“I’d like to treat you to lunch,” said Charlie Fischer, “but I’ve got to get down town.”
“Thanks a lot for all you’ve done,” said Jane. “We’ll do our best to pass the rest of the examinations.”
“You’ll come out all right,” prophesied their new friend.
Jane and Sue went down to the restaurant on the main floor where they ate a leisurely lunch. Outside planes were landing and taking off and a constant crowd swirled along the ramp and through the waiting room.
Already the tempo of the whole thing had gotten deep into their blood.
“I’ll be terribly disappointed if we don’t pass the physical tests,” confessed Sue.
“Don’t worry about that. We’re in perfect health.”
At one o’clock they reported at the office of Dr. Perkins and were taken into the examination room at once. Doctor Perkins, small and business-like, put them through the regular routine.
“Humph,” she said as she checked the results. “If all girls were as healthy as you two, there would be little for doctors to do.”
“Then you mean we’ve passed all right?” asked Sue anxiously.
“Your physical report will be 96 per cent, which is unusually high. Take your cards back to Mr. Speidel’s office.”
When Sue and Jane returned to the other end of the hall the line of girls had thinned. They presented their health cards to the secretary and were admitted almost at once to the office.
“It looks like I’m about to sign two more stewardesses,” he smiled as he took their cards. His eyes widened as he read the final report. “Why, this is rather remarkable. Doctor Perkins is pretty much of a stickler for detail. A 96 mark from her is about 99 from any other examiner.”
The personnel officer took two blanks from a pile at one corner of his desk.
“Now we’ll get down to the serious business of enrolling you for the stewardess service,” he said.
“You mean we’ve really got the jobs?” asked Jane.
“You certainly have. Your pay starts today with a salary of $125 a month and uniforms furnished by the system. Does that sound attractive?”
“It’s more than attractive,” smiled Sue.
In less than ten minutes they were formally enrolled as members of the Federated Airways’ stewardess service.
“We’ve signed a dozen girls, including you two, and are sending them all west to Cheyenne tonight aboard a special plane. Uniforms are being made here. Take a company taxi and go to the Barclay Tailors on North Michigan Avenue. They are outfitting all of the girls. Be back at the field at five o’clock. Miss Comstock, who is chief of the stewardess service, will be here. Report to her at this office.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speidel,” said Jane.
“We’ll do our best,” promised Sue.
They were in a cab and speeding toward the loop before they relaxed, for the strain of the last few hours had been terrific for both girls.
Sue’s eyes filled with tears and Jane felt her own throat choke up. With their funds so low, securing the positions with the Federated Airways had been essential and now that it was no longer a dream, it was hard to believe.
“Would you mind pinching me to see if I am awake?” said Sue, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
“We’re awake all right,” said Jane as the cab struck a bad bump and threw them to the ceiling. The meter was clicking up an astonishing taxi bill and Sue stared at it questioningly.
“Maybe we’d better get out and take a street car down town,” she suggested.
“Don’t be silly. This is a Federated Airways cab. It won’t cost us a cent and the driver will come around and take us back to the field when we’re ready.”
“How do you know?” Sue asked suspiciously.
“Because I took the time and had the good sense to inquire at the ticket office. When I told them we were new stewardesses they gave me a card entitling us to round-trip transportation to the loop in a company cab.”
“I didn’t see you do that,” protested Sue.
“No, you were too busy watching the plane coming in from the west.”
At the tailors they were measured for trim serge suits of a smoke-green. Berets of the same material and color were furnished.
The fitting required an hour and the tailors promised to have the suits in Cheyenne within the week.
“What do you think of the uniforms?” Jane asked as they left the tailors.
“I love them. They’re so trim and business-like, yet feminine at the same time. What a contrast to a nurse’s uniform.”
Jane was willing to admit that the neat, serge suits would be much more comfortable than the primly starched outfits they had been accustomed to wearing.
They had to wait a few minutes until the cab arrived and then they were whirled rapidly toward the field on the outskirts of the city.
When they reached the airport, Jane went straight to the waiting room and sat down at a writing table.
“Going to write home?” asked Sue.
“First of all I’m writing to Miss Hardy back at Good Samaritan. After all, it was because of her interest that we managed to get these positions. Then I’ll dash off a letter home. There’s half an hour before we report to the chief stewardess.”
“I wonder if the folks will object?” mused Sue as she sat down at the other side of the desk and picked up a pen.
“I’m going to tell mine that Miss Hardy felt it an excellent opportunity. They have great faith in her and I’m sure they’ll not protest.”
Chapter Six
Westward Flight
It was shortly before five o’clock when Jane and Sue reported to Miss Comstock at the office of the personnel director. By five o’clock all of the girls who had been signed for the stewardess service were in the office and Miss Comstock spoke to them briefly.
“When we arrive in Cheyenne,” she explained, “you will go through a two weeks’ training course which I will conduct. The purpose of this is to thoroughly familiarize you with your duties and to acquaint you with the special geographical features of the line for, as stewardesses, you must not only care for your passengers but be qualified to answer their questions. I can assure you that they will ask a great many. While in training at Cheyenne, you will make trips over the routes to which you will be assigned. Since the stewardess service is to become effective June 10th, you understand that we have much to do for I am counting on you girls making a fine record on the line.”
As Miss Comstock finished speaking, a huge tri-motor rolled up on the ramp and Charlie Fischer stuck his head out to look for his passengers.
“Our plane is waiting. We’ll have a late lunch in Omaha,” said Miss Comstock. “I suggest that on the way down you girls introduce yourselves to one another.”
With the chief stewardess leading the way, the girls trooped downstairs. Just ahead of Jane and Sue were two girls about their own age.
They turned around and introduced themselves. The taller one was Grace Huston while the shorter one, a red-head, was Alice Blair.
“We took our training here in the county hospital,” said Grace. “Are you from Chicago?”
“No,”