“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 December 1939, Page 10

“MAN FROM THE AIRPORT”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

By

LESLIE BERESFORD.

Author of “Mr Appleton Awakes,’’ “The Ollier Mr North,” etc.

:a CHAPTER I. :e s Out of the far-western sky, a small black patch silhouetted sharply against ic j a scarlet sea of sunset, a plane raced eastwards, growing with every moment larger in size, the zooming of its engines becoming perceptibly louder ( and louder as it hovered at last over Ottc-rbridge. And now. caught by the last rays of the dying sun, it gleamed white. The lettering on it could be distinctly seen, and this indicated that the plane be5, longed to the West-Central Airways Syndicate, one of the several companies engaged in passenger and goods traffic at the Canadian end of the trans-Atlantic air service plying reguj larly between Great Birtain and the American continent. The pilot of this particular plane looked down on Otterbridge, a faintly t; bored expression in his eyes. Keen as >1 he might be on his job, it had lost any thrill and glamour it once might have .’ held for him. He had taken westward a royal party from London on their way to a ■ shooting trip in the Rockies; and now e was returning with, among others, an ), eloping financial swindler, whom Scotland Yard men had followed, and were d hurrying back to London to be tried , for his misdeeds, g As he manoeuvred the plane to land I. on the Otterbridge airport, he certaine ly did for a moment realise how sharply the heel of scientific progress had 3 marked itself upon the landscape. For here, vividly alone among the rolling forest lands and patches of cultivated 2 plain below, Otterbridge gleamed and flashed in the glowing sundown, like a jewel dropped in passing by some .elegant woman. It seemed suddenly to rush up to meet the plane, although really of course the plane was sweeping downwards towards it, and soon was taxiing smoothly along the concrete fair- • way to a standstill. Here, at once, the ; organised commotion of airport life began its bustle around the landed f plane. The pilot, descending, talked with airport officials and mechanics, , engine trouble having been experienc- : - ed on the last lap. The captured • swindler and his escort, with the other j passengers, moved away towards the : ! brilliantly-lit hotel and the fan-shaped array of offices at one end. More slowly, after his talk with the - mechanics, the pilot followed, gradual- , 5 ly lightening himself of his airkit as he strode along. As he passed into the - , head-offices of the West-Central syndicate, he showed in the lights to be a j young man, with a keen and intelli- : gent face allied to a lean and virile i body obviously in the most fit of con- i

ditions. , He had still that serious, half-bored expression, although he smiled and 1 spoke pleasantly as he was greeted by one and another. He handed in the log of his entire trip, making a few terse remarks in answer to questions. That over, he asked a question himself. “Either O’Corrigan or De Brissac off duty?” he asked. “Both,” answered the official, and grinned. “Say boy. you and those two might as well be triplets, there’s no keeping you apart when you can get together. Hughson was talking about it —” He leaned suddenly forward with an air of confidence and concern, first having glanced round to make sure he could not be overheard. ‘Hughson seems to have his knife properly into you. boy, and I’m sure I can’t see why.” “All I’m sure is that I don’t care a hang what Hughson feels about me,” retorted the other quietly. “He’s general manager for the company here, and if he doesn’t fancy the cut of my face, or whatever his grievance may be—well, I'm in no position to object, being only a mere pilot." “Say, that’s certainly so," agreed the official. “But you’re a good pilot, and all, and better than most of them here as well. Why he worked up a grouch against you—and those two pals of yours—?’ “Oh, leave it at that!” the pilot intervened, laughing. “I’m not worried, nor are my friends either, so why bother?” As he swung, laughing, out of the office, he was not ’by any means so ignorant as to the reason why the gen-eral-manager was so hot on creating trouble with him in particular. He knew only too well, and—as he had said to the official—he was utterly indifferent. It had its disadvantages, among them always the possibility that he might find his flying contract at an abrupt end any minute, once Hughson chose a good enough reason to cancel it and throw him out. Just at tile moment, ho was not anxious for that to happen. And, in fact ,he was rather doubtful if Hughson would really go so far as that, since it would not. be altogether to his advantage. Hughson, he guessed, was < trying to bluff him, put on the screw, make things as difficult as possible for him. This, in the hope of breaking ; down his resistance over the little see- i ret matter between them. i His thoughts, as he was leaving the ; office behind him were interrupted by a musical voice, quite charming, but i coming to his ear at this moment with a ring which faintly irritated. < ' “So you're back, Mr Fetors? I hope ; you saw their royal highnesses safely I to —where they wanted to go?” | “You may take it that I did, Miss Hughson,” he answered on a note of| ( light banter, with just, a touch of cy-jt nicism in his voice. The last brought, a little touch t colour to the checks of the girl whoi ' had intcrupted his thought:-. She was) more than pretty. Indeed, from that point of view. Peters had often wen-

Tm sure it’s very nice of you. Rose, but I hope you'll do no such thing,” Peters said. “Whatever difference may exist between your father and me, I prefer to handle it my own way. I’m not the sort to hide myself behind any woman's skirts: ’ “Mine, anyhow, ’ wouldn't make a good hiding-place for a man of your size,” she added, and again her fingers clung to his arm as they stopped outside the house which she and her father occupied. “All the same,” she said. “I shall speak to father. I won’t have him coming between you and me, as I’m sure he has been doing ' “And there, again, you’re mistaken.” he intervened, a little sharply now. for he could see that it might be better if this matter were brought to a head once and for all. “You really mustn’t suggest to your father than there is anything between you and me, Rose,” he told her. “It wouldn’t be true. It couldn't be, however much I liked you. I've made up my mind long since that while I’m a pilot. T Cut out friendships with women. 1 couldn't have myself growing fond of one. or her for me " “Couldn’t you?” she urged, her eyes darkening as she pressed close to him. “How stupidly you do talk. John! How could you prevent a woman from growing fond of you, as I’ve done? You might just as well talk about stopping the sun from shining. And I’m not only fond of you. John. You know it. so why pretend? I’m in love with you!—in love with you, do you hear?" “Yes, I hear," he said, merely adding: “And —I'm sorry, very sorry." "Sorry——?" she stared at him. taken aback, and then touched him on an arm. “Is that all you have to say? Doesn’t it matter to you—any more than that?" “My dear Rose. I've told you. 1don’t think a pilot has any right to entangle himself " "You mean” —she spoke now with a sudden anger—“you mean that —that what I've just said makes no difference —no difference at all to you?" (To be Continued )

dcred how she ever came to be Hughson’s daughter. And she, studying him

out of her smouldering, even passionate eyes, had never ceased to wonder why Peters —unlike all other men—never appeared to realise her attractions.

“Of course. You're so terribly safe. Mr Peters, aren't you?” she remarked with the faintest note of asperity. “So very safe. You always make me think of an old castle, with the drawbridge up, expecting to be besieged—” Then, realising that she was not complimentary to him, she laughed. “Except that you’re not old,” she added, and came closer, smiling up at him. ‘Tve been very rude, haven’t I? Well, I didn’t mean to be, Mr Peters. Only don’t you think you could show a little more interest in me, by way of a change? If I don’t —sort of push myself in your way, you scarcely seem to know I exist.” "Believe me, Miss Hughson, you’re wrong,” he said. ‘l've just as much sense of the beautiful as any other man—” She laid white, almost caressing fingers on his arm. “That’s quite the nicest thing you've ever said to me,” she smiled. “I’d Degun to think you couldn’t say anything nice. I do believe you're coining out of your shell at last. Say, are we going to be real friends at last?" He looked down at her attractive, appealing eyes of such liquid brown as sent an instinctive little thrill through him. She was lovely, this girl, with her peach-bloom complexion needing no make-up, and her lips which curved so alluringly. He had realised that long enough, too well, being gifted with all a man’s weakness where a pretty woman was concerned. He had realised too that she was just as weak in her almost too obvious interest in him. At this moment he had only to make the slighest gesture. and she would have been in his arms. He did not make it. He relaxed a little, smiling down at her. “I didn’t know we’d ever been anything else but friends,” he said, pretending not to see her real point. “If I’ve given you any other impression, I’m sorry, Miss Hughson ” “Now, tell me that you don’t know my name’s Rose!” she challenged him. “Just as well as I know that yours is John. Why can’t we come together, instead of being always—so standoffish?” Then, before he could answer, she went on: “Of cuorse. I know, too. that you and father don’t gei on well together. And I must say I think it must be father’s fault. He isn’t at all easy to get on with. I know that, and I'm his

daughter. But. that needn't matter. In fact, if it comes to a show-down, 1 can twist father round my little finger, and I’ve only to tell him that you’re my friend, and I won’t have him quarrelling with you " “My dear Rose!" Peter interrupted laughingly. “You can’t do anything about that. Your father isn’t quarrelling with me. He’s general manager, and I’m only a pilot. He simply doesn’t like me —that’s all.” She remained silent while they moved on side by side. He watched her. He was wondering if, after all, she did know the real reason behind the i trouble between her father and him- ■ self. He was inclined to think it very ■ probable that she did. Anyhow, if it 1 were the case, she said nothing about 1 it when at last she did speak.. “Then he’s just got to like you!” she said. “I shall talk to him, John; tell him that, for my sake, he must make a friend of you.” •