You’re going to leave her here at the airport while we go on to Hollywood?” asked Dot.
Yes, I think so. I’ll have the mechanics give her a thorough inspection in the meanwhile. But I don’t want to go tonight. Let’s have a good dinner and get some sleep and start out fresh tomorrow morning. We’ll have our box taken with us this time, and dress for the occasion. We don’t want to look like hicks from a small town.”
While Linda turned to give her instructions to an attendant, a strange young man strolled up to the girls and stopped, evidently waiting for an opportunity to speak to them. It was growing dark, but the beacon searchlight at the airport was bright enough for them to see him perfectly. He looked at the autogiro, and then peered almost rudely into the faces of the two girls. Linda ignored him, but Dot was furious .
42
Pardon me, ladies,” he said finally, but aren’t you the two girls who landed on the top of that newspaper building in Kansas City?—Miss Slocum and Miss Manton, I believe the names were?”
Dot giggled. She couldn’t deny the fact.
So you’ve been taking a cross-country flight in this boat,” he continued. I have a friend who is a reporter—he’s around here somewhere, for he stops here every day at the airport for news—and he’d like that story, if you’d give me a few facts.”
We don’t want publicity,” Dot said, immediately. So please don’t let him print anything at all about us.”
Besides,” added Linda, there’s nothing new in what we’ve done. Girls fly all over the country every day alone. It really doesn’t mean much more than driving a motor-car now-a-days.&rdquo
School staff figures ;
43
You’re right about that,” agreed the attendant. It was a stunt to fly the Atlantic once, but now it seems rather common-place. The first person to go from here to Australia by plane will sure get a head-line.”
We don’t expect to try that!” returned Dot, laughingly. That’s a little too far.”
By the way,” remarked the stranger who had looked so keenly at the girls, did you girls know that Linda Carlton is here at Los Angeles—or rather, at Hollywood? You remember her—the first girl to fly from New York to Paris alone?... She has a contract with the Apex Film Corporation.”
Linda and Dot looked at each other in distress. This was a fine situation indeed. What could they say?
My name is Linda Carlton,” the aviatrix finally announced, quietly.
