Linda Carlton's Hollywood Flight

geles. Smiling and waving good-bye to Miss Carlton and Mrs. Crowley, who were standing on the side of the field, Linda gave her the gun. The plane taxied only a short distance, then with her nose

through the speaking-tube. “I know the way so well—I

replied Dot. “

atter an Arrow Sport plane, the two girls had spent a year at a ground school in St. Louis. Louise’s marriage to Ted Mackay had finally sep

nd Lou a wire tonight, and plan to stop in Kansa

f she and Ted aren’t of

possession of Linda and made her heart sing. Poor people down there on the earth, looking like ants crawling about on their humdrum affa

long in the sky. And, no matter what happened later, she and Dot were going to enjoy

valleys and flat country, through Ohio, past Indiana, on to Illinois. The sun was setting as the g

ay to the airport, and then on to the Air School. But Linda could have

attendants recognized the famous Ladybug, and by the time the au

arlton! We kne

you back, M

friends and asked them to put the Ladybug away for

the telephone,” answered one of the atte

her. “You didn’t look half pretty enough, though. But we

e time to deny the false impression, but

n the autogiro, they took out an overnight bag and went to a ho

ll the time!” she remarked, with distaste

oned her companion. “I was wonderin

d it seems so useless. Until I have proof, I mean. They

l, don’t let’s worry. We can cle

ephone, and changed their costumes for dinner. It was after seven o’cloc

reeted Linda was practically the sa

to hide his disapproval. “If I had known that, I shouldn’t ha

a si

rumor, Mr. Ecker

he persisted. “Sam and Jeff told me they

ke. Some girl is impersonating me. F

aned forward, star

mean that, Lind

no

st now, to clear it all u

a joy this girl was, he thought! She was made for far greater things than moving-picture ac

thing doesn’t appeal to me—publicity and acting—and all that stuff. I’m h

id. “So I must say I was somewhat disa

red her—not as Ralph Clavering admired her, for her beauty a

my proposition after all?

urse—say until next spring. The other offers I have had have all been so far away, that I’d rather accept yours, so t

il about the work that he wanted her to teach. Dot sat back in her c

t I may not be back in time to start when the school opens. Would you be willing to wait for

ds Dot sat u

e a habit of not showing up when we’re expected,

re were no wild adventures in store for her this time. “Hollywood isn’t

sed to stay in Hollyw

admitt

ckert

class myself until the first of October. Then, if you can’t

eans small. For Linda Carlton was a drawing-card, and Mr. Eckert knew that her name would b

the fall rains usually set in. So she was not surprised to waken the following morning to find a dismal downp

would postpone the flight. For you couldn’t tell how

it, as if the mere matter of weather wer

e are to make Kansas

the smaller g

field by half-past s

nes had encountered severe difficulty in ta

Sam, stepping close to the Ladybug, as Linda starte

a sm

o help me to rise,” she retu

the cockpits, and the plane seemed to be wrapped in a great gray blanket of clouds and rain. The wind was blowing furiously, as if it were determined to get the better of the

ying could even be monotonous, when, all of a sudden, as if in a hideous dream, she saw a nineteen-story building rushing madly at her. Not that she realized that it was exactly nineteen stories—indeed it loo

e she would dash down on top of pedestrians and motor-cars, killing others as well as herself and Dot?... But no, the speed was reducing; she was right over another office building—a shorter one, only about six stories in height—with—oh, joy of jo

redulity she turne

ted her chum. “Anybody’d think

re out of her mouth. She had forgotten all about the reas

the fire-escape, and a freckle-faced youth of

he exclaimed. “

y crashed on top of that big office building ov

ing this is?” as

hook he

ilding! Biggest news

e of newspapers,” returned Dot.

unced. “My slogan’s ‘First on the spot, to get news while it’s hot.’—so please

ased, but Dot was e

from Toonerville,” she replie

olemnly wrote

where—what st

” answered Dot, withou

man didn’t know whet

That’s a name in Fon

a place, just the same. Just write a

It was sufficient to take them to the suburbs, wher

t effort to keep her face straight. “We’re off—if the

d distinguish faces peering at them from every window in sight. After all, they had afforded a pleasa

papers, Aunt Emily will never guess that it was my Ladybug. It might worry her dreadfully if she thought I was dropping out of

ap, they landed at the Mackays’ field, and

the rotors, and dashed across the muddy field like the impu

out of the cockpits a

e. “Pity we can’t take the Ladybug inside too. Bu

sked Linda. “Oh, I hope he does,

gets home for supper, and you t

t, Lou—h

y Ted save your life a couple of times at least, Li

there was no great hurry—and it was bad weather for flying. On

, and laughing heartily over the newspaper story about their strange landing, which appeared on the front page tha