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Page 13
"It won't be necessary to break the news to her, Mrs. Gray," said David.
"I shall be as good as new inside of a few minutes. It's my poor little
bird here who has received the injuries. Look at her poor battered wings!
I think I know just what caused my sudden descent though, and I'll take
care it doesn't happen again."
David then began a minute examination of his damaged pet, and soon located
the trouble. His friends listened, deeply interested, as he explained the
principles of aviation, and showed them how he had carried out his own
ideas in constructing his a�roplane. Grace, who had a taste for mechanics,
asked all sorts of questions, until Hippy asked her if she intended
building an a�roplane of her own.
"I may," replied Grace, laughing. "You know that girls have as much chance
at the big things of the world to-day, as boys."
"Well, if you do, let me know," responded Hippy, "and I'll write an epic
poem about you that will make the world sit up and take notice."
"Then I am assured of fame beforehand," laughed Grace.
"Look!" said Nora suddenly. "Who are those people coming across the
orchard? Doesn't that look like Julia Crosby and some of her crowd?"
"Yes," exclaimed Grace, "it is, and Miriam is with them."
"Then help me get my a�roplane into the shed quickly," exclaimed David.
"You know that the Crosby girl is not a favorite with me." Then he added
half to himself, "I don't see why Miriam insists on going around with her
so much."
The boys lost no time in getting the a�roplane into the house, David
slammed the doors, and triumphantly turned the key in the lock just as
Miriam and her party came up.
With a quick glance Miriam's eyes took in the situation. She bowed
courteously to Mrs. Gray, whom she dared not slight; included Grace, Nora
and Jessica in a cool little nod, and stared straight past Anne. Then
turning to her brother she said, "David, show Miss Crosby and her friends
your a�roplane, they wish to see it."
A look of grim determination settled about David's mouth. Looking his
sister squarely in the face, he said, "I am sorry to seem disobliging but
I cannot show your friends my a�roplane and I am surprised to find that
they know I have one."
Miriam reddened at this, but said insolently, "If you can invite other
people to see it, you can show it to us."
There was an uncomfortable silence. Mrs. Gray looked surprised and
annoyed. The peaceful old lady, disliked scenes of any kind. Grace and her
chums, knowing that Miriam was only making herself ridiculous, felt
embarrassed for her. Then Julia Crosby laughed in her tantalizing
irritating way.
That settled the matter as far as David was concerned.
"You are right," he said, "I could show my flying machine to you and your
friends if I cared to do so. However, I don't care to. Knowing that I
wished my experiment to be kept a secret, you came here with the one idea
of being disagreeable, and you have succeeded. I am sorry to be so rude to
my own sister, but occasionally the brutal truth is a good thing for you
to hear, Miriam."
Miriam was speechless with anger, but before she could frame a reply, Mrs.
Gray said soothingly "Children, children don't quarrel. David, it is
getting late. We had better go. I suppose it is of no use to ask any of
you athletic young folks to ride back to town." With a little bow to
Miriam and her discomfited party, Mrs. Gray turned toward where her
carriage awaited her, followed by David and his friends.
After bidding her good-bye, the young people took the road to town. For
David's sake all mention of the recent unpleasantness was tacitly avoided,
though it was uppermost in each one's mind.
"I have one thing to be thankful for," said Grace to Anne, as she turned
in at her own gate, "and that is that Miriam Nesbit isn't my sister."
As for Miriam, her feelings can be better imagined than described. She
sulked and pouted the whole way home, vowing to get even with David for
daring to cross her. Julia Crosby grew rather tired of Miriam's tirade,
and left her with the parting advice that she had better forget it.
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