid not.... Only by getting a loan on my pearl necklace. Do yousuppose that could be done, Bess?"

  "Of course it could. But not here in Spring City. We'd have to go toNew York."

  "I can't go to New York. I'm dated up for a dance tonight."

  "I think I could manage it myself," said Bess. "If you care to trustme, and will give me a note authorizing the loan."

  "I'll be only too glad to," agreed Kitty, and she produced the necklaceand immediately sat down to the desk to write the letter.

  So, three hours later, Bess Hulbert stepped into the Pullman for NewYork, carrying not only the precious pearls, but all of the FlyingClub's money as well, which she had pretended to forget to hand over toKitty.

  "And now," she said triumphantly to herself, "let the United Statescourts try to catch me if they can!"