SKYWAY LOVERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 13 (Supplement)

SKYWAY LOVERS

By VERA BROWN

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. ALISON THAYER, pretty red headed nurse, out of a job, is working in a Park Avenue flower shop to get money to support herself and her mother. On Easter morning she inadvertently informs JOHN X. ROERDEX, president of Continental Air Lines, that some flow or* and an expensive package of jewellery has gone to his wife, Mrs. Adele RoerUen. LAWRENCE WESTON. Manhattan playboy, is the sender, and the two men meet in the flower shop. Koerden, in a fury, shoots at Weston, but Alison is quick enough to strike Roerden's arm, deflecting the bullet. Roerden leaves. Alison is fired, but Weston drives her liome, promises to get her another job. Ho is obviously interested in the girl, whom he nicknamcs "Sonny." CHAPTER 11. Mrs. Thayer measured the coffee into the coffee pot carefully and put it on the two-burner gas plate in the corner of their living room-bedroom. "It's the last of it, Alison," she said in a low voice. It had been two weeks since Alison had lost her job. She had paid lip the rent for a month. They'd at least have a roof over their heads. But when she was hunting for work the money seemed to go so fast. Car fare, subway fare, lunch, when she was too hungry to go on further without something to cat. And she had had to buy a new pair of shoes.

Every day for 14 days she had looked | ! for Lawrence Weston's letter. Morn- i ings when it was time for the postman I i she'd wait on the steps and when he 1 i passed witout stopping for their poor house; or dropped off a notice to somebody for furnitiwe payments, or a gas | bill she'd run upstairs and try to keep ' back the tears. Larry, the Playboy. Until yesterday she had felt sure that Lawrence Weston would keep his promise. He had seemed so kind. Then yesterday she'd been up in the square resting and somebody had left a newspaper beside her. She looked at it idly. On the ninth page she saw a photograph of a smiling young man, sitting on a polo horse. It wad Larry Weston. And ! he was playing polo in Hot Springs, Virginia, with a winning Eastern team. The girl Larry had named Sonny sat there and cried quietly for a long time. Of course, he would not remember. She 1 had been foolish to expect that! And j so Alison had given up hope. But she had not told her mother yet. She must find a job within the next few days or there would be nothing to eat. Now this morning, the last of the coffee was gone. Alison had four dollars left. It must last—bow long? She shivered. Her mother looked so tired anfl worn. The girl could remember when she had been pretty and laughed all the time. And she'd had such pretty hats. But those days were far away, so far Alison could remember only faintly how her mother had looked then. To-day she was a fragile old woman, too ill to work. Unhappiness and worry had done it. And Alison felt so helpless to protect her now. Alison drank the coffee when it was done. Then she put on her hat and kissed her mother, going out on her usual round of employment agencies. She was trying now to get a job in a restaurant. At least then they'd eat. The day went badly for Alison. It began to rain about two o'clock and Alison got her only hat soaking wet. Useless to look for work after 4 p.m. But she kept on largely because she so dreaded to. go back to their room. And she could not bear to face that haunted look in her mother's eyes. It waa dark when Alison finally rounded the corner and came slowly through the rain to Sleeker Street. "Slums! That's what these really are," she thought with disgust. How she. hated being poor and shabby and hungry. Wearily she climbed the two flights up to their room. Her mother had the 1 single light on and Alison could smell a stew cooking. When her hand rested on the door she heard her mother's ▼oice: "Alison, child, hurry." Alison stood in the doorway blinking from the light. Her mother handed her a letter. "Open it, quick. Maybe this is it!" It was a business looking document which Mrs. Thayer put into her daughter's hands. In one corner it read: — "Continental Air Lines, Empire State Building, General Offices." Alison opened it with trembling fingers. "You are asked to report here at 9 a-m- Thursday, May 10, for an interview with James White, head of our traffic department."

That was all. Alison did not understand what it meant, but she danced about the room, wild with joy. At least it was a prospect.

"Now get off your hat and your ' allocs, dear. I want to get your hat dried out and see if I can press your black skirt and make it look respectable. To-morrow's May 10." That night the mother and daughter worked far into the night in «tn effort to make Alison's clothes presentable. Mrs. Thayer darned the girl's one fairly respectable pair of hose. Alison sliined lier shoes, mended her gloves. They pressed and scrubbed and darned, and when they finally opened up the sanitary cot and got ready for bed they were both so tired they could not sleep. "I knew Mr. Weston would keep his promise," Alison whispered. I knew he would, mother. But I was so afraid for I saw the paper yesterday and it said he was away playing polo." "Polo? He must be very wealthy." "Oh, he is!" Alison said with conviction, remembering that beautiful automobile and the diamond bracelet. "He must have all the money in the world." "What kind of a job do you suppose it is?" "I don't care. I'll scrub floors for the Continental Airlines. I'll do anything, just to get a job again, mother.

I'm so happy." Her voice dropped. "But j suppose they don't want me when they see meThere wasn't much sleep for either of them that night. Sun Shines Again. But the next morning the sun was shining. There was fresh coffee. And when Mrs. Thayer saw her daughter in her simple black skirt and fresh white blouse, she was satisfied. Alison went off, walking briskly down Fifth Avenue toward the Empire State Building. It was a long walk, but she wanted to save the bus fare. Promptly at the stroke of 9 she walked into the office on the thirtysecond floor. She had waited outside for a few minutes to make her appearance. An impersonal and decidedly attractive secretary took her name, motioned her to a seat. Alison eat down with folded hand.* to wait. Ninethirty, ten. The office was rushing with" business. Every now and then good-looking chaps in blue uniforms came into the office and hailed the secretary as "Ruth." They talked together, whispering laughing, and went on in to the inner office, "still Alison waited. She seemed to wilt a little there in the gorgeously appointed office waiting room. Her slim figure was lost in the deep leather chair. She tried to read the aviation magazines about, looked at the many handsome photographs on the wall. The scores who came and went scarcely seemed to see the little redheaded girl in the chair. Sometimes they gave her an impersonal glance which made her more uncomfortable than those who ignored her completely. For that glance showed so plainly she did not matter at all. Offered a Job. 'In her nervousness she had burst open a mended place in her gloves, so she took them off. Alison debated a Ion" time whether or not she should speak again to the lofty secretary with the pretty brown bobbed head. She must . have forgotten all about her appointment. Wnl i lv „fter 11 o'clock, the secretly condescended to speak: "Mr. White nervous her hands were cold Alison followed the young woman into an inner office. Behind the desk sat a man whose eyes were hidden behind "lasses. He looked at Alison imper sonallv. "Now, let me see, he said, reaching for a file. "You're a registered nurse!" - "I crraduated two years ago from Bellevue. But I've been unable to get work. Since then I've been working in a flower shop." White's shoulders straightened a little, "toll, yes. Now Miss Thayer, I don't know whether you know anything about our company of our requirements. They're pretty stiff. We'll have to have a complete physical examination, and by the way, how much do you weigh V' "One hundred and ten pounds, the girl answered faintly. It seemed such a queer question. • "Good, there'd be no use going on with it otherwise. Have you ever done any , flving?" • ""No, sir!" "You think you'd like it?" "I don't understand*"

*1 thought you applied for a position as stewardess on one of our air lines," he said sharply. "Yes, sir." Alison shivered at her own stupidity. Then Mr. White began a long talk about morale, ideals and needs of the air lines. Alison could not seem to keep her mind on what he was saying. Later he handed her over to a nurse who began the physical examination. "We'll check on your hospital record, of course, Miss Thayer," White said as 6he left him. It was long after noon when the nurse finished with Alison. She got into her clothes and was told to go back into White's office. "There's just one thing, Miss Thayer. We wouldn't consider anybody like yourself except for Mr. Roerden. He has urged that we take you on, and as you know, he is president of this company." "Mr. Roerden?" Alison gasped. "He is very much interested in you. We want to do what we can. You understand, you'll be just on probation. You'll go to school for six weeks and we'll pay half salary for that time. This, of course, is if your hospital record is all right." He stood up as though the matter was. settled. "We'll expect you to buy your own uniforms, but that will be taken out of your pay. You'll get 35 dollars per week to start with. That is, after you start flying. Before that it will be 17£ dollars, of course. I think that's all. We'll let you know when you're to report for school." The interview was over. Alison started out of the office. It was empty. The pretty secretary had gone off for lunch. As she walked into the outer office, Alison looked with new interest at the large pictures of airplanes on the walls. She'd be flying one of these days. Steve. As she walked she suddenly collided with a tall young man. "I'm sorry!" he mumbled. "Is the old boy inside?" "You mean Mr. White?" "Of course, who else? Aren't you one of the new stewardesses?" "I'm going to be, I hope." "Well, you better get to know who we mean when we say the 'old boy.' It would be wise." Alison looked up at the tall young man. He was tanned to a Weep brown and he had nice blue eyes and hair which wouldn't lay straight. And he had a Southern drawl which was amusing. She smiled at him. He seemed so young. Alison had a nice smile. The young man halted, grinned over his shoulder. "Wait a minute," he said. He peeped in the inner office. White had gone. "I though he'd duck out. He never misses lunch, that fellow! Come on along and grab some cakes and coffee with me. We'd better be getting-acquainted. Right now I'm in the doghouse, but if I ever get out we'll probably be on a run together. Come on!" He grabbed the girl's unresisting arm. In a flash Alison was in the elevator going to lunch with a strange young man she had never seen before. And she was

thoroughly enjoj-ing it. (To b© continued Saturday next).