Dewan
—
Bellefonte, Pa., February 8, 1929.
FAIRY’S VALENTINE.
I saw a little elf
Who was sitting by himself
In a hollow that was warm and sunny
He had made a little pen
Of a feather of a wren
And he dipped it into golden honey.
And he wrote with all his might:
“Oh, my darling little sprite,
You are sweeter than the clover
That the bee is buzzing over.
"And I love you, I adore you,
And I'm always longing for you,
And you're always growing dearer.
And I wish that you were nearer,
I can think of nothing clever,
But I'm your, and yours forever
If you want it so or not!”
And he ended with a blot.
(Since I couldn't write a better,)
And I'm signing it and send it to you,
For it's true.
—By Arthur Guiterman. |
THE ROOT OF IT ALL.
It might be said that Dr. Harris’ |
life was bounded on the north by his
office, on the east by his office labora-
tory, on the west by his
apartment and on the south by the
laboratory in his apartment.
istry was his heart and his life. Wo-
men other than patients, his aversion. !
They made too many demands on a
man’s time—and made
himself decidedly uncomfortable.
Miss Thomas
ment, towether with novocaine,
swabs, elevators and forceps. In fact,
Dr. Harris thought very little about .
her. One said swab-—and the swab
wus there. Dr. Harris ‘was content.
Now he stopped inside the door,
glanced at his watch, put it back,
rumpled his curly hair with his left :
band and said wearily:
“Five-thirty, Miss Thomas.”
“Yes,” said Miss Thomas politely.
She knew what would follow. It al-
ways did, as surely as the sun went
down opposite the west window of
the waiting room.
Dr. Harris said it.
“Miss Garber says there are no
more patients today. 1 guess we can
close up shop.”
“Yen” agreed Miss Thomas, as she
had fallen into the habit of replying
“I guess we can.” .
But this time, instead of turning |
away to doff his white coat, Dr. Har-
ris hesitated. He coughed slightly
and looked at Miss Thomas a trifle
uneasily.
“I wonder,” he said. “If you are
going to be doing anything this ev-
ag?
* Miss Thomas’ eyes widened and
then. began to shine softly. A dinner
date and dance were scheduled, but
{ “Why, no,” said Miss Thomas reck-
lessly. “I—I'm certain I won'tX,
Dr. Harris blinked behind the shell
glasses and looked distressed. :
. “Was there—do you--want me to
do anvthing?”’ Miss Thomas asked
helpfully.
.Dr. Harris nodded.
“Yes,” he confessed. “I do. Would
you be willing to go out for the ev-
ening ?”
“Would I? Just asked me!”
- “I certainly would appreciate it,’
Dr. Harris said gratefully. “There's
a. meeting of the Dental Society to-
night, and I've promised to demon-
strate a new method of infiltering no-
vocaine into the tone that I've work-
ed out. I had a nurse engaged for
the evening, but she’s sick.”
“Oh!”
Dr. Harris peered through the shell
glasses anxiously.
“I realize that you work hard all
day, and would rather rest in the ev-
ening. “ If yo don’t feel up to it I'll try
to get another nurse.”
“No,” said Miss Thomas bitterly.
“I'll be glad to do it.”
“I'll appreciate it.” Dr. Harris took
off his coat and, on sudden thought,
wandered into his laboratory to in-
spect some unfinished work. He “stop-
ped long enough in the doorway to
say:
“Of course, I'll make the evening up
in your salary check.”
He didn’t hear Miss Thomas’ re-
tort: “Darn your old salary check:”
Only Miss Thomas didn’t say darn.
‘The dental meeting came to an
end, as meetings do.
They had come in Dr. Harris’ se-
date sedan. Once more they sat in
it, and Dr. Harris started the engine
and prepared to maneuver out of the
line of parked cars.
The dome light burned chastely ov-
er their heads.
The light brought Dr. Harris to the
attention of one Billy Jones, who had
been a graceless classmate a few
years before, and now was a dash-
ing young dentist, with a small, dark
mustache on his upper lip
Dr. Jones surged up to the side of
the car and spoke through the open
window. : :
“Great stuff, Harris, old boy! You
seem to have been using the old bean
since you graduated!”
Dr. Harris nodded and said rather
coolly: “I like my work.”
Dr. Jones looked past his old class-
mate at Miss Thomas, stitting de-
murely, eyes straight ahead.
“Do you mind” Dr. Jones asked
with a grin, “my remarking that you
had some mighty able support ?”
“Miss Thomas knows ‘her busi-
ness,” Dr. Harris agreed stiffly. And,
there being nothing else to do, he in-
troduced them.
“I certainly am glad to know you,”
Dr. Jones said with visible eithusi-
asm; and a moment later to Dr. Har-
ris: “You'd better be watching out,
Harris, I need a nurse. TI'll' be try-
ing to steal Miss Thomas away from
you.” :
“Try it,” Dr. Harris challenged.
“I'll top any offer you make.”
Dr. Jones chuckled. ! ‘
“What'll you do: when some wide-
awake young fellow offers mar-
riage ?” he bantered.
bachelor
Dent- |
Dr. Harris |
was an exception. :
Her petite 5 feet 3, brunette marcel
and all were part of the office equip- |
Dr. Harris looked startled.
“Marriage?” he repeated uncer-
tainly.
‘ “That's it, old boy. You don’t ex-
pect to keep a prize like Miss Thom-
as forever, do you?”
, Dr. Harris hesitated.
! “I hadn't thought of it,” he mutter-
‘ed, after a moment.
“You'd better,” Dr. Jones warned,
‘and took his departure with a ravish-
ling glance at Miss Thomas as Dr.
Harris started the car.
| Dr. Harris glanced furtively at her.
| She was looking out her side of the
|car—and a faint pink stained that
side of her face that he could see.
!He cleared his throat.
| “Jones always was foolish,” he re-
: marked. 4
| “I suppose he was foolish to think
| that any man would want to marry
Ime!’; Miss Thomas said disagree-
ably.
{ “No,” denied Dr. Harris hastily.
| “Not that! Foolish about women, I
| mean. He was always getting into
| scrapes. I believe his wife divorced
| him last year. I—I don’t approve of
{him. I'm really sorry I introduced
| him to you.”
Miss Thomas did not look around.
Dr. Harris almost groaned. It
‘must be love, this almost physical
: pain at the thought of losing her,
Love! And when one loved one got
married. And when one was married
there was a home to bother with, and
children, and the wife's whims about
going out, and a thousand and one
things that were a thousand and one
miles removed from dentistry.
He sighed aloud at the
thought of it.
Miss Thomas heard him and turned
her head.
Her eyes were limpid pools. Her
cheeks soft and pink. Her lips—
Dr. Harris stopped reasoning. They
were in the middle of a long, dark
block. He steered the sedan close to
' the curh, killed the motor and reach-
very
ed around and switched the dome
light off. :
| “What's the matter?” Miss Thom-
'as asked him in surprise.
«1 think I'm in lovel”
“Good gracious! W-what—"
Dr. Harris found out for himself |
‘that her lips were just as sweet as
they looked.
| It was exquisite, wonderful, beyond
words. But, like the meeting, there
.was an end. A rather sudden one
{ when the porch light of the nearest
‘house flashed on and several people
came out.
Miss Thomas slipped free with
' flaming cheeks. For want of any-
, thing better to do, Dr. Harris drove
on.
Miss Thomas said nothing. Dr.
Harris drove swiftly, his mind a tur-
'moil of thoughts, some of them veer-
ing toward apprehension.
well, committed, to say the least.
Gone were the days of freedom!
With difficulty he refrained from
' sighing once more.
Miss Thomas’ apartment was not
far. And when the car stopped there
Dr. Harris forgot his fears in the
promises of the moment.
“I love you,” he said huskily.
“I think I've always loved
Miss Thomas sighed.
Dr. Harris swept ner ciose.
“We'll get married,” he said uas-
terfully. “And go somewhers on a
honeymoon, and then fix up ny
apartment for both of us, and--
“yes,” Miss Thomas prompted
breathlessly.
“And I'll have an expert nurse the
rest of my life,” Dr. Harris stated in
blissful and well-meaning ignorance.
Miss Thomas grew still in his arms.
“What?” she asked with a slight
edge to her voice.
Serenely secure in his new state,
Dr. Harris answered enthusiastical-
ly: “I've tied you up with a life con-
you,
tract! Any one steal my nurse? 1
couldn’t get along without you, hon-
. ey?” !
| Miss Thomas straightened up
abruptly. :
“So you tied me up with a life con-
{tract because you couldn’t work well
“without me?” she queried coldly.
| Dr. Harris noticed that something
was amiss, and in his big, clumsy
fashion strove to right it. .
“I couldn’t do a decent day's work
without you! Why—youn don’t know
what you mean to me!”
Frost would have been a fitting
coating for Miss Thomas’. reply:
“You don’t want a wife—you want !
to keep a nurse! And now you've
lost one!”
i 'Miss Thomas opened the door of
the car, stepped out, slammed it be-
hind her and fled across the sidewalk
and through the door of the apart-
ment house.
i Dr. Harris stared aghast.
Miss Thomas disappeared in the
i apartment house without a backward
look.
| “All the next morning Dr. Harris
' worked without a nurse. It convinc-
ed him of three things: Miss Thomas
was not coming back. He had to
have a new nurse. And he had to
have Miss Thomas, liberty or no lib-
| erty, till death did them part, and on
any terms the young lady chose to
impose.
aftér lunch. Miss Beeks was her
name; She was not young, by fifteen
years; nor petite and pretty, by a
knew her business.
Miss Beeks was efficiency plus. If
Miss Thomas was a wonder, Miss
Beeks was a marvel. Any other time
she would have filled Dr. Harris’
soul with delight. As it was, she on-
ly served to remind him that Miss
Thomas was gone—forever.
When the last patient had depart-
ed Dr. Harris’ spirits were low, and
getting lower hourly. In desperation
he drove to Miss Thomas’ apartment
house, climbed the two flights of
steps and rapped on the dark, for-
bidding door of 3B.
A moment later his heart began to
race.
Steps sounded inside. The door-
knob turned. The door opened.
And then Dr. Harris’ heart slow-
ed. Instead :of Miss Thomas, a little
‘peered up at him over the tops of
‘old-fashioned steel spectacles.
He was—— |
A phone call brought a nurse right |
multiplication table of miles. But she .
old ‘lddy stood in the doorway and’
A nice little lady, with wispy gray
hair drawn into an old-fashioned knot
at the back of her head, a light shawl
over her shoulders and a haunting
likeness of Miss Thomas about her.
Dr. Harris swallowed and said: “I
want to see Miss Thomas.”
The little old lady tilted her head
slightly, ushed her steel spectacles up
a trifle and surveyed him minutely.
“Please,” Dr. Harris said humbly.
She sniffed slightly and demanded
severely: “What do you want to see
Marge about?”
Dr. Harris hesitated.
“You needn't keep anything from
me!” the little old lady said tartly.
“I'm Marge's granny, and all she's
got to look after her. Marge tells
me everything. And you hetter had
also, young man, if you want to see
her!”
Dr. Harris’ eyes twinkled in spite
of himself. For one could easily see
that her hark was worse than her
bite.
“I am Dr. Harris,” he told her.
Marge’'s grandmother sniffed again.
“I thought so. She said you ‘were
big and handsome and wore college
specs.”
Dr. Harris
blushed slightly and
then tackled the bull by the horns.
“Just what did she say last
night?”
“She said a-plenty!” the little old
lady observed dryly. “I'll bet your
ears were burning, young man. What
did you do to her?”
“Didn't she tell you?”
“She said she was through working
for you and never wanted to see your
face again, and you were selfish and
cold and cruel and heartless, and
ought to have all sort of things done
to you, and she never wanted to hear
your name spoken.”
! “Let me see her for five minutes,”
Dr. Harris pleaded. “She’s made a
mistake. I—I want her to marry
me?’
Marge’s grandmother bobbed her
head.
“Thought so. All that couldn't
come from a thing but love gone
wrong. You come in here, young
{ man, and eat some of my sugar cock-
ies and tell me about it.
“Can't I see Margaret just a min-
ute?”
“Marge got another job today with
a Dr. Jones and won't be home till
late this evening. You do like I said.”
Dr. Harris entered obediently.
Miss Thomas had no difficulty get-
ting work with Mr. Jones.
True, he did throw in a feeble plea
for his brother dentist. “I don’t
want Harris to think I'm stealing
you from him.”
“You're not!” Miss Thomas stated
‘with emphasis. “If you have no op-
| ening I'll look further. I am through
! with Dr. Harris for good!”
Dr. Jones pursed his lips—and then
grinned. “As bad as all that? I
didn’t think it of Harris.”
He might have been the villain Dr.
Harris claimed. But, undeniably, he
was handsome as he stood there in
his white coat. Handsome—and per-
haps a little dangeroys. Miss Thom-
as would not have heen true to her
feminine heritage had she not re-
turned the smile.
Dr. Jones treated to lunch and over
the table proposed an evening of it,
something to eat, a movie, a drive,
dancing.
Miss Thomas was about to refuse
when she thought of how Dr. Harris
would disapprove of the matter.
That swung the balance. She agreed,
and after lunch phoned her grand-
mother that she would not be home
until late in the evening.
Also, after the movie, she called
her grandmother up again to see if
everything was all right.
Over the wire her grandmother's
voice came plain: “I'm all right, Mar-
gie. But you'd better come home.
There’s company here waiting for
you.” . is
. “Who?”
“I guess you know. And if you've
got any sense you'll come right home
rand see him. He’s told me all about
it. Seems to me you've acted like a
baby—even if you are old enough to
wear skirts almost up to your knees.”
I “I don’t want to see him this ev-
ening, or any evening!” Miss Thom-
as stated coldly. “And I won't be
home until late. Dr. Jones and I are
going to the Three Folks Inn, out on
the Mill Town road. Don’t wait up
for me.”
“Marge! You listen to me!
no way to—"
| Miss Thomas hung the receiver up
firmly.
{| Dr. Jones drove a coupe. Wind-
shield up, cool evening air pouring in
comfortably, ribbon of road flowing
"swiftly and smoothly under them-—
{it was chummy and nice.
{ At first,
reputation, Miss Thomas was a little
{ wary, even apprehensive. But as the
miles slipped by and he did no more
than joke or laugh, she
at ease. $
| The Three Forks Inn was, as the
name implied, located at the inter-
; Section of three roads.
| raided several times by prohibition
squads, and was a mecca of those
{who loved a fast and furious good
time. :
Miss Thomas had heard of their
That's
jected: “It’s at least thirty-five miles
out. Isn't there a place closer in?”
“Not one that can hold a candle to
the Three Forks.” Dr. Jones answer-
ed cheerfully. “And what's thirty-
five miles? This old bus will do sev-
enty if I step on her. Doesn't take
long to get anywhere at that rate.”
It didn't seem long at that. Dr.
Jones had an apparently inexhaust-
ible fund of humorous talk, and he
drew on it steadily. Once, to be
sure, he attempted to hold her hand.
But when she pulled it away he did
not even interrupt the story he was
telling.
It began to drizzle soon after that.
Dr. Jones put the windshield down,
partly closed the windows and they
were dry and comfortable.
Then came the Tree Forks.
The inn was a big, rambling wood-
‘en structure; set .in ‘an ‘extensive tri-
angular plot of trees and shrubbery-
filled grounds .At the lower end of
the property the three roads crossed,
remembering Dr. Jones, |
grew more |
It had been |
destination dubiously at first and ob- |
and two sides of the grounds were
bounded by two of the roads.
Prospect of rain had apparently
not interfered with the business of
the inn. Several dozen cars were
parked around the house. Inside an
orchestra was playing furiously.
Dr. Jones locked the transmission,
and then reached into the door pock-
et he had patted some miles back and
brought forth a large chased-silver
flask. He stowed it away in his in-
side coat pocket.
“Prescription stuff,” he comment-
ed. “And when it's gone we can get
plenty more here.”
Miss Thomas had a moment of
doubt. But they were here. And Dr.
Harris knew it. A Negro appeared
outside with umbrellas. She went
in recklessly, hoping that Dr. Harris
would know of the flask also.
Their table was by a large screen-
ed window that reached nearly from
the floor to the ceiling. Several
rooms had heen converted into one
large one. In the center was the
dance floor. Around it the tables.
The music was loud. The dance floor
was filled.
The food Dr. Jones ordered was
good. And he could dance more than
passably. His good humor increased.
Not a little of it, Miss Thomas sus-
pected, because of the additions he
made to his ginger ale from the
chased-silver flask.
Outside the drizzle stopped and fog
begar to gather. Inside the music
throbbed faster and the tempo of the
entire place increased. Cigarette
smoke swirled and drifted overhead.
Voices grew strident. Several tables
away a fat man, obviously inspired
by something more than the soft
drink that stood hefore him, pushed
the chair back and floated around the
table on his toes, posturing in the
most approved esthetic movements.
Later Dr. Jones lost control of his
tongue over several polysyllabic
words, and shortly afterward tried
to hold her hand across the table.
She dropped it to her lap quickly
and asked: “What time is it?”
“Early,” Dr. Jones glanced at his
watch. “Only quarter after 1.”
“Not that late?”
“Early !” Dr. Jones corrected.
“Lots of time till daybreak.”
“I should hope so. It’s time to go!”
Dr. Jones waved a careless hand.
“Never go home this early,” he said
firmly.
His back was to the entrance. She
was facing it. And at that moment
her eyes widened.
Looming up beside the waiter who
was standing there was Dr. Harris.
Lips pressed together, he surveyed
the tables and the crowded dance
floor. .
Miss Thomas had a moment of
panic. And then caught herse!f-—
and deliberately put her hand on tie
table before her. Dr. Jones captur-
ed it.
“Litle girl,” he said with emotion.
‘“you’ve made a hit with me. You're
in a class Ly yourself. I'm gone on
ou.”
Dr. Harris’ gaze reached the table
and took in the little tableau. The
expression on his’ face grew grim-—-
and purposeful. He started toward
them, his right fist clenched.
Three steps he took. Miss Thomas
waited, heart pounding, ready to
crush him at the first word.
And then a sudden uproar hroke
out at the front of the house. The
lights abruptly went out.
A voice shouted excitedly: “It's a
raid!”
Dr. Jones might have stumbled ov
er the pronunciation of a polsyliahic
word, but he did not hesitate now.
“Quick! The window!" he said.
His chair fell back and the table
rocked as he sprang to his feet.
There were shouts. A confusion of
noises as chairs overturned. Feet
pounded on the floor; voices babbled
excitedly.
| Miss Thomas sprang to her feet,
groped around the table in the dark-
ness.
A hand caught her arm. Dr. Jones
ordered: “Follow me through the
window?!”
Screen wire ripped as he lunged
through it. | A moment later he rasp-
ed: “Step through! I'll catch you!”
The ground was only a couple of
feet below the level of the floor. Miss
Thomas made it safely, .the wire
scratching her hands.” Dr. Jones
steadied her, seized her elbow and
guided her hurriedly away from the
window.
“Let’s see if the car is guarded,”
he said huskily. “It’s at the end of
the line.”
The fog swirled clammily against
their faces. Some automobiles head-
lights at the front of the house were
‘reduced to dim, sickly beams.
Back of them the confusion con-
tinued. Running feet sounded on the
turf. Came nearer.
them.
Miss Thomas had a moment of ter-
“or. Arrest! Jail. A curious court-
room! Scandal! All of it was on her
as the running feet came up.
And then two other patrons fled
past and disappeared into the fog.
{| They reached the automobiles. Dr.
| Jones ran into the bumper and they
| groped helplessly in the murky dark-
ness.
Lights went on again. A string
of them hung over the parking space.
i The rays, striking feebly through the
fog, made vision of a sort possible.
Dr. Jones exclaimed: “There!”
Caught up with
into the road. The needle of the
speedometer crept to forty, fifty,
stayed there a while and began to go
higher.
Miss Thomas pleaded: “Please! Not
so fast.”
Dr. Jones slowed.
“I could ride for days and nights
with you, little girl,” Dr. Jones said
lyrically. ‘“Jus’ you.”
He lifted his right arm from the
wheel and put it around her.
Miss Thomas struggled away.
“Don’t!” she said fiercely.
“Now, now; that's no way to act,
little girl.”
He leaned over and attempted to
draw her closer.
The car crept toward the edge of
the road.
“Look out!” Miss Thomas gasped.
He turned the wheel heavily. And,
on the wet, slippery pavement the
back wheels slued around in a bheau-
tiful arc. Just off the road at that
point there rested a goodish boulder.
The right wheel came smack against
it and collapsed in a crash of rend-
ing spokes. The coupe rocked per-
ilously, skidded a few feet further
and came to a stop as Dr. Jones
jerked his arm hack and killed the
motor.
A sudden baleful silence blanketed
them.
Miss Thomas broke it accusingly:
“N-now see what you've done!”
Dr. Jones extracted the flask ficm
his inside coat pocket, pulled deeply
at it and returned it. His hand was
trembling, but the drink steadied
him.
“Some slide,” he said with =n at-
tempt at lightness.
“But how are we going
home ?”
“Sit right here,” Dr. Jones an-
nounced brightly, “until a car comes
along and gives us a lift. Don’t know
where we are. Miles an’ miles from
anywhere.”
The headlights made an eerie shaft
of light through the fog. They did
seem to be alone, frightfully alone.
Nothing but cold, clammy fog and
silence.
The odor of alcohol was strong in-
side the coupe. And Dr. Jones was
suddenly menacing. Good-looking,
but dangerous. Not tinglingly dang-
erous as he had been inside his office.
Just plain dangerous. Miss Thomas
suddenly realized how small and
helpless and alone she was.
Dr. Jones laughed and put his arm
around her again.
‘’S worth a broken wheel.” he said.
“We'll have a fine time waiting for a
car to come along. Kiss me, little
girl.”
“Stop!” Miss Thomas gasped fight-
ing him off.
He laughed again and caught her
close with both arms and kissed her
square on the nps. Not as Dr. Har-
ris had kissed her. This bruised and
hurt—filled her with disgust and
loathing. :
to get
She beat at him frantically, found
herself free, wrenched the door open
and was out in the fog-filled night,
running back toward the Three
Forks Inn. The law had suddenly.be: :
come a friend; the fog an ally.
Back of her Dr. Jones called some-
thing as he got out of the car.
Miss Thomas fled blindly forward.
the wet pavement under her feet, the
clammy fog about her.
And then her left foot plunged into
a jagged-edged pothole. She sprawled
forward and fell hard.
The light came almost at the same
moment. A ghostly beam filtering
through the fog. The sound of a mo-
tor purring at high speed.
The light brightened with uncanny
quickness. Became two strange eyes
bearing down on her. ;
Miss Thomgs lurched to her ' feet,
choking back a sob.
The driver of the speeding car saw
her. The motor died. The car slow-
ed abruptly. The last few feet its
brakes were applied so hard that the
wheels skidded.
Miss Thomas reached the side or
the road safely. A moment later the
car slid past, the driver fighting to
keep in on the pavement. And then
it came to a stop. A door slammed.
A flashlight bobbed toward Miss
Thomas. :
And as she waited a second figure
loomed up in the headlight rays of the
car; Dr. Jones, walking rapidly to-
ward her also.
The flashlight came to her.
Out of the darkness Dr. Harris
spoke in a husky voice: “Margaret !
What's the matter?”
“Don’t let him touch me!”
Thomas sobbed.
“Who I
“Dr. Jones ! He's coming—back of
you.”
“So!” He wheeled, saw the ap-
proaching figure and went forward.
Miss Thomas saw them come to-
gether. Saw Dr. Jones stagger back,
rush forward and then crawl back on
the ground. He lay a moment, hold-
ing his jaw, the rays of Dr. Harris’
flashlight on him. There were words.
‘Dr. Jones got up and returned to the
ground abruptly. More words. Most-
ly by Dr. Harris. Cold, menacing.
Miss
he slunk silently back toward his
broken-down car. .
| Dr. Harris returned and took her
in his arms without so much as a by-
| your-leave.
“Your grandmother said you needed
And the next time Dr. Jones got up |
A a.
think coherently, Miss
caught . her breath and
thoughtfully:
“Is the new nurse pretty?”
“No! You'll never have to worry
about her, hon.”
“Just the same,” Miss Thomas de-
cided firmly, “you can let her go. I'd
rather do your nursing. I—I under-
stand you.”
“But, honey, you said—"
Miss Thomas stood up on her tip-
toes and stopped his words with a
kiss.
“Never mind what I said. I want
to do it.”
“Yes, dear,” said Dr. Harris meek-
ly.—The Public Ledger.
Thomas
asked
PARACHUTES NOT
WANTED ON PLANES.
In view of the remarkable rescues:
which have been made in recent avia-
tion accidents due to the parachute,
the time-worn question of the advisa-
bility of using parachutes on pas-
senger planes has come back for
wide discussion.
Much to the consternation of those
who are at the head of various lead-
ing air lines of Europe, the argument.
has again been advanced that every
passenger embarking on a plane for a
long or short distance trip should be
equipped with a parachute in just the
Same manner as life belts are placed
under the heds of passengers on
trans-Atlantic steamers.
It is pointed out in this connection
that the laws of the sea make it com-
pulsory for a passenger steamer to
carry as many life belts as they carry
passengers, and this in addition to all
other forms of life-saving apparatus
which are part of the usual equip-
ment of all passenger-carrying
steamships.
The air lines are positively opposed
to the plan, and not at all for reasons:
of economy. Their main objection is
one of a purely psychological nature,
but it will be obvious upon travel by
air. The contention is that the mere
sight of a parachute wouldd be
.enough to scare away a heavy per-
centage of prospective air travellers.
On the other hand, the mere plac-
ing of parachutes on board passeng-
er planes would not be sufficient;
each passenger would require a de-
tailed set of instructions as to how
the parachute should be used in case
of trouble. Without such instruc-
tions the parachute would be practic-
: ally useless to those who had never
had any prior experience in its use,
and it would be a hopeless task to at-
tempt to induce passengers to go
through a short period of training be-
fore embarking on their voyage, even
though such training would require
only a few minutes.
Finally, it is pointed out by experts
that in order to maintain the plane at
even balance during the time that its
passengers would be abandoning it to
make use of their parachutes, it
would be necessary for the crew to
induce the passenegrs to leave the
machine in a certain prearranged or-
der, and this, it is believed, would be
practically impossible.
The -solution seems to be in the
adoption of a form of parachutes
sufficiently large to lift the entire
cabin section of the plane. Special
devices have already been suggested
along these lines, but the consensus
of opinion among those who know
seems to be that the occasions where
life-saving devices are needed aboard
passenger planes are very few and
far between, and that they will dis-
appear completely just as soon as
airplane motors have been improved
to the point where they are immune
from motorbreak down, or any other
form of motor trouble.
i
Drivers Must Wait Turn in Jam or
Face Prosecution.
_ Motorists who persist in “riding a
line of stalled traffic,” especially on.
slippery icy pavements, will be pros--
ecuted for reckless driving, Benja--
min G. Eynon, registrar of motor ve--
hicles of the Pennsylvania Depart--
ment of Highways, has announced..
“A number of crashes, during
stormy and icy weather, were found
- to be due to the practice of heediess
motorists, who, upon. approaching
stalled lines of traffic, held up either:
by an accident or blocking the high--
way or by necessity of moving slowly
{upon icy pavements, rode the line of’
traffic only to find themselves block--
ed. When these heedless motorists:
, Suddenly put on the brakes with re--
sultant skids and crashes into cars:
stalled in traffic or parked close to
I the sidewalk. Where investigations
‘prove that crashes were due to mo-
torists “riding the line of stalled traf-
i fic,” the offending motorists will be
‘prosecuted for reckless driving. Mo-
| torists, convicted of reckless driving
not only face fine and imprisonment
: but revocation of their licenses,” Re-
| gistrar Eynon said. :
EE —— eR —
. Flying From Ship to Paris Now Con-.
! sidered Smartest of Rules.
| An aerial hop from a French port.
lof debarkation to Paris in order to
have luncheon at the capital is now-
i the smart rule for tourists.
This fad was inagurated by Mrs..
{ Florence Brooks-Aten, of New York..
'In her desire to avoid a seven-hour
train ride and arrive in Paris at noon
i she ordered a plane from LeBourget
He seized her elbow and hustled some one to bring you home.” he said | to await her at Cherbourg, in a radio
{ner forward. The coupe was there,
rear end to them.
“Get in your side,” Dr. Jones order-
ed: and dashed to the door on the
driver’s side, opened it and leaped in.
‘Dazedly Miss Thomas got in beside
him.
The starter whirred; the motor
caught, raced a moment. The coupe
had been backed in. It swooped out
of the line of cars, turned sharply,
whirled down the drive.
Miss Thomas. vaguely heard a yell
behind them. A shot scunded. Then,
behind a tall figure loomed up in the
headlight rays.
It was Dr." Harris. As they roar-
ed past” he ‘called: “Margaret!”
Then he was behind; ' they were
! down the drive, had skidded around
just as they left the last of the cars |.
| severely. “I think it’s a good thing I
| took her advice and came out to do it.
You need a nurse !”
| Miss Thomas pushed away abrupt-
ly... .
Y pire a nurse!” she said passion-
{ately. “You can’t m-marry one !”
“I have hired a nurse,” Dr. Harris
stated gently. “I want a wife now,
honey. I want you—to look after you
always.” :
“Oh.” There was a fateful little
silence. ‘“W-well—"” Miss Thomas
quavered accusingly: ;
“Yes, dear,” Dr. Harris answered
humbly. : :
. ‘Why don’t you d-do something
about it?” * hen
' Dr. Harris swept her close and did,
thoroughly.
When they were once more able to!
| message from the Majestic.
The only plane available was one:
(identical to the craft of Captain Al-.
| fred Loewenstein, Belgian financier,
{ who plunged to death in the Channel:
last summer. It was the same plane
{used .in tests to ascertain whether -
{ Captain Loewenstein could have ac-
i cidentally opened the outer door dur-
ling a flight. o
" Mrs. Brooks-Aten reached Paris at
{the appointed hour. LeBourget is-
now ready to book evtensive reserva-
{ tions for ocean travelers who want to
| reach Paris for lunch.
r———e ees.
She: “I'll never marry a man:
whose fortune hasn't at least five
ciphers in it.”
He (exultantly): “O darling! mine's
all ciphers!”—Mizpah.