CHAPTER IV
_The Ground School_
"I certainly don't care for that woman!" announced Louise emphatically,as she got into Linda's roadster.
"Miss Hulbert?" inquired her chum.
"Yes. You might think she were the one and only queen of the air! Andit's all so silly. Imagine Lindbergh or Amelia Earhart talking likethat!"
"Still, she has a lot of experience on all of us," admitted Linda. "ButI don't believe what she says about ground schools. Why, Ted Mackay----"
"Have you heard from him lately, Linda?"
"About a week ago. He wants us to go to a school in St. Louis, where hesays they give a most thorough course."
"Sure it isn't because that will be near Kansas City--where he is?"teased Louise.
"Oh no, I wouldn't believe that of Ted. He is seriously interested inmy career--yours too, for I told him that you might go with me."
"Might!" repeated Louise, settling back in her seat to enjoy the ride,for it was a lovely day, and there was no top over the car. "Nobodycould stop me now--after this afternoon! We're going to beat BessHulbert to it, and get that prize!"
"Lou, if we only could! You know how I've talked of flying the oceanbefore. Are you still game?"
"Absolutely! But we wouldn't dare take a chance in your Pursuit, wouldwe?"
"No, of course not. What I'd like to get is a Model J Bellanca--it'smade especially for that purpose. Take off early next May--the very dayLindy flew, if the weather happens to be right."
"Where would we ever get the money for such a plane?" asked Louise,incredulously. "It would cost thousands of dollars."
"Yes, I know. I talked to Daddy this morning, and if he decides to letme try it, he won't mind the money. But don't breathe a word of this toanybody! I wouldn't want Miss Hulbert to hear of it; she'd only makeall manner of fun of us."
"Suppose she should get that prize," remarked Louise. "Can you imagineher in Paris, Linda? Representing American Girlhood! Why, it mightstart a war with the French!"
"Now, Lou, you're exaggerating too much. She isn't as disagreeable asall that."
"She is. She's even worse. But of course I won't say a word about ourplan, except to mother and dad. And maybe I won't work hard at school,to get my own license!"
"That's the spirit!" approved Linda, as she stopped the car at herchum's house.
"Linda! Look how low that plane's flying!" exclaimed the other, as thegirls got out of the car. "And look at the way she's tilting!"
"The pilot must be crazy! Why, that's only a few hundred feet up. Comeon, Lou, something is likely to happen! Let's get into the house."
Instinctively Linda pushed Louise towards the porch, but with a quickglance about, she saw her chum's brother in the next yard, playing witha group of children. Unmindful of her own danger, and the velvet dressshe was wearing under her lovely fall coat, she dashed over the hedgeand dragged the children into the house.
Nothing happened, however; when she came outside she noticed that theplane was climbing again. With a sigh of relief she went back toLouise.
"That was our friend Miss Hulbert," announced the latter, scornfully."Doing some stunts for our benefit."
"No! Not really?"
"Absolutely. She waved to me!"
"She certainly doesn't show much judgment. Besides, it's unlawful."
"Let's sue her!"
"Now, Lou! You are positively vindictive. And all because she made funof my flying." But Linda gave her chum a hug; it was so comforting tofeel her entire loyalty.
"All right, then let's forget her.... Can you stay for dinner, Linda?"
"No thank you, Lou--I'm afraid not. Daddy's home, and he may leave anyminute. You know I told you he's in business now in New York."
"Yes, it seems funny, doesn't it? I never could imagine your father inbusiness. What do you suppose made him do that?"
"Restlessness, I think, and the fact that he can't ride any more.Besides, he told me the ranch doesn't pay, so I guess he has to trysomething else."
"Well, if you will have airplanes, and expensive courses----" teasedLouise.
"Oh, but just wait! We'll be ten-thousand-dollar-a-year women when wefinish our education, Lou. It's going to be a good investment."
"I certainly hope so.... Well, so long. I'll call you up tomorrow andwe'll go shopping for our overalls."
Linda drove off, and arrived just in time for dinner. Her aunt, itseemed, had been impatiently awaiting her return, for she had learnedfrom Linda's father that he had given his consent to the ground schoolcourse.
"I simply can't understand you, Linda," she said when they were at thetable. "When you could be having the time of your life this winter!With all the gayety here--and even this new flying club. Why you shouldwant to go off to a school where you will have to mess up your handswith grease and machinery, and practically live in overalls, is beyondme."
"I know, Aunt Emily--I guess I do seem queer. But to me it's just the_only_ thing to do. There's something inside me that makes me feel asif nothing else is so important--for me." Her eyes shone with ardor.
Mr. Carlton watched her admiringly.
"There isn't anything so great in this world," he said slowly, "as asplendid enthusiasm--a purpose in life. If I were a fairy god-mother,and could give a child only one gift, it would be that. Emily, weshould bow down before it in admiration, and thank Heaven that Linda isso different from most of the young people today--still in their teensand bored with life."
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" cried the girl. How wonderful it was to beunderstood!
"But imagine having her away from home all winter!" moaned MissCarlton. "Or do you think I should close this house and go and board inSt. Louis?"
"No, Emily, that won't be necessary," replied Mr. Carlton. "It would bea shame to take you away from your friends. Besides, Linda will haveher Arrow. I see no reason why she shouldn't fly home every week-end,if she isn't too tired, or too busy."
"Yes, that will be lots nicer," agreed Linda. "Because then we'll havereal Thanksgiving and Christmas just the same as ever. Can you picturethose holidays in a boarding-house?"
Miss Carlton looked relieved, but she still disliked the whole idea.She raised another objection.
"Think of Linda alone in a big city like St. Louis," she said. "She'stoo young----"
"I'm eighteen now," Linda hastened to remind her. "I couldn't try toqualify for a transport license if I weren't. Besides, I won't bealone, and I won't be in a big city. The school is quite far out of St.Louis, and Louise expects to go with me."
"Well, that is better, I must say," admitted her aunt, rathergrudgingly.
"And you could go out with the girls, Emily," suggested her brother,"and see that they are established in some nice home, with a motherlywoman who will look after them. I think the Y. W. C. A.'s keep listslike that, of eminently respectable people, who need to take boarders."
"That is a good idea."
"Then it's all settled?" asked Linda, excitedly. "When can I start?"
"Next week, I guess," replied her father. "If that is convenient toyou, Emily."
So, with no further opposition, Linda set herself to the pleasant taskof getting ready. The next day she accompanied her father to the bankwhere he deposited the bonds in a safety-deposit box in her name, andopened an account for her. One of these thousand-dollar bonds shereluctantly turned over to Kitty, for although she liked the idea of aflying club for Spring City, she wondered whether she weren't helpingto finance her rival on that trip from New York to Paris. But withHarry Smith on the finance committee, she felt somehow safe. He wouldnot willingly allow the club to spend its money for such purposes.
By the tenth of October, everything was in readiness, for Ted Mackayhad secured application blanks and mailed them to the girls, andpromised to be on hand when they arrived at the school. So, with theirsuit-cases stuffed with overalls and flyers' suits, they stepped intothe Arrow and took off.
The day was so lovely and the country so beautif
ul that more thanonce Linda regretted the fact that her aunt had insisted upon goingby train. It would have been such a wonderful chance to show her howsafe, yet how fascinating air travel could be. Without the faintestdisturbance they flew straight to the school where Ted Mackay had alsomade arrangements for them to keep the Arrow.
He was the first person they saw when Linda brought the plane down. Hewas standing there near a hangar, his helmet off, his red hair shiningin the sunlight, and grinning at them delightedly. Beside him was anolder man, probably one of the instructors.
As soon as the girls got out of the cockpit, he was beside them,introducing his companion to them.
"This is Mr. Eckers," he said. "He is crazy to meet two girls who wantto be mechanics. He never heard of one before."
"Yet we're quite human," laughed Louise. "Almost normal, I think."
"Well, you see," explained Eckers, "we have several young ladieshere who are studying to be pilots--even commercial and transportpilots--but we never had a mechanic of your sex before. But that's noreason why you shouldn't succeed."
"I'm not so good myself," remarked Louise. "And I may not take thatcourse after all, because I'm not even any kind of pilot yet. But I'dlike to see a man who knows more about the inside of his car than MissCarlton does. She takes it apart as easily as most girls make fudge."
"Oh, Lou----" protested Linda, blushing, but Ted changed the subject byasking them about their trip.
After a few preliminaries, such as going into the office and meetingthe secretary and a couple of the other instructors, and signing up fortheir doctor's examination, the girls bade Ted good-by, and took a taxifor the station where they were to meet Miss Carlton.
It was amusing to find that the train was late, whereas they hadbettered their own schedule in the airplane. It arrived at last,however, and Miss Carlton hurried anxiously forward, as usual expectingthat something had probably happened to her niece. She was relieved tofind both girls well and happy.
"We might as well all go to a hotel tonight," she suggested, "and havea good dinner, and take in a picture afterwards. There can't be anyrush about your finding your boarding-house, is there?"
"Only that we begin work tomorrow," replied Linda. "We must be there atnine o'clock for our examinations."
"My, but you are in a hurry!" the older woman remarked. "When I was agirl, fun always came first."
"But it is all going to be fun, Aunt Emily!"
"Still, we might as well have the dinner, and take in an early show,"put in Louise. "Miss Carlton would rather stay over night, anyway,wouldn't you?"
"Yes, of course. And suppose I look up the boarding-house tomorrow,while you're at school. You'd trust to my judgment?"
"Oh, Auntie, we'd be delighted!" cried Linda, giving her hand asqueeze. "If you don't mind, it would save us a lot of time!"
The evening, therefore, was spent just as Miss Carlton desired, diningat the best hotel in St. Louis, going afterwards to the most expensivetheater in a taxi. But the girls got to bed early, and left a call forseven o'clock the following morning.
The school was so much bigger, so much more organized than thelittle one at Spring City that Linda felt lost at first. After theirexaminations they made out a roster with one of the instructors, andhere they decided to part.
Louise felt that after all, she wasn't particularly fitted to becomea mechanic, and she would rather spend her time actually flying, sothat perhaps by the end of the term she might win a limited commerciallicense. Linda, who had always kept an air-log with the Pursuit--arecord of her flights and the number of hours in the air--would notneed much more time to complete her two hundred hours solo flying thatwas part of a transport pilot's requirements. And while Louise wastaking only the general course about airplanes, Linda would study planestructure and rigging, control systems, motors, and everything that hadto do with the repair of aircraft. It was a big program; the thought ofit was breathtaking. But, as Linda's instructor informed her, she wouldgo step by step, advancing each day a little.
After that the days flew by all too quickly. The girls liked the housewhere Miss Carlton had established them, a neat little cottage that wasowned by a widow, who lived alone with her two children, and it wasnear enough to the school for them to walk to and from it each day.They would rise early, eat a hearty breakfast and take their lunchwith them, remaining away all day. After supper they were usually tootired to go anywhere; they would sit around the open fireplace in theliving-room with the family, Louise reading a novel, Linda continuallyporing over some book about aviation. Once or twice Ted Mackay flewover to see them, and took them to dinner and to a show, usuallybringing one of his friends with him. But they were too much absorbedto be lonely.
Before they scarcely realized it, the Thanksgiving holiday was uponthem, and, leaving their overalls and their flyers' suits at St. Louis,they took off in the Arrow for their first visit back to Spring City.