Jane Stewardess of the Air Lines Part 12

From below came Mrs. Murphy's pleasant voice.

"Lunch is on the table, girls. It's not much, but it will save you a trip down town."

They trooped downstairs to find the dining-room table set with appetizing food. There was a large plate of bread, so fresh from the oven it was still warm, and a bowl of honey. Wisps of steam ascended from a large platter of hash at one end of the table while at the other was a bowl of fresh cottage cheese. A gla.s.s of milk was beside each plate and a platter filled with fruit centered the table.

"This is grand of you, Mrs. Murphy," said Sue.

"I'm going to have bread and b.u.t.ter and sugar," cried Grace. "It's been ages since I've had a treat like that."

Mrs. Murphy eased her motherly bulk into the chair at the head of the table and smiled happily at the evident relish with which the girls ate lunch. There was no question about their having found pleasant quarters for their home while in Cheyenne.

Chapter Ten

Jane's First Call

The following days were busy ones for Jane and her companions. Long hours were pa.s.sed at the field in the cla.s.sroom and in the commissary where the girls underwent an intensive period of training.

Miss Comstock was an exacting teacher, but a fair one and she was almost universally popular with the girls. Only one, Mattie Clark, seemed to resent the strict discipline which the chief stewardess imposed.

Mattie, a black-haired, dark-eyed girl, answered Miss Comstock sharply on several occasions. Once the chief stewardess reprimanded her recalcitrant pupil before the entire cla.s.s. Later Mattie vowed that she would gain revenge.

"What do you think of Mattie's att.i.tude?" asked Sue as she stood outside the administration building with Jane, Grace and Alice.

"It's only going to cause trouble for Mattie," replied Jane. "Miss Comstock is fair. She's got a hard job in preparing a bunch of new girls for this work, but I think she's doing it well."

"She gets pretty cross at times," put in Alice.

"You would, too, if you were asked as many dumb questions as she is,"

retorted Jane.

Just then Mattie joined them. She was still resentful over the reprimand from the instructor and was grumbling to herself.

"That skinny piece of baggage isn't going to bawl me out in front of the cla.s.s and get away with it," she told them, her black eyes snapping. "I've got some pull in the Federated Airways front office and I'm going to use it. Maybe Miss Comstock will be working for me some day."

"Well, what do you think of that?" asked Sue as Mattie left them.

"Mattie's partially right. That is, she has some influence in the Chicago office. Her uncle is publicity director for Federated, but I don't believe she'll ever be able to cause Miss Comstock any real trouble," was Jane's opinion.

"Mattie has dreams of being chief stewardess," explained Grace. "She told me the other day that she could certainly do a better job of handling this group than Miss Comstock."

"Well, I'm putting Mattie down as a thorough trouble maker and the less I see and know about her the better I'll like it," said Jane firmly.

"I'll paddle right along with you," added Grace. "Mattie isn't headed in the direction I like."

The girls had been too tired at night to even think of attending a show before but that evening they walked down town and enjoyed a movie. On the way home they stopped for sodas and it was late when they reached Mrs. Murphy's. Jane was surprised to see their landlady waiting for them.

"It's about time you were getting in," she exclaimed. "The field has been calling every fifteen minutes. Miss Comstock wants you to telephone her right away. Next time you go to a show, let me know where you're going."

"Oh, I'm sorry it was so much trouble," said Jane.

"'Twas no trouble," smiled Mrs. Murphy, "but the field has been very anxious to locate you."

Jane hastened to the telephone and put in a call for the airport. A summons at that time of night was puzzling for cla.s.s work was over hours before and none of the girls had been a.s.signed to regular duty.

That was to come day after tomorrow, when the final minor alterations on their uniforms had been completed and the last test pa.s.sed.

The other girls crowded near the telephone, all of them anxious for the news from the field.

The operations office answered promptly and Jane gave them her name.

The night manager poured his message into her ear in a staccato too fast for the other girls to hear. Jane tingled all over as she listened and her reply was mechanical.

"I'll be there right away," she promised.

"Where are you going right away?" demanded Sue.

"Chicago," smiled Jane, turning from the telephone and dashing upstairs two steps at a time.

The other girls raced after to find Jane in her room already pulling off her dress.

"Sue, get my uniform out," begged Jane as she struggled with her dress, "and Grace, see if you can find those new smoked-grey hose in the top drawer of the dresser. Alice, run some water in the tub. I've got to be at the field in twenty minutes."

"But what's it all about?" Sue insisted as the girls rushed to help Jane.

"There's a special plane from the west coast going through to New York with Mrs. Van Verity Vanness, who is worth a billion or so, aboard.

It's on a fast schedule for she is rushing to New York to the bedside of a son who is seriously ill. Salt Lake radioed that Mrs. Van Verity Vanness was anything but comfortable and the general manager has ordered a stewardess aboard to see what can be done to make her happier the rest of the way to Chicago."

"How lucky!" exclaimed Sue. "Why, you're getting the first a.s.signment and you'll be flying nearly two days ahead of any of the rest of us."

"I'm not so sure I'm lucky," replied Jane as she splashed vigorously in the tub. "Any woman who has as many millions as Mrs. Van Verity Vanness is bound to be mighty particular. It would be just my luck to have her sick all of the way in and have a complaint lodged against me."

"But if she likes you and the service, she'll probably give you a real compliment," said Sue.

"And maybe a present," added Alice.

"Now you're all getting too far ahead," protested Jane. "I've got to get to the field first of all."

When Jane returned to her room, the girls had her uniform all ready for her to step into. The smoke-green serge fitted Jane snugly and the beret perched at a pert angle on her brown hair. She adjusted the seams of the new hose and slipped into dark grey pumps which were a part of the uniform. With deft fingers she centered the green tie of her shirt-waist and stuck a fresh handkerchief in her left coat pocket.

Quick touches with the powder puff removed the shine from her nose and she gave her hair a final pat just as the horn on one of the field's cars blared outside.

"Stand still a minute," begged Sue. "I want to get a good look at you."

"There's no time for a dress rehearsal," smiled Jane, but she turned around slowly so the others could see her in the complete outfit.

"You look grand," whispered Grace. "Every pilot on the line will be in love with you before morning."

"I won't see every pilot," retorted Jane.