Chapter VI
AT THE AIRPORT
At the wharf the next afternoon she found Stubby awaiting her.
"Have to take me to the island," he said without preliminary. "Brentmust come to the airport!"
"Can't you manage the plane without him?" Gale asked.
"No. Something is wrong. I can't get the motor to hum right. Brent isthe only one who knows enough about it."
"But he said he didn't want to go to the airport until the day of theraces," Gale said petulantly.
"If he doesn't come now his plane won't be in the races," Stubbydeclared bluntly.
Gale sighed and stepped into Bruce's boat. Stubby was a silent passengerall the way to the island.
Brent was not pleased at the news Stubby brought him. Finally he sighedand admitted it would be best if he did go to the airport to supervisepersonally the installation of the new motor.
"But not until tonight," Brent said. "After dark perhaps Miss Howardwill motor me across the bay. I'll come then."
"Of course I will," Gale said. "If you are going to stay in Marchton youcan live at my house, too," she said breathlessly. "I already suggestedit to my mother and she would like it too. You have no place else to go,please say you'll come," she pleaded.
"I'll talk to your parents first," he said.
As soon as it was dark that night Gale motored across the bay andreturned with Brent Stockton for dinner at the Howard home. Later, whenhe declared his intention of going to the airport, Gale pleaded to goalong. They were just leaving the yard when Bruce appeared.
"Hullo," he said in surprise at the sight of Brent. "Where did you comefrom? I thought you were still on the Island?"
"No. I'm needed at the airport and I'm staying at Miss Howard's homewhile I am in Marchton."
"Going to the airport now?" Bruce asked. "May I come along?"
The three of them walked to the corner bus stop. The bus took them towithin a square of the airport. The buildings, three in all, were dark,shrouded in black silence. A knock at the small door at the side of theprivate hangar where Brent stored his planes brought a crack whichwidened into a yawning black hole when Brent was recognized. The threeof them stepped within and immediately the door was closed behind them.
Gale felt nervous. The mystery made her apprehensive. In the darknessshe caught at a friendly hand. When a dim light flashed on she hastilydisengaged her hand from Brent Stockton's grasp, blushing furiously atthe thought of what he must be imagining. She had no idea it had beenhis hand she was holding on to.
"Why all the secrecy?" Bruce demanded of Stubby who had opened the door.
"We've had other visitors tonight," Stubby replied. "Not very welcomeones either."
"Has someone been here again?" Brent Stockton demanded.
Stubby nodded. "The same one who tried to get the plans from this youngfella." He indicated Bruce and led the way past a huge nondescriptshape, which Gale supposed to be the plane, but in the darkness couldnot discern clearly, into a small office. There he lounged against thewall while Brent eased himself into the chair before an untidy desk andGale and Bruce sat on the radiator by the window.
"What did he do?" Brent asked; his voice was low, strained with anxiety."Did he get to the motor at all?"
"That he did not!" Stubby said, bristling with indignation. "It's my jobto protect it and I did!"
"But what did he do?" Bruce pursued.
"Well, it was this way," Stubby said, "along about seven o'clock I hearda funny scratching sound. I put out the light and went out to the door.He was fooling with the lock, trying to get in. I slipped back the boltand jerked the door open, meaning to catch him. He ran, that's all."
Bruce and Brent were talking with Stubby about the strange man whileGale, her attention wandering, looked out the window. The moonlightilluminated the field as brightly as any searchlight. Suddenly shestiffened to attention. A skulking figure had just straightened up fromthe corner of the hangar. This hangar and office were built togethermuch like the letter L, the office sticking out like the foot of theletter. From her position at the window Gale could clearly see the wholeone side of the hangar. Now, watching the man in the shadows, her eyesfell to the white bit of something which he had left lying on theground. Running swiftly the man disappeared off the left side of thefield in the direction of the highway.
Gale, her actions unnoticed by the other three who were deep inconversation over a set of blue prints, slipped out the door into theblackness of the hangar. She stumbled over tools and walked into ropesas she found her way to the door. It took but a moment to slip back thebolt and step out into the moonlight.
Swiftly she ran to the corner of the hangar and picked up the whitebundle she had seen. It was something hard wrapped in newspaper. Sheturned and took it back to the office, puzzling over the contents.Probably Brent would know what it was. Perhaps he had even instructedthe man to leave it there. But it was strange, she told herself, the manhad seemed so mysterious.
"I'm just hunting for trouble!" she scolded herself as she rebolted thehangar door behind her.
"What is that?" Bruce asked when she appeared.
She laid the package down on the desk in front of Brent. "I saw a manleave it by the corner of the hangar," she replied.
Brent unrolled the newspaper and they all gasped.
"Yeow!" Bruce yelled. "It's a bomb!"
Stubby grabbed the bomb and departed on a run, the others behind him. Asfast as his short legs could carry him Stubby ran out along the edge ofthe flying field to where, at the end, a thick group of trees borderedthe smooth landing space. When he thought he was a safe distance awayfrom the hangar he deposited the bomb very gently on the ground andbolted back to the others. Silently, standing in the shadow of thehangar, the four of them watched and waited.
At last with a loud roar a shower of dirt rose high into the air.
"We might have been going up too if it hadn't been for Gale," Bruce saidappreciatively.
Brent said nothing, he merely watched until the last film of earth hadsettled down into the hole where Stubby had placed the bomb.
Silently the four went back into the hangar. Brent pressed a switch andthe whole hangar was flooded with light.
Gale and Bruce saw two low winged monoplanes standing side by side. Onone the motor stood revealed, signs of Stubby's work upon it stillevident. Brent limped to the latter plane, a black and silver work ofart, and laboriously climbed up to look at the motor.
"Has the other one got your motor, too?" Bruce asked, indicating theyellow plane standing to one side.
"No. I use that one to run about in while I work on this. I used toexperiment with the one I cracked up, too," Brent said.
"With all these things happening aren't you afraid to put everythinginto that one motor?" Bruce pursued.
"What do you mean?" Brent turned to look down at him.
"Well, if the race means so much you should have a--duplicate of thatmotor," Bruce said. "I'd put one in that plane, too, so if someonethrows a monkey wrench into the works in that motor you still can flywith the other one."
"It would take too long to perfect another one now," Brent said.
"The one you cracked up had the new motor, didn't it?" Gale asked.
Brent looked at her. "It did," he agreed slowly, "and it wouldn't takeas long to repair that one as to construct a new one."
"Could you install it in the yellow plane?" Bruce asked.
"We could do that," Stubby said eagerly. "It's a good idea, boss."
"But how would you get it to the airport from the island?" Gale wantedto know.
They considered this thoughtfully; finally Bruce had a suggestion.
"David's father has a light truck we could borrow to bring it from thewharf here," he said. "And we could bring it across the bay by towing itwith my boat. We could put the motor on a raft or something."
"Let's go," Stubby said impatiently. "We ought to start on i
t at once."
"But someone has to stay here," Brent said slowly. "I think I hadbetter. I wouldn't be much help traveling back and forth with this lameankle. Could you," he asked Bruce, "get the other boys to help you?"
"Sure," Bruce said at once. "We will go now. It won't take so verylong."
"I'll stay here and wait for you," Gale proposed.
"Don't you think you had better go home? Your parents will worry," BrentStockton said.
"They know where I am," Gale said. "Besides, I want to wait and it isn'tlate."
Brent and Gale stood at the door of the hangar and watched until Bruceand Stubby had disappeared toward the highway where they were to takethe bus back to town. When there was nothing in sight and not a sound todisturb the stillness the young man and the girl continued to standthere. The moonlight was like a path of silver straight down the runwayof the landing field.
"When are you going to test your plane?" Gale asked, watching the slowcircle made by the searchlight on top of another hangar.
"In a day or so," the pilot answered.
"Take me up with you?" Gale asked shyly. "I've never been up in aplane."
"It is thrilling," Brent said, smiling. "Certainly I'll take you up. Theday before the race in the black and silver plane," he added.
Gale felt immediately marvelously happy. To sail through the clouds likea bird--and with Brent Stockton! Gale leaned against the hangar andsighed. Dreamily she closed her eyes. It was a heavenly night. The coolwind stirred a wisp of curly hair against her cheek. The wooliness ofher sports coat felt warm. Gone was all thought of school troubles. Goneeven was the remembrance of the narrow escape they had all had from theconsequences of the bomb.
But suddenly, quite suddenly, she was afraid. Of what she knew not.Nothing had happened. The moonlight was just as bright, the breeze justas cool and faintly scented. The searchlight still made its steady whitecircle. The stars shone with the same shimmering brightness. It wassomething intangible. It was as though, somehow, she had suddenly had aglimpse into the near future. A glimpse of something stark and tragicthat was to happen.
Brent Stockton sensed rather than saw the quiver that ran through thegirl. He looked down at her. Her head was on a level with his shoulder,her hands were deep in her pockets. Her eyes were fixed out across thelanding field, her lips quivering.
"What is it?" he asked anxiously.
"I--I don't know," she managed to whisper faintly. "I have the strangestfeeling that something is going to happen--something dreadful!"
"You are cold," he said, a comforting arm instantly about her shouldersto quiet her trembling. "Come inside."
She shook her head, leaning against him, grateful for his nearness andhis understanding.
"No--it is something else. I know something is going to happen. I canfeel it!" She turned dark eyes to him. "What can it be?" she whisperedfearfully.
"There is nothing going to happen to you," he said smiling. "Do not beafraid."
"I'm not afraid for myself," she said slowly, "but you--if anythingshould happen to you----" In confusion, she bowed her head on hisshoulder and a sob escaped her.
His eyes were wide with amazement as he awkwardly patted her shoulder. Atender smile flitted across his face. He had never for one momentsupposed that she---- How in the world should he deal with thesituation?
"Gale," he spoke gently, slowly, "have you ever been in love?" He felther stiffen instantly and her head came up with a jerk.
"Why--what do you mean?" she asked faintly.
"Sit down," he invited. Two boxes stood against the hangar wall and heseated himself beside her. "I am speaking this way because I don't wantyou to make a mistake. Have you ever," he spoke lightly, almost gayly,but Gale could grasp their hidden meaning, "have you ever thought aboutwhat the French call--ze grande passion?"
"Y-Yes, some," Gale admitted.
"Will you tell me what you think it is--love, I mean?" he asked softly.
"Well," she said with difficulty, "it is probably the biggest thing inour lives, isn't it? I mean--did you ever read Elizabeth Browning? Shesays--'I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!' Ialways thought--maybe--I should love someone like that some day." Galewas so thankful for the darkness here against the hangar. He couldn'tsee how her cheeks were burning. Never, never, had she thought she wouldever talk to anyone like this!
Brent Stockton thoughtfully brushed an imaginary bit of dust from hisjacket sleeve. "You are right," he said. "You should love someone likethat. You are young and--quite lovely." He grinned down at her. "Therewill be a great many boys in love with you, Gale."
Gale felt herself blushing more furiously than ever. How could he talklike that? She laughed lightly.
"Positively," he insisted. "But you are still in school. You want tomake something of yourself. Remember that! You don't want love until youare ready for it. You want to finish growing up first. You will find itworth while in the end." He laughed. "I sound like Old Man Experiencehimself, but I can't quite see how to make you understand."
Gale was fast regaining her composure. "I believe," she said forcing alaugh, "that you are in a very good-natured way warning me not to fallin love with you and not to mistake a silly school-girl crush for thereal thing."
He cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Ah, now you have taken offense.I'm sorry, Gale--I only meant the best, to make you----"
Gale stood up, pulling her coat closer about her. "I don't think I shallwait for Bruce after all. I shall go home."
"I will take you," Brent said immediately.
"No, please! I'd rather you didn't." Her words rumbled out in a rush andshe turned away to the road.
"Gale," he called after her. "Wait!" He held out his hand and she puthers into it reluctantly. "You are sweet, Gale. We're always friends,remember!"
"Good night," she said thickly. When she walked to the bus stop therewere tears in her eyes, tears of anger and self-reproach. How could sheever face him again? She had practically thrown herself at him! And theway he had talked to her----
In the darkness she stopped to wipe away a surreptitious tear andinstantly came to attention. She had not yet quite reached the road.Here there were heavy trees on each side of her. From the trees on herright came the sound of voices, low, sinister voices. She recognized oneof the voices as that of the man who had almost taken the plans fromBruce that night at the old spring house!