inged monoplane made a graceful swoop high above the elms and maples surrounding it. Other figures could be

stealing a march on them

o it-she would. With a scarcely perceptible thrust of her wrist, she altered the angle of the rudder-lik

guess her plan, laughed as h

"It's contrary to all discipl

airly cut through the air. Both the occupants were glad to lower their goggles to protect their eyes fr

white dial was creeping up-fifty, sixty, sixty-two-she wo

r! Great C

fficer. He had leaned forward a

pe of motor installed," said Peggy, with

inking back in his rear seat, which was as comfortably upholster

tlake plant. Once Peggy brought the aeroplane so close to the ground in a long, swinging sweep, that it seemed as if it could never recover enough "way

oplane swoop, that Peggy, to her secret amusement could trace the astonished look on the

over," she said mischievously, flinging back

anxious to put the Golden Butterfly through all her paces. Oh, b

officer might have seen a mischievous gleam flash into them

er. Peggy had banked it on a sharp aerial curve. The young office

say

aeroplane was back on a level keel once more. At

as done?" asked Peggy,

ght we were over for

ted States government has contracted for a numb

officer bi

ht, "is this chit of a

ty. Mr. Bradbury colored a bit with mortification.

er do for us to reveal all our secrets,

ht. Still, I confess that you hav

ad separating the motor from the body of the chassis, made no repl

of lightning leaped across the horizon. One of those sudden storms of summer had blown up from the sea, and Peggy knew enough of Long Island weather to k

ked the officer. "I thought I noticed some thunderh

the straightforward Peggy; "as it is, we'

he wonderful equali

ble. But you've no idea of the fury of the

the steering gear just as one of these self-same young hurricanes came bustling up. I tell

some woods, she spied a bit of meadowland. The hay which had covered it earlier in the summer had been cropped. It afforded an ideal landing-place. But the wind was puf

olden Butterfly was fitted, the storm burst in all its fury. Bolt after bolt of vivid lightning ripped and tore acr

n open cart-shed. It was quite snug and dry once they had it under the roof. A short distance off stood a far

f we can dry our things," sugg

sailor doesn't mind that. One actually gets

se. It was only a few hundred feet, but the rain came down so hard that both she and her escort were wetter than ever by the time they arr

knocked thunder

"maybe they are in some

aeroplane and have all retired in

ouder this time, b

a thunderous assault on the door, but to no avail. A silence hung

red Peggy. "It's like Red Riding

lded, and the door was speedily found to be unlocked. The officer shoved it open and disclosed a neat farm-house kitchen. In a newly blackened stove, which fairly shone, was a blazing fire. An old

she exclaimed. "But where

at stove looks inviting to me. Let's get over to it and g

least right in here. Suppose they mi

anyhow, because I'm the most burglarious looking

ous!" exclaimed Peggy, as a sudden thought st

r companion was

a deserted farm-house there's always a trapdoor or a

d by a gigantic locust. Then something-a huge, indefinite shadow-darkened the windows of the farm-house kitc