They're showing scenes of the picture which have been taken at Cheyenne."

"What a pity the other girls aren't here," said Mrs. Murphy. "I'm all in a bustle I'm that excited. Do you suppose I took well?"

"I'm sure you did."

"But did they invite me to see the pictures?" asked Mrs. Murphy anxiously.

"Well, they didn't exactly mention you by name, but I know they won't object. You get your hat and we'll go along. We've only a little more than time enough to get there now."

"But you've had no supper, Jane."

"I'm not hungry. I'm too excited."

"Well, you're going to eat," said Mrs. Murphy firmly, who believed that food was necessary at regular intervals. "There's several sandwiches and a gla.s.s of milk in the ice box. You eat that while I'm fixing my hair."

When they reached the hotel, Charlie Fischer and Miss Comstock were waiting in the lobby.

"This is going to be a real treat," smiled Miss Comstock. "I never thought I'd be in a movie, even as an extra in a crowd scene."

"And I never dreamed that I would pilot a plane with cameras recording the scene," admitted Jane.

"You might add that you never dreamed you would have to take to a chute to get down," put in Charlie.

"You're right and once is enough," said Jane firmly.

The pictures were to be shown in the ballroom. While they waited, Miss Barrett and Gary Macklin came out of the dining room. They paused to visit, awaiting the arrival of the director.

"I hear I missed some unusual action by staying in bed this morning,"

smiled Miss Barrett.

"It was too much action," said Charlie.

"How did you ever have the nerve to jump?" the film star asked Jane.

"It wasn't nerve," replied Jane, "it was just a case of necessity."

The director arrived and they went into the ballroom where a screen had been erected at one end and a portable projector placed at the other.

"We're going to run through everything we've taken," explained the director as the company, including cameramen and technicians, gathered.

Turning to the Federated Airways people, he explained, "Of course there is no sound on the print we're running tonight. The noise of the airplane engines will be produced in the home studio and worked into the sound track later."

They found seats and the lights were turned off. There was no t.i.tle to precede the start of the actual picture, the first scene being of the Cheyenne airport with the _Coast to Coast Limited_ coming in from the west. Jane started as she recognized the familiar action which had taken place only that Monday morning. She saw herself walking across the concrete floor to speak to the incoming stewardess. Then she entered the cabin and a few seconds later another stewardess walked across the hangar.

Jane smiled for the second girl was Claudette Barrett, looking exceedingly attractive in the uniform of a Federated Airways stewardess. Then there was a shot of the plane taking off, and, after that, pictures of Miss Barrett and Gary Macklin talking in the shadows of one of the great tri-motors, several shots showing the leading man at the controls of one of the big planes, and a number showing him in the c.o.c.kpit of the army plane which Charlie had flown that morning.

Pictures of the planes coming in at night, especially, thrilled Jane.

In the crowd scenes she saw Sue, Alice, Grace and Miss Comstock. Then came the unforgettable scene, with Mrs. Murphy trying to make up her mind about getting aboard the plane, and the efforts of Miss Barrett and Gary Macklin to convince her that flying was safe. The entire group burst into hearty laughter and the director leaned back to speak to Miss Barrett.

"That's one of the best bits of natural comedy I've seen in years,"

Jane heard him say.

The picture swung into the air action which had been taken that morning, showing the departure of the tri-motor. Then Jane saw the black plane which she had piloted bearing down on the transport and she leaned forward in her chair. This was her part of the picture. Her mouth felt dry and her brow was hot as she watched the black plane dart toward the unsuspecting tri-motor.

Smoke and flame shot from the gun on her plane as she maneuvered to force the transport down. The camera range had been too long to get a glimpse of Jane's face and reveal that a girl was flying the plane, but her scarf, which had been wound around her head, trailed over the edge of the c.o.c.kpit, whipping in the wind.

The director turned to an a.s.sistant. "Make a note that when we take the close-up shots in the studio there must be a scarf tied to the helmet of the pilot of the bandit plane."

Out of the clouds dropped Charlie Fischer in the army plane, roaring down upon Jane and the black ship. For the next few minutes Jane was almost breathless as she watched the maneuvers in the air. It was more thrilling than she had dared to imagine, and the cameras had caught every twist and turn of the plane. Then came the last dive by Charlie and the puff of smoke from the black biplane, which fell away in a twisting dive.

Jane, watching intently, saw flames lick out of the fuselage and seconds later she catapulted from the burning plane. The cameras, following the blazing ship, failed to show her chute open, but they kept the focus on the plane until it smashed into the ground, a flaming ma.s.s of wreckage.

The film sputtered out of the projector and the lights in the ballroom came on. Director James turned to Jane and Charlie.

"Congratulations on some exceptionally fine flying," he said. Then, aiming his question at Jane, he asked, "How would you like to come to Hollywood? I'm sure we could find some small roles for a girl who has your coolness and nerve."

Jane shook her head firmly.

"Once was enough. I've had all of the movie experience I want."

Chapter Twenty-two

Promotion for Jane

"What's this I hear about your turning down an offer to go to Hollywood?" demanded Sue when she reached Mrs. Murphy's the next morning after a night flight from Chicago.

"Did you really do that?" asked Grace, who had just arrived.

Jane smiled at their insistent questions.

"I did something like it," she confessed. "At least I recall that Mr.

James mentioned something about going to Hollywood. He said he thought he could find work there for me in minor parts."

"And you turned that down?" gasped Sue.

"I certainly did. I'm no actress and I know it. Perhaps I could get by for a time on my ability to do aviation scenes, but that wouldn't last long and then I'd be looking for a job."

"But think of all the romance of going to Hollywood," Sue insisted.

"There wouldn't be much romance in going hungry," replied Jane. "I'm satisfied."

"I think you're smart," put in Grace. "In Chicago the last trip, I heard that with business picking up, the line was going to put on more girls. That means Miss Comstock will need an a.s.sistant and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you were appointed."

"I'd like that if I could keep on flying," said Jane, "but why do you think I have a chance?"

"Easy," smiled Grace. "For one thing, you're the best-known stewardess on the line. You've got a pleasing personality, all of the girls like you, and you certainly know your work. What more is needed?"