Jane Stewardess of the Air Lines   By: Ruthe S. Wheeler

JANE

STEWARDESS OF THE AIR LINES

By

Ruthe S. Wheeler

THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING COMPANY

CHICAGO

Copyright, 1934

The Goldsmith Publishing Company

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I Graduation Night 11 II Opportunity Knocks 18 III Adventure Ahead 28 IV An Emergency Case 36 V With Flying Colors 45 VI Westward Flight 56 VII Crash Landing 66 VIII Winning Their Wings 77 IX At Mrs. Murphy's 84 X Jane's First Call 97 XI An Unexpected Delay 105 XII Alarming News 113 XIII The Black Plane 121 XIV Page One News 132 XV "Hello Heroine" 141 XVI Through the Fog 151 XVII An Ultimatum to Mattie 159 XVIII Sue Plays Detective 168 XIX Needed One Pilot 174 XX Down in Flames 184 XXI Too Much Action 193 XXII Promotion for Jane 205 XXIII White Madness 220 XXIV Dangerous Passengers 229 XXV On Desperate Wings 237

Jane, Stewardess of the Air Lines

Chapter One

Graduation Night

Jane Cameron looked breathlessly around the room where seventeen senior nurses of the Good Samaritan hospital at University City sat primly awaiting their diplomas. It was graduation night and Jane was among the seventeen who had completed all of the requirements for a certificate in nurses' training.

Delayed half an hour by an emergency case on third floor surgery, Jane had just slipped into the room and taken the remaining chair on the end of the line.

Dr. Albert Anthony, trim, energetic young head of the staff, was speaking. Beside him was the little white stack of diplomas, all of them rolled and tied with blue and white ribbon. Doctor Anthony's sharp voice was informing the student nurses that they were about to embark on careers of their own. Jane smiled a bit grimly.

She wondered just what career was ahead of her. The girl next in line turned and a fleeting suggestion of a smile hovered about her lips. She was Sue Hawley, friend and companion of Jane through the long, arduous months of training.

"Here's hoping he'll tell us where we can get jobs," whispered Sue, the words so close clipped that it was almost impossible to detect her lips moving.

Jane nodded. That was the one big problem facing most of the girls who were graduating from nurses' training at Good Samaritan. As for herself, she had no idea what she would be doing after the following noon when she stepped through the doors of the great hospital.

Doctor Anthony finished his speech and the nurses applauded politely. He picked up the diplomas and called the roll of graduates. As her name was called, each girl stepped forward, her stiffly starched skirts swishing, and received the tube of paper.

Queer shivers chased themselves up and down Jane's back. For three years she had been working toward this moment and now that it was at hand she suddenly felt cheated. Perhaps it was because she was grasping so desperately for something to do after she left the hospital.

Sue's name was called and she stepped forward and received her diploma. Jane was the last and she walked slowly toward the rostrum. A mist clouded her eyes and her hand shook as she accepted the diploma. It meant cutting loose from the old routine, leaving the firmly established and venturing out alone.

Jane wouldn't have admitted, even to Sue, that she was scared , for she was far too proud.