Through her mind, though, raced thoughts of Mattie and her promise of revenge. Mattie had been alone in the commissary long enough to dope the sandwiches or the salad, and she was capable of stooping to such a low trick. No matter what happened, as a result of the investigation, Jane resolved to see Mattie and have a talk with her.

"What do you know about this, Miss Comstock?" asked the personnel director, turning to the chief of the stewardess service.

"Very little, but I am sure that Miss Cameron is being treated very unfairly if anyone thinks she deliberately planned such a distressing incident as the one which took place aboard the _Coast to Coast_ the other day."

"But isn't it true that Miss Cameron is one of your favorites?"

"I am no more partial to her than to the other girls. It happens that she is a most efficient and personable stewardess. I only wish that all of the girls were as capable as she."

The pilots also spoke a good word for Jane, but she knew she was in a tight spot. Someone had prejudiced the personnel director against her and she strongly suspected the fine hand of Mattie Clark, working through her uncle.

Then Sue took a hand in the proceedings.

"I've been doing a little investigating on my own account," she said.

"It may interest you to know that a member of the stewardess staff bought the drug which was used to cause the illness aboard the plane."

"What do you know about this?" demanded Mr. Speidel.

"Enough to clear Jane of any part in it," replied Sue. "I have a sworn statement from the druggist who made the sale. He knows the stewardess who made the purchase and named her in the affidavit."

Sue waved the paper and the personnel chief seized it eagerly.

"I think this investigation is over," he said as he finished reading the affidavit. "I am sorry, Miss Cameron, to have caused you any embarra.s.sment."

Once outside, Jane hugged Sue enthusiastically.

"You were a peach to do that piece of sleuthing," she said. "For a while it looked like I was in a tight place."

"But you haven't asked me who bought the drug," said Sue.

"I don't need to. It was Mattie. I remembered seeing her in the commissary the other day. Honestly, I hardly thought Mattie would stoop to such a trick. Why, think what would have happened if the pilots had eaten any of that lunch."

"I did," replied Sue, "which is one reason why I went sneaking around the drug stores in Cheyenne. Mattie was pretty sure of herself for she bought it in the store where we usually go for our sodas. The druggist didn't want to give me an affidavit, but when I threatened to swing all of the stewardess trade to the store across the street he decided to sign."

They were having dinner that night at Mrs. Murphy's when Alice, just off a run from the east, came in.

"Guess who I saw leaving the field?" she said.

"Mattie Clark," replied Jane.

"You're a mind-reader. It was Mattie and she was going as a pa.s.senger.

What's up?"

Sue told Alice briefly what had taken place during the afternoon.

"Serves Mattie right," said Alice. "Everything will be smoother now that she's gone. But I've got some news none of you will guess."

"Don't keep us waiting too long," smiled Jane.

"Roscoe James, the famous film director, came out on the plane from Chicago."

"That's nothing. Frederic March flew east with me the other day and never even looked at me," said Sue.

"Yes, but Roscoe James stopped here."

"Which means what?" asked Jane.

"His company, the Mammoth, is going to film an air story with the Cheyenne field for the background."

Chapter Nineteen

Needed--One Pilot

Jane and Sue looked at Alice incredulously.

"Do you mean to stand there and tell me that Roscoe James and the Mammoth Film Company are going to make a motion picture here at the Cheyenne field?" demanded Sue.

"I'm not going to stand and tell you," sighed Alice, dropping into a chair. "I'm going to ease my weary legs, but at the same time, I'll repeat that the local field is going to be used for the background of the next Roscoe James feature production."

"Maybe we'll get a chance to work as extras," gasped Sue.

"About all we can hope to do is to be on the sidelines looking on,"

said Alice. "Mr. James was talking to the operations manager when I left the field. The company will be here next week to start work on the outdoor scenes, all of which will be filmed here."

"What luck for me," put in Jane. "I've only one round trip to Chicago scheduled. That means I'll have most of the week here, where I can watch the company at work."

"And if they need a cook, maybe it will be my chance to get in the movies," added Mrs. Murphy as she hurried in from the kitchen. Little of the girls' conversation escaped Mrs. Murphy and she had kept an ear finely tuned to their talk about the coming of the film company.

Jane was scheduled east the next morning on the _Coast to Coast_. Just before the ship came in from Salt Lake City, she saw the famous film director in conference with the operations manager. With them was Charlie Fischer. After a time he ambled over to talk with Jane.

"Going to be great doings here," grinned Charlie. "I'm in the movies already."

"What are you going to do?"

"They've got to have some stunt flying and they can't afford to have the leading man risk his neck. I'm elected to pilot the ship. Means a lot of fun and quite a few extra shekels."

"Try and get me a job as an extra," urged Jane.

"I'll do my best, but the star might object."

When Jane returned from Chicago a part of the technical crew had arrived and equipment was being set up at the field. Every girl in the stewardess corps was hopeful that she might be selected for some extra role for all of them secretly cherished the desire to be a film star.

Grace, coming in from the west on a late plane, rushed in and woke them.

"Who do you suppose came in with me?" she gasped.