Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

KERRY OF THE AIR MAIL. “ But seriously,” pleaded Glenn, ‘“ who are you, and how did you happen to tune in just at that time this afterrfoon?”’ “Well, Dll tell you,” came the voice. “It’s not so odd as it seems. I have one of the outfits that you have on your plane, for dad’s the inventor of it. I can both send and receive. I heard you kidding with the air-mail superintendent this afternoon, and when you said that about the Hawaiian song I ran for my ukelele and accommo- dated.” Kerry was about to ask further questions when there came a provocative ‘“ Good night, pilot!”’ And that was all. The daughter of the inventor. He looked at the name on the radio outfit. Stedman— When he completed his next return trip to New Brunswick, Kerry went at once to Garvin. “Say, Garvin, who’s the inventor of this new radio device?” he asked. Garvin looked at him queerly. you serious?” “Ot COurse.; “ But do you mean to tell me you don’t know?” asked Garvin in some surprise. “T don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.” Garvin threw his hands aloft in a mock gesture of despair. “ He’s flying the Chicago air mail, and he asks me who’s the inventor of the new device! I might as well ask you who won the war, or how old is Ann? You handsome euys! Beautiful, but dumb! Why, you big ninny, Sheldon’s the inventor, of course.” ‘« Sheldon! says Stedman.” “Sure. Stedman’s the money man that put it over. He had his name on it. That’s the way with old man Sheldon. He’s an inventive wizard, but a commercial dub. He gets a trimming on about everything he goes into. But Sheldon’s the inventor, you got my word for that.” Glenn Kerry could hardly wait for his next hop-off to Chicago. Sheldon! And the mystery girl had said that she was the daughter of the inventor. Probably true; the average girl would “ Are But the name on the plate 509 not be likely to possess such a device before they were popularized and put on the gen- eral market. He’d tune in as soon as he got under way, and maybe hear her voice again. He knew Sheldon had only one daugh- ter. Then the mystery girl was Betty Sheldon! Would she sing him _ that Hawaiian song again? Would he tell her that he knew who she was, or would that spoil the game and cause her to tune out? He waited until he passed over Belle- fonte and had reported to Garvin; then, he knew, Garvin would tune out for awhile. Kerry did not want any eavesdropping in this quaint radio courtship. For that was what it was, wasn’t it? A radio courtship? Probably the first in the history of the world. But would the girl tune in? | The girl did. He had been speeding along, and he could tell by the lighted Trico Building below that he was ap- proaching the town of Avalon. He had the dial at receiving. Suddenly came the question: “ Pilot Glenn Kerry?” “ Right here. About fifteen hundred feet over Avalon. Do I get my Hawaiian selec- tion to-night?” ‘Do you think you deserve it?” “TI hope so. I’d like to hear it, any- way.” ‘Here goes, then,” came the girl’s voice. Spinning along at a speed of a hundred miles an hour, Kerry drank in every tone of the girl who had been in his thoughts for months. The song ended. “Do you know who I am?” came the question. “Tf I answered that, I’m afraid you might penalize me with no more songs.” “T’ll tell you some time.” “ Hope you do. T’ll look forward to it.” ‘“T’ve seen you at the New Brunswick Field,” said the girl. “‘ Maybe I'll tell you who I am some time. Good night, Captain Kerry.” The young pilot read no tenderness in the words. A more experienced Lothario would have detected a note of softness, of fondness, even of infatuation. (E00) VOOKS MiG (F@)