“Me? They know better than to trust me at the joy stick. We haven’t many planes down here and they can’t afford to have guys like me smash the few we have got into concrete walls!”
The girl struggled to find something encouraging to say but before she could bring the words beyond her lips, Lefty was once more engaged in drawing a colorful word picture of Panama and his accomplishments.
“You know where Panama is now?”
Elinor shook her head, acknowledging her ignorance as to the whereabouts of the man under discussion.
“He’s risking his life, flying through a treacherous jungle and making landings in a dangerous and hilly country to rescue some stricken Marines who had been lost until he discovered their whereabouts yesterday!”
She lowered her head, not daring to allow her eyes to meet Lefty’s now.
“He’s a very brave man—very brave,” she replied simply.
“You bet he is!” the boy agreed, his eyes sparkling at the mere recollection of the Marine sergeant’s recent deed, “And wait until he finds out you’re here! Oh, boy! Won’t that be great?”
Elinor struggled to choke back a huge lump rising in her throat, and at the same time, brushed away a drop of moisture that had been trickling down her cheek.
“Yes,” she sighed in despair. “It will be great—won’t it, Lefty?”