buy me an airplane, or you an automobile or both,
by golly! And tell Bland I'll make it all right with him, too. I
kinda left him in the lurch for awhile, but I couldn't help that. I've
been thinking, Mary V, what I'll do. I'm going to give Bland the
Thunder Bird. Doggone it, he's done a whole lot for me, and I guess
he's got it coming. There's planes here that can fly circles around
the old Thunder Bird, and I'm going to have one or break a leg. I'll
. . . What's that? . . . Oh, all right, I'll come on and do my talking
later. Being a government line, I guess maybe I'd better not hold this
telephone all day. Sure, I'm crazy to see you! All right, all right,
I'm coming right now!"

"With apologies for overhearing a private conversation," said Captain
Riley, "speaking of getting a new plane, why don't you enlist as an
aviator? I can use you very nicely and would like to have you here.
How would a second lieutenancy strike you, Jewel? I can arrange it for
you very easily--and let me tell you something: Before many months roll
by it will be a matter of patriotism to serve your country. We shall
be at war before long, unless I miss my guess. Better come in now.
You--your being married will not interfere, I should think--seeing you
intend to continue flying, anyway. I wonder, by the way, why I am not
invited to be present at that wedding?"

"Well, good golly! You're invited right now, if you mean you'll go.
Mary V will be one proud little girl, all right. And say, Captain, of
course I'll have to talk it over with Mary V first, but that offer you
just made me sure listens good. I tried to enlist--that's what I
wanted all along--but I was turned down. But if you'll say a word for
me--"

"Your Mary V is wanting," Captain Riley grinned. "And if I may judge
from the brief conversation I had with her over the 'phone just now, we
had better be on our way!"

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THUNDER BIRD***

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