Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 September 1936 — Page 8

=——"Hham was here.

(Copyright, 1936, by NEA Service)

By DECK MORGAN

. 3 x { TTI m : Ja

HE three girls

CHAPTER ONE sat in the office of Central Airport,

hands folded primly in their laps, waiting to be inter-

. viewed.

Each held a newspaper with a photograph of the pretty stewardess who had lost her life in an automobile

“accident the day before.

The news meant, in this highly

competitive, present-day world, that a job was open and, out of the mass of young women who make their own way in the world, these three had appeared almost instantly. Each of them wanted that job. / Ted Graham, veteran pilot of Trans-Pacific Airways, eyed the three curiously. He had gazed at danger so long that, for him, it no longer existed. But it was otherwise

with these girls.

What did they know, what could they

know of the hazards and hardships of the life they seemed

80 eager to embrace?

The veteran pilot speculated about this. learned to read faces—and 40 learn from them.

He had Graham

‘was waiting now to see the chief of the personnel division

of Overland Airways. Trans-Pacific Airways, Ted

boldly into the inner office and said,

2

How's tricks?

Instead he waited his turn.

As an old friend and chief pilot of

Graham might have walked “Hello, Charlie.

Patience had been the

first lesson he had mastered in learning to ‘fly, and be

guarded this secret jealously.

the office first.

The three girls had reached

Ted Graham, therefore, crossed one leg

over the other, leaned back in his chair, and waited.

” zn un

# n A

N repose, his tanned, leathery face showed quiet resolu-

tion. ‘and danger.

It was a face, too, that showed the marks of peril Some might have called it hard, but friends knew there was a smile that, ing a flash of white teeth,

when it broke through, showwas unfailingly captivating.

The pale blue eyes that had seen so much danger, had gazed over such distances, betrayed a genuine nature. § A brisk young man came out of the personnel chief’s

office and signaled to one of the girls.

Looking at the

card in his hand, he said, “Right this way, Miss Dunn.” The girl addressed stood up and walked toward the

door.

First of all, Ted Graham noticed her splendid car-

riage.

She walked almost like a fashion model and her

greenish eyes flashed with animation and spirit. Graham, - “in imagination, could see her driving a car, swimming, cantering down a bridle path or dancing with obvious enjoy-

ment.

Then he noted that she had reddish hair, waving

back softly from her face. Her chin was well formed; de-

cidedly pretty.

n ” ”

” » ”

SUDDENLY the secretary spied Graham and exclaimed = effusively, “Why, Mr. Graham!” He turned again to

the girl.

“I'm sorry,” he began, “I didn’t know Ted GraYou'll have to wait—" .

Ted stood up, protesting, and Kay Dunn turned to look at him more closely. She, as well as the other girls, knew, of course, who Ted Graham was. - They had read of

his exploits in the air:

Kay's eyes met Graham’s. She didn’t want to wait, but she had a disciplined mind and a sense of humor, too. . She bowed prettily to. Mr. Ted Graham who, by all the precepts she knew, deserved precedencé. He had conquered the

air.

. Ted spoke to her directly, and she noticed his pale blue ‘eyes. “No, no,” he said. “You go in first, Miss—Miss—"

” £¢ UNN,” = thought charming. The girl's eyes flashed. you go in first.”

It had become almost like a game.

n n = = Kay supplied with a nod and gesture he

“But I insist,” she said, “that

swung his hand toward the door. “I insist,” he said, “that

you go in now.”

Kay stood her ground and said, almost casually.

“Please go in, Mr. Graham. job.”

I'm only here looking for a

“And I'm looking for a man to fill a job,” he said,

smiling. “A flier. pilot's job on the Tr

Do you think you could hold down a ans-Pacific Airways?”

|

These Three . . . Doris Lee, Alice Miller and Kay Dunn .

(Posed by Eileen Thorsen, Helen Motter and Mildred Shelley of United Airlines.)

Found that Adventuresome Romance Winged Across the Blue Pacific with the Clipper Ships

Ted bowed and:

“Not yet,” fast—:

she answered pertly. “But I'll learn

“But really—" Suddenly Graham’s eyes shone. “I'll tell you what—as a compromise, we'll go in to see Charlie

together !”

# » ”

» Rn / 8

HEN they had entered the office and were looking across an expanse of rug at the chief of personnel, busily engaged with figures on a pad, Graham said to the

girl suddenly, “Why you're trembling!

isn’t going to bite you!” Charles Benton looked up, a picture of outraged dignity. Then he laughed and almost bounded across the table. ° “Ted!” “Charlie!” Kay Dunn stood meekly

aside, watching the two .men pound each other's ‘backs, muttering the schoolboy palaver men reserve for their closest friends. Then Benton, seeing her, coughed discreetly, and went back to his desk. “This is Miss Kay Dunn,” Ted said, “She’s here for a job—wants to be a stewardess.” He drew himself up haughtily, and winked. “Give her the job, Charlie!” He laughed, and went .on, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I'm in no hurry at all. As a matter of fact, I'm on my way to California by the next plane—a deadhead. Just thought I'd drop in and see if I couldn’t steal one of your best pilots for my run. But that can wait. I'm going out to lunch with you.” “Good!” Benton said, beaming. “If Miss Dunn doesn’t mind, I'll sit over here while you take her temperature or whatever the procedure is in interviewing

* would-be stewardesses: I suspect

vou pick them because they're pretty—" “Not - at all!” gruffly, drawing himself up sedately. “They must exhibit foremost—er, flying qualities.” = un = ED laughed, “And what might those - be? Gracious, man, that could mean anything! Green eyes, a pretty chin, red hair—" “Sit down, Miss Dunn,” the personnel chief said sternly. “Your full name?” “Kay Dunn” “Oh, yes. You've already filled out the card” He picked up three cards and glanced - ly over the details listed. “Age 22. Born, Joplin, Mo. High school. Graduate nurse—" He glanced up again at Kay. “What makes you think you'd like to be a stewardess?” Kay said promptly, “There are plenty of girls who will be glad to take my place at the hospital. But for me—I want to see far-off places, some adventurous.

Benton said

Every time I look up and see a:

plane in the air I want to be on board. To me, flying spells ad-

venture!” :

2 8 8 HE I a a “No. Byt in my

Poor old Charlie

er; an aviator, who was killed in the war. I was only a little girl then but I remember seeing him up there in the air—" : Charles Benton picked up a rubber stamp and brought it down on Kay Dunn's card. “You're hired!” he said—“that is, if the doctor lets you by. Report to the doctor's office, and if he says youre seaworthy—" Ted Graham's eyes twinkled. “Seaworthy! Of course she’s seaworthy. spection any day.” Charles coughed again, and pressed a small white button. “On this line,” he said te Kay, “you go in training for three weeks—a sort of probation period. Courtesy and tact in dealing with people are among the most im=portant features of the job. Tl see you again after we have the report from the doctor.” ! # 82 an AY DUNN went down the hall toward the physician’s office, her head held high. Benton's secretary entered and the personnel chief looked up. “What about the other two

- girls?” he asked. “Think they'll

do?” “One of them might—the quiet one. The other carries too much baggage for the air.” The secretary gave an elaborate pantomime of a girl a little bit on the weighty side. Ted Graham spoke up quickly. “Oh, see them, Charlie! Give them a break.” % Benton said, “Okay.” He turned again to his friend. “Ted, this is outrageous. You flirted with Miss Dunn all the tithe I was trying to interview her. A man of your age!” ; “Life begins at 40,” Ted said, “and I was only 40 last week.” “A man with a growing boy to look after!” Benton went on. “They ought to ground you, as they did me last year. How -old now is that kid you adopted — Dickie?” “Going to be 7 next week. I'm hurrying back to the coast to help him .celébrate his birthday. I've put him in military school. He was a little lonely at first—" = t 4 = “CQ EVEN. Poor kid” Benton looked at the table, “Too bad his father had to be killed when the kid was so little he scarcely remembers him.” 1 “Dickie’s father was my best friend,” Ted said slowly. “I promised to take care of Dickie—and of course I feel now as though he really were my own son.” .

Miss Dunn will pass in-

discreetly

like me. Doesn't need the feminine influence.” Benton did not laugh. He knew that Ted Graham had never thought of marrying again, since his wife had died more than 15 years before. Ted worshiped the memory of that wife.

CHAPTER TWO

OTH men looked up when the second girl was admitted. Doris Lee came in swinging her arms at her sides. Her face was flushed and the secretary appeared behind her, protesting.

“It was my turn and I'm here!” Doris Lee said. .“Now you run along and shuffle your papers, young man.”

The determined young woman sat down in the chair Benton offered her. “That secretary of yours didn’t want to let me in,” she announced, “and it was my turn. The idea! He said I was excess baggage! So I said to him——" Ted looked at her and laughed. Her cheeks were still flushed with wrath and indignation. She was pretty, with blond coloring and

her figure was robust, but not too heavy for the job of stewardess .

on a plane. She had an air of being able to take care of herself. “Name?” : “Doris Lee.”

HILE the chief of the per-

sonnel department went over the details on her card, Doris went on talking, to much of which Benton did not listen. “And so one day I just got up and walked out of the hospital,” she said, “I was fed up with the job.” ° - “Just what were your duties at

‘the hospital, Miss Lee?”

“Looking after the nuts!” “Oh, a nurse at a hospital for mental disorders?” “Disorders?” Suddenly Doris slapped a hand on her lap, and laughed. “They were riots!” Benton coughed discreetly; while the girl went on. “I never thought Doris Lee would spend two years playing tag with such a menagsy erie. There was one man who threatened cvery day :fo tear my tongue out. Said I talked too much and that I reminded him of

“his wife who drove him nuts. One day he actually got me by the.

throat——" “Have you ever flown?” Benton put in hastily. “Have you had any experience in the air?” “After the experiences I've had, flying in the air would be harmless. The way I feel now I could go hunt tigers. I'dslap them down like pussy cats! What I want is to get up in the air, where it's safe—-" : .

ED laughed and said, “We need her on Trans-Pacific Airways when we are forced down on cannibal islands! Sorry we only have men on our crews.” “There's a run on one of our lines,” Benton said thoughtfully, “where the planes are always filled with college boys who make a lot of noise. I think she could keep them in order.” “Of course I could!” Doris said eagerly. “I think I'll put you in training!” the chief told her. “Take this card down to the doctors’ office for a physical examination.” Doris eyed the yellow card with firm distrust. “I'll go,” she said determinedly, “but if that doctor is a friend of yours, you'd better give him a ring on the telephone, and tip him off that I'm coming. If he's anything like the wise~ cracking internes at that hospital I left, he'll get his stethoscope wrapped around his neck!”

Ld » #

HARLES pressed another button. ris Lee got up and flounced down the hall, self-sure and confident. At the same time the door from the outer office opened and the third girl came in, timidly peering about the room, While the chief looked at her card, Ted Graham showéd her a chair. She was a meek little girl of about 19. Her features were deli~ cately shaped and exquisite. Her

forehead was high and white. She

was plainly dressed, and while she waited, her fingers pulled nervously at the neat black gloves in her lap. She was obviously, embarrassed. Tao Ted there was a look of desperation about the girl. Her darkbrown eyes carried a mute appeal. : 8 2 Bn HE chief of personnel looked up from the card and frowned. “No business experience. You've never had a job of any kind?” “No. But I have tried hard enoygh to find one,” Alice Miller said tensely. “I went to business school—a night school—we could not afford a regular course.” “We?” “Just my mother and 1.” The little girl's eyes lowered. “She's ill, bed-ridden. The little money we have isn’t enough. I have to have a job.” Charles rubbed his chin, trying to avoid looking at Ted Graham across the table. “But you haven't had nurse training—" The girl looked from him to Ted Graham again, and her eyes carried the same desperate appeal. “I'm sure I could do the work. So much of my life has

. been spent looking after the com-

fort of—others. I have patience, tact. I like people. I make friends easily with them. And, oh, I can work!” “And I think yeu have courage!” Benton said shortly. “I think you'd be at home in the air. Of course this will only mean that you go in training for three weeks. If you like the job, and the job likes you, we stick together, see?” He handed her the yellow card, and told her where to go for the physical examination. ,

: HEN she had gone Benton stood up. “See what you made me do, Ted,” he said. “Actually we needed only one of these girls, and now—if they all pass the medic — they'll go into training.” He rubbed his chin. Ted Graham seemed more puzzled than the chief of personnel. “Who'd have thought, 10 years ago,” he said, “that girls would be leaving their typewriters, hospitals and nurseries to take up jobs in aviation? In the old days we thought we were made of pretty stern stuff, eh?” : “Well, so are these girls!” Benton said. “And that's progress in the air. We've gone a long way. And you have done more than any other man I know, Ted, to make flying safer!” » » »

ED stood up, shaking off the compliments as a dog shakes off water. “The old baloney from you!” “No, I mean it. .At 20 you were a daredevil pilot in the war. An ace. And what a devil-may-care flying fool you were!” Ted squirmed uncomfortably. “Then you settled down to acquire something like 12,000 hours in the air,” Charles went on. “A pioneer in long-distance flying in the tropics. Now, at 40, you're flying the Trans-Pacific Airways route, to Honolulu, Guam, Manila. Every=body knows what you've done to develop commercial aviation. And now this new gyropilot you're working on, to make trans-oceanic flying fool-proof—” ! Nothing irritated Ted more than praise. He shied from it. To distract himself now, he got up and walked to the window, watching a private plane come in to make a three-point landing. It was still a thrilling sight to him.

» o 2

E turned to see Kay Dunn in the doorway. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed, and she waved the yellow card gaily. “It’s okay!” she said. “I can go in training. The doctor said Id make a good pilot, even. I'm so happy—and oh, I'm going to work in the air!” She looked up and saw Ted Graham regarding her with a curious smile. Suddenly the hand she had lifted excitedly, fluttered ot her side. She had talked so fast she was gasping for breath, but she laughed. “Forgive me. I didn't mean to become so excited. But, I am thrilled!” - “After the first hundred flights,” Ted put in, laughing, “it’s not very adventurous. Just work. work. © And responsibility. But it’s our life,” he added. / “Our life!” she repeated slowly. “Then you do—you already accept me as one of you.” “Of course,” Ted said. “As a matter of fact, we were just going to lunch in the airport restaurant. Want to come along?” - ~ Kay glanced through the glass corridors toward the glittering restaurant where passengers dined and where natty young pilots lounged about the cigar counter and the fireplace. “Why, of course,” she said. “If you're sure that I won’t—" Ted took her arm with a ges= ture of real camaraderie. “Come on!” he said, smiling.

(To Be Continued)

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