"I shan't be flying the Pursuit," answered Linda. "But we have planes at school. I am taking a course at a ground school in St. Louis this year."
"What kind of course, Miss Carlton?"
"I am in line for two licenses—a commercial pilot's and a mechanic's."
"Mechanic's!" repeated the man, in consternation. "Are you in earnest?"
"Certainly," smiled Linda, for she was quite used to people exclaiming over her chosen study. "Will you give me a job here when I finish?"
"I'll say we will! If you'd take it. But you won't. You'll have bigger offers than this."
"Come along, Linda!" urged Louise, pulling her chum by the arm. "Aren't you cold?"
"No, but I'm dying to see my family," she replied, and followed Louise to the taxi which Ted had engaged.
In contrast to her homecoming before Christmas, when her father and her aunt were plunged in gloom, Linda found them almost hysterical in their joy. Never had her father seemed so wrought up, so emotional. He kissed her again and again. Tears streamed down her aunt's cheeks.
"Darling child!" she cried, "we thought we should never see you again! Oh, your father and I have never had two such dreadful days as yesterday and the day before!"