Linda Carlton's Island Adventure

ief of

o eat, and Linda hastened to supply her with food. While th

g the disreputable suit which she had worn for three day

t when we crashed.... Linda," she added apologetically, "I'm

repaired, if we can get the new parts to this

telling the girls that he and Hal would take care of the burying of the criminal. "Unl

riends, outside the gang.... No, it's better for him t

ho did not know the story of the kidnap

offered Jackson. "You can go back into one of those little 'houses,' and c

bout tonight. We can't all four get into that canoe, so Susie and I had b

ther of the boys had a chance t

ave me some grub, and a blanket. You can come back for me when you bring somebody to fix your plane." This generous offer came as a complete surprise to Linda; she had not r

that I'll ever tell the authorities anything bad about you! I was

rl shrugged

d to being left by myself. B

as soon as possible. With fast paddling, they ought to be able to reach a little town in

d in her bag, for she had shipped her trunk to Atlanta, where she had expected to report for work. The wearing of

eveled green linen suit, she was radiantly beautiful now. Retur

hed at his

e another girl

lorified," he an

e around with the aid of a stick, the three young people pushed off. It was only three o'clock; all the

f the last two hours; Jackson was thinking of Linda-or "Ann"-Carlton, and wondering whether her hiding her head on his shoulder had meant that she cared for him. Lin

o first broke

rge city to this southern end

eplied Hal, immediately. "

go," announced Linda. "Have t

. "Miss Carlton," he added, "would you st

uth, until she had lost her way in the Okefenokee, she had met

is mother would give to a girl who was so different from all his other friends. Surely, howeve

thanksgiving, she gave it one last look, hardly able to believe her good fortune. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she had been miserably lost

he swamp, they walked to the nearest village and asked for the Post Office. Here Linda made arrangements

," she wrote. "But not hurt. Wire m

utogiro, and while the boys looked up a place to eat supper, she bought a Jacksonville ne

More than a hundred thousand dollars had been stolen-in cash and securities-by four masked

she thought, resolving to get this inform

ation briefs, and copied from an Ohio paper-stating the fact that Linda Carlton, world-famous aviatrix, had n

eason she did not want Jackson Carter or Hal Perry to connect her with the famous flyer,

a little frame house where a widow ran a sort of restaurant. The cottage was run-down and out-

t to Jacksonville?" inquired Li

eplied Hal. "Providing

intensely for sleep in a real bed. These last two nig

had a plan

. "I've never been in one-and I've promised my

with genuine sympathy. Life without

e trip. But it proved to be better than its appearance; over the lovely hard roads of Florida it traveled comparat

that night. It was her duty to report the crash of her plane, and the death of that criminal. She wishe

mind, she asked Jac

ne," was his

tonight about those thieves. I understand that

demanded the b

ational,' the

is mother's bank -where all of her money was kept! The bank of which his un

with me?" asked Linda, not knowing what Jackson was suffering. "I'

eed the young man, still a

when Linda explained her reason to an officer at the

d delighted with his dignified and courteous manner. She smiled at him confidently; how di

e part about the kidnapping to the newspapers," she began. "I don't want my

ficer. "You don't mean to say

ast about her own exploits, but this time it was necessary. "Here in Jacksonville, among friends, I am going to be known as Ann Carlton, because I w

on't tell. Unless i

ening of June 22nd I lost my way over the Okefenokee Swamp, and finally landed on an island. A plane had been chasing me, as I later learned after it landed-or rather crashed-beside mine. The man in it held me

. The story, which might have seemed incredulous to an ordinary person

you get away?

ry," she explained. "While the men went off, I escaped, and

death of the ring-leader of the gang, whom she knew only as "Slats." She spok

bles was another interesting point in her story, and she

or at the camp," she concluded, "I don't know

to go back into that swamp?" the

o you tonight. So that we can m

Miss Carlton! These men will be

. Can we go tomorro

airp

ld be too slow. They ma

o much noisier than a boat

ll get a plane, Captain Magee-a large one-I will fly it, t

any plane I happen to get, Miss Ca

to manage most anything.... Can you send a car out for me to the Cart

all the arrangements," he agreed, seeing th

ting taxi. It was growing late, long after t

f came to the door wh

ked, immediately, for there wa

money was lost-knocked her terribly. She hasn't told grandmother, or it might kill her

ckson had "picked up" on his canoe trip, and had stubbornly refused to see her. The woman had worked hersel

for this is no time for your mother to be bothered with a guest. But I'll just stay to

unconsciously. "Don't, please! It's dangerou

des,

dn't go off to lonely places like

a sm

to get that money back. Think of the hundreds of people hurt by that bank robbery-if the bank i

instead," h

tty well hidden, and I know the only spot where a l

t the plane yourself? Y

ny more, Mr. Carter-you sound like my aunt-and let me go to bed.

rrowfully, for it seemed like the end of what might