_The First Lesson in Flying_
Early the next morning, Linda wakened her father and hurried him
through his breakfast. There wasn't a moment to be lost, she told him
excitedly, like a child waiting to open her Christmas stocking. She
had her car under the portico before he had finished his second cup of
coffee.
"Don't drive so fast that you are killed on the way," cautioned her
aunt. "Remember, dear, you have the rest of your life to fly that
plane!"
But the present moment is the only time of importance to young people,
and Linda scarcely took in what she was saying. Besides, the caution
was unnecessary; unlike Dot Crowley and Maurice Stetson, she had too
much respect for her car to mistreat it by careless driving. Linda
loved her roadster as a cavalry general loves his horse.
"You want to do most of your learning on your own plane, don't you,
daughter?" asked her father, as he sat down beside her. "I mean--you'd
rather bring your instructor back with us, and fly it, wouldn't you?"
"Of course, if that is possible. But don't you suppose I have to go in
a class with others, Daddy?"
"Probably not--for it is a small school. Besides, I can arrange for you
to have private lessons. It will hurry things up for you."
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!... But later, I want to go to a regular ground
school, if you will let me." Her tone was as eager as any boy's,
starting out on his life work. "And study airplane construction, and
wireless--and--and----"
He smiled at her approvingly. What a girl!
"You are ambitious, my dear," he said, but there was pride in his
words. "I don't see why not, though.... Only, not all at once. As your
Aunt Emily reminded you, you have the rest of your life."
"I can't bear to fool!" she exclaimed, impatiently. "Now that I have
graduated, I want to get somewhere."
"You're bound to--unless you fly in circles," he remarked, lightly.
"I mean--oh, you know what I mean, Daddy! And you do understand, don't
you?"
"Well, not exactly. You don't expect to be one of those independent
girls who insist upon earning their own living, do you, dear?"
"I don't know...." Somehow, she couldn't explain. Nobody understood
just what she wanted except Ted Mackay, and that was because he had
the same sort of goal himself. Ted Mackay! The memory of her father's
command hurt her. Must she really give up his friendship? But why?
She wanted to ask her father, but he was looking off in the distance,
apparently lost in his own thoughts.
So she drove the remainder of the way in silence, absorbed by her own
dreams.
The field was outside of Spring City, covering an area of thirty acres,
and surrounded by the white fence that was now being used so much by
airports. Three large hangars, containing probably half a dozen planes,
occupied one side of the field, and, near the entrance was a large
building, evidently used as an office and school for the theoretical
part of the courses.
"You have been here before, Linda?" asked her father, as the girl
locked her car.
"Yes--a couple of times. I feel almost at home."
Scarcely were they inside the grounds, when Ted Mackay, looking huge
and handsome in his flyer's suit, came out of the office building.
He recognized Linda at once, and his blue eyes lighted up in a smile
of welcome. Since he wore his helmet, his red hair was not visible,
and Linda, glancing apprehensively at her father, knew that the latter
had no idea who Ted was. But, nervous as she was over the meeting that
was about to take place, she could not help feeling proud of Ted, and
warmed by the frankness of his happy smile.
"Linda!" he cried. (She had called him Ted the second time she met him,
so he reciprocated.) "I owe you an apology--and a confession!"
"Yes?" replied Linda, glancing fearfully at her father, though she knew
that he had not yet realized who the young man was, or his expression
would not have been so beneficent. "But first I want you to meet my
father," she said. "Dad--this is Ted Mackay."
She was vexed at herself that she was actually stammering. Acting just
like a child! Yet she couldn't forget how stern her father could be.
She recalled the day that, as a child, she had sneaked off and played
with Louise when her chum had whooping cough. Her father happened to
come home--and announced that he would take care of her punishment.
And what a punishment! For three whole weeks he made her stay in the
house, without a single companion except her Aunt Emily! He said he'd
teach her to obey.
But he wasn't storming, or even frowning now. Merely looking politely
indifferent, perhaps a trifle superior. He made no motion to shake
hands with Ted.
"How do you do?" he said. "Would you be kind enough to take us to the
man in charge of this field?"
"Certainly, sir," replied Ted.
Immediately, as if he intended to give the young people no chance for
personal conversation, Mr. Carlton began to ask about the courses that
were offered.
Ted answered his questions, explaining that Miss Carlton would probably
want to become a private pilot at first.
"You have to pass a physical examination," he said, "and get a permit
from the Government. Then you must have at least eighteen hours of
flying experience--ten with someone else with you, eight of solo
flying. There is a written examination, too--all about the rules and
regulations that make up the laws of the air. Of course there isn't
a lot of traffic, like with the driving of cars," he explained,
smilingly, "but you'd be surprised at how many rules there are!"
They had been crossing the field while he talked, and they stopped
now at the main building. With a nod of dismissal that was curt, and
yet not quite rude, for a muttered, "Thank you," accompanied it, Mr.
Carlton left Ted, and took his daughter inside.
A middle-aged man, dressed in a khaki shirt and breeches, was seated at
a desk. He looked up as they entered.
"My name is Carlton," began Linda's father, "and this is my daughter.
I have bought her a plane, and I have come over to arrange about some
lessons in flying."
Lieutenant Kingsberry, a former Army officer, asked them to be seated,
and went over about the same explanation that Ted had given, saying
that he would be delighted to register Linda, provided that she passed
the physical examination.
"I suppose it is not so unusual now to have girls as students?"
inquired Mr. Carlton.
"Not for many of the schools," replied the lieutenant. "But it just
happens that we so far have not enrolled any of the fair sex. Your
daughter will be the first. When does she wish to start?"
"As soon as possible," replied Mr. Carlton.
"Now!" Linda could not help adding.
"Well, I don't see why not," agreed the lieutenant, leniently. "At
least Miss Carlton could take the physical examination, because one of
our doctors is here now. And if she passes that, Mackay can give her
the first lesson."
Linda's expression of delight suddenly died on her lips. For she
glanced at her father, and saw the queer, drawn look about his mouth at
the mention of Ted's name.
"This--Mackay--" he said slowly, "he isn't your only instructor?"
"He is our best."
"I prefer someone else. Can you arrange it?"
"Why--I suppose so. But if it is only personal reasons, I think you are
making a mistake, Mr. Carlton. Mackay is our most reliable flyer--by
far our best instructor. We don't expect to have him here more than a
month or so. He's had a good offer from a big company."
Linda was glancing shyly, pleadingly, at her father, but he did not
even see her.
"Unfortunately I found this young man's father to be most
unreliable--untrustworthy--during the period that I employed him on
my ranch. The fact is, we are not yet through with the trouble that
he started. So you can understand why I should refuse to trust my
daughter to his son. It is an unpleasant but true fact that children
inherit their father's weaknesses. I should not have a comfortable
minute, being miles away, and knowing that she was in his hands."
"Of coarse I will accept your decision, Mr. Carlton," replied
Lieutenant Kingsberry, "and see that your wishes are carried out. I
will summon the second ranking instructor--H. B. Taylor."
He called his office boy, a young man learning to fly, and working
his way at the same time, and gave the necessary message. A couple of
minutes later the man came in, dressed like Ted, but somehow he seemed
insignificant to Linda--as if he were the one who was not reliable. She
sighed.
Her father remained with the lieutenant and the instructor while
she went into the doctor's office for her physical examination. She
knew that her eyesight was good, but she felt a little nervous when
the doctor examined her heart. It was fluttering so! Suppose all the
excitement had been too much for her--and she did not pass! What good
would her lovely plane be to her, if she were never allowed to pilot it
herself?
But she need not have been alarmed, for she came through with flying
colors. Then young Taylor took her over to one of the planes, and began
to explain about the joystick, the rudder, the ailerons, and everything
else he could think of, in words of one syllable.
Linda glanced at him, frowning. Did he think she was a baby. Or was
it because she was a girl that his manner seemed so superior, so
condescending? Why, he was wasting a lot of time! Ted would have had
her up in the air by this time, perhaps letting her guide the plane
herself.
"I am familiar with all these terms, Mr. Taylor," she interrupted. "You
see I have been up twice--with Mr. Mackay. And I've read a couple of
books."
The young man regarded her haughtily.
"It is necessary, Miss Carlton, that you go through the regular
lessons, regardless of what you knew beforehand," he answered coldly.
"And whatever Mr. Mackay may have shown you--as a friend--has nothing
to do with these lessons, so long as I, not he, am your instructor."
"But I want to go up today!" she protested, eagerly.
"It is not our custom to take students up on the first day, Miss
Carlton.... Now, have you a notebook and pencil?"
"In my car." She tried to answer naturally, but she was keenly
disappointed.
"Then will you please go and get them," he said, seating himself in
the cockpit of the plane which he had been using to illustrate his
statements.
Obediently, but half-heartedly, Linda started back for the road where
her car was parked. She had gone about half-way when she came upon her
father, accompanied by Ralph Clavering, dressed like herself, in his
riding outfit.
"Hello, Linda!" he cried. "Passed your physical exam, didn't you?"
"Oh, yes," she answered. "So you're really going to learn, too?"
"I most certainly am. And your father has consented to let us take our
lessons together. Won't that be fun?"
"Linda," interrupted her father, as he saw her start away, "where are
you going? I want to tell you something."
"Yes, Daddy?" A wild hope surged in her heart that perhaps he had
changed his mind about Ted. It wasn't only that she had taken a dislike
to H. B. Taylor--it was rather that she had not confidence in him as
a teacher. He might be all right as a pilot, but instructing others
was a different matter. And he would never really feel any personal
interest in her progress, or understand her, like Ted. His attitude
almost said that he thought it was silly of girls to want to fly!
But she ought to have known her father better than to think he would
change his mind.
"I should like to take your car and go home now, if you don't mind," he
said, "because I have some work to do today that is urgent--some people
to see about business. And Mr. Clavering has very kindly offered to
drive you home. Is that all right? I know you don't like other people
to run your car----"
"Oh, Daddy, you're different," she said, forcing a smile. "Of course I
don't mind your driving it.... But I'm sorry you can't wait for us."
Promising to meet Ralph in a couple of minutes, she walked out to the
entrance of the field with her father.
"I need not tell you, dear," he said, "that my decision about Mackay
is final. And I want you to have as little to do with him as possible,
while you are here. It's for your own good, daughter. I can see that
girls might find the young man attractive. But it is well to steer
clear of such people. Have all the fun you like with your own friends."
"Yes, Daddy," she managed to reply.
"I guess young Clavering will see to it that your time at home, after
most of the others go away for the summer, is not dull. And if you
pass your course and get your license, you can fly your plane to Green
Falls. I will make arrangements about a place to keep it. I dare say
they have maps at the school."
"Yes--and thank you so much--for everything, Daddy," she said. She
mustn't let him see that she was disappointed, after all he had done
for her! He might be right about Ted--but she didn't think so. Whatever
Ted's father might be, she felt sure that Ted was one of the finest
young Americans that she had ever known.
Securing her notebook, and handing over her keys to her father, she
hurried back to the field, and finished her lesson with Ralph at her
side. As they walked out together, she looked about shyly for Ted. It
wouldn't do any harm for her just to speak to him; after all he did
want to tell her something. At last she spotted him, across the field
beside one of the planes--in overalls and jumper now, his red hair
brilliant in the sunlight.
"Do you know I believe that's the fellow we chased last night!"
exclaimed Ralph. "Do you know him?"
"Yes, I've met him. He took me up a couple of times."
"You know him? Then why was he sneaking around so funny last night? Why
didn't he come over and speak to you?"
"He's shy," replied Linda, jumping to the only conclusion that seemed
feasible, and her explanation must have been correct, for Ted never
looked up from his work as the young couple passed.