by Edith Lavell
CHAPTER XX
_Linda Takes Off_
It was Linda's custom to read the daily report of the flying weather,and as soon as she heard the news of Bess Hulbert's take-off, sherushed into the office to find out the conditions. It was a lovelyday, seeming to promise hours of sunshine and starlight ahead. But thebarometer was dropping, and the forecast read, "Storm over the Atlantictonight."
"Storm over the Atlantic!" Linda repeated with a shudder. Although shehad disliked Bess Hulbert intensely, she had never hated her with thesame violence that Louise had felt, and in the past few weeks, she hadalmost come to the point where she was willing to forgive her. It wasnot in Linda Carlton's nature to wish any such vengeance as the reportmight indicate, even to an enemy.
Yet she would not have been human if she had not hoped that somethingwould happen to keep her rival from winning the honors she herselfhad been working so hard to secure. Something should happen, ofcourse--but nothing too tragic!
All day long she went about her work in grim silence, steeling herselfto meet disappointment if Bess were finally victorious. The suncontinued to shine, and the radio brought frequent reports of the loneflyer, sighted by ships out on the Atlantic Ocean.
Dusk set in, and then darkness, and the clouds began to gather. Untilten o'clock that night Linda heard that the other girl was stillmaking progress. Then she turned off the radio and fell sound asleep,thoroughly tired out from work and from suspense.
It was shortly after midnight that she was suddenly awakened by a loudclap of thunder, announcing one of those freak storms that sometimescome late in April. The wind was blowing, and the rain pouring down intorrents. A shiver of horror ran through the girl as she peered out ofthe window into the thick blackness beyond.
"Poor Bess!" she muttered. "All alone, too! Where can she be now?"
The thought came to her that perhaps she was mistaken, and her rivalwas already safely beyond the storm area, at this moment pressing ontowards Paris. She smiled grimly; how foolish Louise would think herto waste sympathy on a girl who was really a criminal!
With this thought she returned to bed, and fell asleep again, to dreamherself in an airplane, dashed into icy waters at the hand of thestorm. She awakened immediately; it was dawn and she decided to get up,in order to hear the news of Bess Hulbert.
The moment the newspaper arrived, she opened it eagerly. "No trace oflone girl flyer!" were the flaming headlines that met her eyes. Thepaper went on to state that Bess Hulbert--a young girl of twenty-two(she can still lie, thought Linda, knowing that Bess was at leasttwenty-five) had not been sighted since ten o'clock the precedingevening, when the storm broke.
Linda shook her head wearily, and looked out of the window. It wasstill raining, with a steadiness that gave no promise of clearing inthe near future. How dismal and disheartening everything was, thoughLouise would have reminded her that she had only cause for rejoicing.
As soon as she reached the ground school, she went straight to Mr.Eckers' office. The latter had known all along that Bess Hulbert was acompetitor for the prize, but he had no idea that she had been an enemyof Linda and Louise.
"Looks like two down, Miss Carlton," he remarked lightly, as sheentered.
"Two down?" repeated Linda. "Miss Hulbert went alone."
"I meant two defeats. The Lightcaps first, and then Miss Hulbert."
"Oh, I see. But she may get there yet. There wasn't any time limit, Mr.Eckers, you know."
"No, but there's a limit to the gasoline she could carry. That littleboat Miss Hulbert was flying has nothing like the capacity of yourBellanca.... No, I'm sure that storm marked the end of her flight,although I sincerely hope that it isn't the end of Miss Hulbert. Shemay have been picked up by some vessel."
"Yes, I hope so," agreed Linda. "But wasn't it hard luck for her?"
"It was only to be expected," replied the man gravely. "She must haveknown that she was taking an awful chance. If it had been you who hadwanted to go at this particular time, I would have done all in my powerto keep you home, Miss Carlton--even in a Bellanca Model J!"
"I wouldn't have taken the chance myself, with that weather report,"she assured him.
"I'm sure of that. I can't understand any sensible pilot's doing it.She must have been in an awful hurry to beat you!"
Linda was silent, thinking what chances Bess Hulbert had taken, inthe short time since she had known her. Flying low that day she hadmet her, perilously near to house-tops and children; stealing Linda'sfather's business by a lie to the Convent sisters; smuggling goodsinto the country; putting a leak in the gas tank of the Arrow Pursuit!Then, most dangerous of all to herself, daring a solo flight in a smallplane, that was bought with borrowed money--and in the face of adverseweather predictions! Yet, Linda mused grimly, when people read thenewspapers' account of Miss Hulbert's disaster, they would shake theirheads and remark how unsafe flying was! How cruel and unfair it was tothe progress of aviation!
All day long Linda worked inside of the hangar, for the stormcontinued, and now and then she listened in on the radio for reportsof the missing aviatrix. By night people were giving up hope of everseeing Bess Hulbert again, and the evening papers spoke darkly of "Onemore flyer gone to her watery grave."
There was a telegram for Linda from her aunt when she reached home,urging her to take warning at the terrible outcome of Miss Hulbert'sattempt, and to give up her flight.
Linda drew down the corners of her mouth as she read the message.
"Of course Aunt Emily can't understand the difference between BessHulbert's flight and mine," she said to herself, hopelessly. "I nevercould convince her, if I tried a thousand years, because she thinksflying is all haphazard, dependent on luck."
Nevertheless she sent a long night-letter to her aunt and another toher father, pointing out the difference and giving her reasons forwishing to continue with her plans.
A week passed before the storm abated and the sun shone brightly again,but Bess Hulbert was never heard from. Perhaps the only person whosincerely mourned her loss was Kitty Clavering, who still believed inthe girl's goodness. Even Lieutenant Hulbert had constantly lived infear of his sister's tendency towards dishonor and disgrace, and wasalmost relieved that she could not sin any more.
Linda worked steadily on, making her preparations as before, studyingher charts, watching the weather reports, and waiting for her planeto be delivered. The first day of May the Bellanca arrived, flown byMyrtle Brown herself!
Linda was overjoyed both by the marvelous mono-plane and at seeing thischarming aviatrix, so capable and so well-known to everyone in the airservice. Moreover, her wishes for good luck and success to Linda in herocean flight were so sincere and so real that Linda felt tremendouslyencouraged. It was something to have Myrtle Brown believe in her.
The Bellanca was indeed a wonderful plane. With its height of eightfeet and a half and its wing span of fifty feet, it looked like a hugebird, strong and fearless, ready to conquer the air and the ocean.Linda gazed at it rapturously for some minutes without speaking. Thenshe began to examine it in detail.
How much more everything meant to her than when she had been presentedwith her Pursuit! She looked at the metal propeller, the navigationlights, the front and rear tanks for gasoline, and inspected thepowerful Wright J 6 three hundred h.p. nine-cylinder engine, whichhad been so carefully selected and super-tested during assembly at theWright A?ronautical Corporation's plant. This indeed, was a marvelof modern science, Linda thought, proud to be the possessor. And thelubrication system, with its rocker-arm bearing from the cockpit!
But perhaps best of all were the instruments--instruments which hadbeen vastly improved since Lindbergh's flight in 1927, which were goingto inspire Linda with the deepest sense of confidence as she journeyedalone over the ocean. The tachometer, or revolution counter, whichwould tell her that her engine was running smoothly; the oil-pressuregauge, the altimeter measuring the height at which she was flying, theearth inductor compass, which would keep her tr
ue to her course--andmany others, including even a clock that would tick off the hours ofher lonely flight. It was all perfect, she thought, and the next twodays of test-flying proved that she was right. And there would beno doubt about its ability to complete the trip, for its range wasguaranteed to be five thousand miles in forty-two hours, thus assuringher ample time to get to Paris.
On the morning of May third, Linda said good-by to Mr. Eckers and toher other friends at the school, and, with a promise of secrecy fromthem, took off for New York. Without the slightest mishap she landedthe Bellanca at Curtis Field for another inspection, and went to herhotel. But she was not going to call her father or her aunt on thetelephone, or even send them a wire; the longer they were unaware ofher starting, the shorter time for them to worry. It would be easierfor her too, without any touching farewells. Better to keep emotionentirely out of the whole proposition!
The weather forecast was favorable for the following day, promisingclear weather and a warm temperature, and she was anxious to be off.Accordingly, she awakened at dawn, and after eating a hearty breakfast,taxied over to Roosevelt Field, where she had given instructionsfor her Bellanca to be wheeled. There it stood in the brighteningdaylight--beautiful and powerful, ready to do its part in theepoch-making event. A number of pilots had gathered to speed Linda onher way, and she smiled at them cordially.
"Everything all right?" she asked the chief inspector.
"O.K. The boat looks as if she was anxious to be off!"
"So am I!" agreed Linda, tucking her chicken sandwiches and her thermosbottles of coffee into the cockpit. "Please start her up!"
She climbed into the plane without the slightest misgiving lest thiswould be her last contact with solid earth in this world. There was noassumed bravery on her part, for she felt sure that she was going toreach Paris the following day.
The engine hummed smoothly, as she taxied the plane along the ground.Then it nosed upward into the air, and she was off, waving good-by toher companions as she flew from their sight. Linda Carlton had startedfor Paris!
Along the coast she continued to Cape Cod, then across Nova Scotia. Thesun shone brightly and the engine took on speed. She passed over ice,and through some clouds, but she did not feel the cold, for her heartwas singing with joy. Everything was going so beautifully!
As long as daylight lasted, Linda thoroughly enjoyed the flight, butas darkness came on, a sickening sensation of loneliness overwhelmedher. Below--yet not far below, for she was flying low enough to utilizethe cushion of air near the water's surface--stretched the vast blackocean. Not a ship in sight; she was absolutely, utterly alone! For thefirst time since her take-off, she thought of Bess Hulbert, and thefate she had met, and a shiver went through her, making her suddenlycold.... Her friends were so far away.... This seemed like anotherworld....
Desperately trying to shake off this pall that was possessing her, shereached for the coffee, and tried to drink. But she could not swallow;the hot liquid seemed to choke her.
Recalling a childhood habit which she had formed during illnesses, shebegan to repeat hymns and poems to herself. But curiously enough, thelines that came to her most vividly were the gruesome words of theAncient Mariner:
"Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide, wide, sea-- And never a soul took pity on My soul in agony----"
For half an hour perhaps, even while she was busy watching herinstruments and piloting the plane, the verse kept repeating itselfover and over in her mind, holding her powerfully in its grip, untilher desolation became agony. Then she happened to look to one side,and she suddenly saw a star, reminding her of a friendly universe andwatchful all-seeing God, and her fear vanished miraculously, as quicklyand mysteriously as it had come.
Heaving a sigh of relief, knowing that she had conquered, and that sheneed not dread such an oppression again, she reached for her coffee,and this time drank it with immense enjoyment. She ate a sandwich too,and the meal tasted like a feast. In a few minutes she was singingagain.
Since the engine and the weather were so perfect, sleep was the onlyenemy which now arose to contend with her. Bravely she fought it off,keeping herself awake by whistling and even talking to herself.
When her little clock registered one A.M. (by New York time),dawn began to appear; the temperature rose, and finally the sun cameout. Then all of Linda's drowsiness abruptly vanished; there was somuch to see as she flew along. Remembering the mirages she had oftenread about, she was amazed to see how real they looked, when theyappeared now and then, making her almost positive that she had reachedsome island, and was off her course, until she verified herself by thechart and the compass.
Presently she sighted some ships and tried to wave to them, but she didnot get a reply. It did not occur to her that the boats were eagerlykeeping a watch for her plane; ready to report by their radios the newsof the valiant young flyer to the waiting world!
Hours later she sighted some smaller boats--fishing boats--and she knewthat she must be near to the Irish coast. Over southern Ireland sheflew, along the coast of England, following as closely as she couldthe course which Lindbergh had taken. When at last she recognized theEnglish Channel, her heart leaped with joy. The long journey was almostended!
Three o'clock it was by New York time, but nine by Paris time when,tired but smiling, she brought the Bellanca safely down at Le Bourget,beating Lindbergh's time by a little more than an hour.
The first solo flight made by a woman across the Atlantic wasaccomplished!
