Tom Swift and His Airship

g Off

what condition the various planes and braces were, that he paid little attention to the old ma

could also demand damages for trespassing on my roof, but I will refrai

rhaps Professor Swift will lecture on clouds and air currents and-and such thi

ously, she smoothed her hair, and settled her gold spectacles straighter on her nose. "Professor, I will delay collecting damages on be

Give exhibitions at county fairs. Leap for life, and all that sort of thing. I guess you mean

gnantly. "Why I understood from Miss Ne

," said Mary. "His father's a professor,

ee, but he never uses it

s though desirous of punishing some one. "Young ladies, for the last time, I order you to your roo

to our hero. "Can't you give some sort of a lecture? The girls are just cra

w what to say,

just then several women, evidently

e a while. But an airship! I've always wanted to see one, and now I have an opportunity. It will be just the thing fo

enough about an airship to lecture

benefit," answered the other

it by what she tells you. Meanwhile I wish to have some conversation concerning damages with the persons who so unceremoniously visited us. It is a shame that the p

ss Delafield. "You will observe the

ound to the other side. May I bring a few of my friends with me? I can't bear Mis

om, "only I fear I may have to he

time I've had to pay damages for coming down in a farmer's corn field. I'll attend to the lady principal, and you can explain things to the young ones

r intimate friends, to whom she slyly beckoned. There Tom told how the Red Cloud came to be built, and of his first trip in th

ttle lecture, and Miss Delafield was at the end of hers. The entire school of girls was grouped about the Red Cloud, curiously examining it, but Mary Nestor and

to smash into that tower, that you were belo

window, and I was wondering who was in it, when the crash came. Miss Perkman, who is nothing if not brave

ing went wrong with the machinery, or this never would have happened. As s

now," observed Miss Ne

oaching together, and the old maid did

ement for your school. Think of having the distinction of ha

dmitted the principal. "Perhaps you are

continued the balloonist. "Do you agree to that, Mr. Swift?" he ask

-five dollars," put in Miss Perkman. "I am a great admirer of professors-I mean in a strictly educati

," went on Mr. Sharp, pulling out a we

nued the principal, evidently as much appeased at the m

pered to Tom, as the head of the seminary star

that difficulty than it will be to

" the aeronaut said. It took co

some day, in the near future, Professor Swift would do the seminary the honor of

ou have learned enough of airships, and there ma

ay and take a ride in it

ered daringly. "It's bette

pert in managing it," he repli

he teachers and pupils. But the windows that gave a view of the airship in its odd position on the roof were

"First we will repair the rudder and the machinery, an

en propeller?

ut not so swiftly. Don't worry. We'll come out all

he rudder. Then the smashed propeller was unshipped and the gas machine started. With all the pupils watching from windows, and a cr

the window of the car-a hand in one of the school casements, but where there were so many pretty girls doing the same thing, I hardly see how Tom could pick out any certain one, though he

trip," the aeronaut said to the young inventor, as they turned arou

re going to smash into school towers," rem

rp warmly. "It would have happened to me had I been steeri

loud was safely housed. Mr. Swift was just beginning to get anxio

xclaimed Mr. Sharp enthusiastically. "Yo

r slowly sh

too important a matter under way to venture on a long trip," and he turned a