CHAPTER VIII
_Eavesdropping_
When Linda and Louise came downstairs in their flying suits, ready tostart for Plattsburg, they saw it was snowing. Mrs. Bancroft, enteringthe living-room with a thermos bottle of coffee, immediately assumedthat they would stay with her for another day.
"You girls have never flown in a snowstorm, have you?" she asked.
"No, but we have to begin sometime, Mrs. Bancroft," replied Linda,cheerfully. She was anxious to be off; the flight promised to be awonderful adventure.
"I don't see any reason why you should ever have to fly in badweather," remarked the older woman. "There are so many beautiful days."
"But when we are commercial pilots, we'll have to," Linda explained."So we might as well get used to it."
"You don't mean that you expect to take a regular paid position inaviation after you graduate, do you?" she demanded, in amazement.
"Yes. Rather!"
"You young girls certainly are marvelous! I suppose you'll put the ideainto Nancy's head too.... Well, if there's no use urging you to stay,I think you had better make your start. You don't want to risk flyingafter dark."
"Linda's even done that," boasted Louise.
Hearing the taxi, which was to take them to the airport, they bade ahasty farewell and departed.
"You're not afraid, are you, Linda?" inquired Louise, as they spedacross New York City.
"Not a bit! Only I wish we had as good directions for findingPlattsburg as Ted gave us to follow coming here. It makes it so mucheasier."
"Maybe we'll find a letter or a wire at the airport," surmised Louise.
What they found, however, was far better than either. Standing besidethe Arrow, which had been pushed out in readiness for the flight, wasTed Mackay himself, grinning as usual.
"How do you happen to be here, Ted?" cried Louise, as she jumped out ofthe taxi.
"I was as far east as Washington yesterday," the young man told her."And I thought it would be nice to see you."
"Better than nice," laughed Linda. "Most helpful!"
"Come into the hangar where it's warm," advised Ted, "and we'll figureeverything out."
As soon as they were within the shelter of the big building, he reachedinto his pocket and brought out a map.
"This is your best course," he said. "I've indicated a lot of landings,in case you need them--for it will be impossible to see the ground ifthis snow keeps on, so you must watch your mileage. Perhaps, though,you'll fly into clearer weather as you go north.
"Look out for Lake Champlain, then you'll know you're right. It'sprobably frozen over now."
He handed Linda the map, together with his Washington address, where hesaid he would be stationed for several days, and where he would expecttheir telegrams.
"One tonight from Plattsburg," he reminded them. "One tomorrow fromMontreal--after you get back from that Convent. You better stay over aday at Montreal and have your plane inspected. Even at that, you oughtto get back to Spring City the day before New Year's."
"And then we can go to the dance!" exclaimed Louise. "That will delightyour Aunt Emily, Linda!"
But Linda was not thinking about social events. Her mind was entirelyoccupied with her plane and her flight.
"This map is marvelous, Ted," she said, after she had examined itclosely. "And how about the Pursuit? Did you give her the once-overyourself? Of course I know the airport made the inspection."
"I did, too. She's absolutely O.K. You have nothing to worry about,except the weather. I want you to make me just one promise, Linda."
"Yes?"
"You won't fly any longer than you have to through sleet and hail. Ifice forms on your wings and propeller, you'll have a tough job. Eventhe old, experienced pilots--Army men--hate it, and avoid it wheneverthey can. If it starts, make a landing as soon as possible.... Yes, oneother thing: When you get to Montreal, make careful inquiries aboutthe location of this Convent--about the land around it, I mean. Theycan tell you all about it at the airport, and if there isn't a goodbig space, don't attempt to go there in the Pursuit. Take a taxi or atrain."
"Well, I never had so many instructions in all my life!" laughed Linda."But I'm going to take them all seriously, Ted, and follow them to theletter."
"We think you're an old peach, Ted!" put in Louise. "We'd never be ableto get along without you!"
He smiled and held out his hand. "Good-by," he said. "And good luck!"
The girls taxied along the snow-covered ground and rose into the air,where the gentle, silent flakes of snow were falling all about them.The atmosphere gave them the queerest sensation; they seemed to floatsuspended in the sky. It was like fairyland, a region apart from theworld, and they gazed at it in awe. Then Linda climbed higher, untilthey were well over the cloud line, and the sun shone and the sky was adeep blue.
On and on they flew, now and then shifting controls--first Linda andthen Louise, taking turns sipping their coffee in their intervals ofrest. Neither cared to eat. It would be more fun to be terribly hungryand order a grand hot dinner at Plattsburg.
The landing was difficult, for it was hard to see when they flew lower.But Ted's directions had been so accurate that they found the desiredairport, and came down gracefully. Giving their instructions to theattendant, the girls left the plane and taxied to the largest hotel.
"Do you think we ought to change our clothing before we order dinner?"asked Louise. "I'm simply starved."
"So am I. No, don't let's bother. We're dry enough, when we take offthese leather coats. Let's see what we can get to eat!"
Since it was neither lunch nor supper time, the clerk seemed somewhatdoubtful, but the good-natured headwaiter, smiling at their aviationcostumes, said he would see to it at once. He put them into a littlealcove just off the lobby, behind some big plants, where they would notbe stared at, and served them a delicious hot dinner, cooked especiallyfor them.
How good it tasted! It seemed as if nothing had ever been sosatisfying. They enjoyed every mouthful. Indeed, the warmth of theatmosphere and the food made them feel so deeply contented that theydid not even talk. A radio was playing in the reception room, and thehum of voices in the lobby seemed distant and soothing.
But presently, as they were eating a lovely concoction that was calledby a French name, and apparently was a sort of glorified fruit pudding,they heard two voices close to them, near and distinct, yet low. Theycould not see the speakers, but the voices were somehow familiar, andit was not long before they identified them.
"I think you ought to take that Moth back, Sis," insisted the man'svoice. "That club may be wanting to use it."
"Calm yourself," returned the girl, haughtily. "You don't suppose anyof those spoiled babies would fly in this kind of weather, do you?Besides, I have important business on!"
"Business?"
"Sure. I'm making money, Bob! Get that under your skin. I've got tohave it--and I'm getting it."
"So you can fly over the ocean--after that prize?"
"Certainly."
There was silence for a moment, and Louise and Linda looked at eachother breathlessly, hardly daring to move lest they reveal theirpresence. So this was where Miss Hulbert was--on business! They waited,hoping to hear more.
"Tell me more about your job," urged Lieutenant Hulbert, voicingLinda's and Louise's wish.
"Can't. It isn't a job.... It's business--and it's a secret.... Oh, notso easy, either. I may be killed, or put in prison. But I've got tohave money! And you won't get it for me!"
"How can I, Bess?" demanded the young man, irritably. "I can't work anyharder than I'm doing now."
"You know well enough what you could do!"
"You mean marry Kitty Clavering?"
"Now you're talking!"
"Well, I won't!"
"Don't you like her? She's not bad--really quite cute-looking, I think.Now if I asked you to propose to either of those two awful girls thatthink they know all about flying--you know the ones I mean, one of 'emnamed aft
er Lindbergh--that would be something else again. But I shouldthink any man could stand a harmless little thing like Kitty Clavering,for the sake of all those millions."
It was all Linda and Louise could do to keep from bursting out laughingat Miss Hulbert's description of themselves. But they restrained theirdesire, for the sake of the fun of hearing more.
"That's just it!" the unhappy young officer was protesting. "I'm inlove with Kitty--too much so to ask her to marry me when I have nothingto offer her."
"You fool!" exclaimed his sister, in utmost contempt.
"Oh, I'll probably ask her, in the end. I won't be able to help myself.I've been staying away from her--sending that other fellow to give thelessons while I was away--but it doesn't help. I'm all the crazierabout her.... But get this, Sis--if I ask her, it will be to live on mypay, until I can make more!"
"Then," announced Miss Hulbert, "I have nothing more to say. But markthis, Bob, and remember it, if I come to any accident or disgrace:remember, it is you who shoved me into it!"
"That's utter rot!" he stormed, forgetting to keep his voice low."Nobody has to get into disgrace, unless they do disgraceful things!"
"Sh!" warned Bess. "You needn't broadcast your feelings and opinions tothe world. No use making anybody suspect me, before it's necessary....Well, so long! If you ever change your mind, you can wire me at theFlying Club, or at my New York apartment. I shan't be here aftertonight."
In another minute they were gone, and Louise and Linda sat staring ateach other in silence, too amazed even to speak.
"Poor boy!" were the first words which Linda finally uttered. "To havea sister like that!"
"I'm thinking more about 'poor us'," answered Louise. "From herconversation, I take it that Bess Hulbert is rapidly raising money.Money to fly the Atlantic!"
"So it sounds."
"I'd like to know how she's doing it," mused Louise.
"She said it might bring disgrace," replied Linda, thoughtfully...."Funny she should be here--in Plattsburg.... Lou, do you suppose shecould be 'Mr. Hofstatter'--or rather, Mr. Hofstatter's employer?"
"That's an idea, Linda!" cried Louise, her eyes flashing withexcitement. "Only it seems too impossible. How could she have gottenword of your father's business?"
Linda was silent for a moment.
"Through me," she announced, finally. "Remember the day I showed myhandkerchief to the girls, and explained all about where Daddy wasgetting them? Remember how interested she was--and even knew the nameof the Convent?"
"That's right! I do! And she made some nasty remark about making moneyfrom nuns!"
"So she did. I was furious.... And the very next day Ralph told me shehad gone to Canada in the Moth, in search of a job!"
"It's true! It's true!" exclaimed Louise, jumping up from the table."No use to hunt Hofstatter now--he's only a pawn in her game--if we arecorrect in our guess. We must go right to the Convent!"
"Tonight?" asked Linda, doubtfully.
"No, of course not. Tomorrow. And it's clearing up, Linda. Oh, we'rethe luckiest girls in the world!"