Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg

was a new face.
    She feebly motioned them into chairs.
    â€œWe are the Executive Committee of the Baston Air Display,” explained Lady Crumbles briefly and directly.
    â€œAir display, did you say?” asked Sally incredulously.
    â€œCertainly. We have decided to organize a flying meeting at Baston in aid of the Airies.”
    â€œDid you say Airies ?”
    â€œPlease don’t keep repeating my words, Miss Sackbut,” said Lady Crumbles irritably. “Yes, I did say Airies. They are the air corps of my Brownies. Now all we want from the club are the club machines, and the aerodrome, the services of your pilots, and, of course, the co-operation of the members.”
    â€œIs that all?” asked Sally.
    â€œFor the moment, yes,” answered Lady Crumbles, whose obliviousness to sarcasm was her greatest strength. “As further needs crop up, we shall, of course, get in touch with you. Now, my dear, as manager of the club you must, of course, serve on the Committee; in fact, you ought to be aviation manager of the display.”
    â€œBut I don’t think,” said Sally, who felt the situation rapidly sliding out of her control, “that I’m very keen on the display idea. I don’t think the members will be very keen on it either.”
    â€œMy dear child,” said the Countess winningly, “don’t you realize that the whole idea of it is to help the club? The Airies are only a side issue. As soon as Gilbert said to me that he hoped the club was doing all right, I said to myself, ‘I must help them, the gallant things, and all they are doing for the country.’ And so the idea of the display came to me.”
    â€œIt’s awfully good of you, of course—”
    â€œNot at all.”
    â€œIt really is, but—”
    â€œLady Crumbles spends her time doing good. How she has the time to fit it in I don’t know,” interrupted Walsyngham.
    â€œWot amazes me is ’ow young she looks on it,” said Sir Herbert Hallam. “Work agrees with you, Lady Crumbles.”
    â€œIt really is most awfully good of her,” insisted Sally with a quiet desperation, “but I am sure club members would resent the time taken up in practising and so forth.”
    â€œMy dear Miss Sackbut, I am used to dealing with resentful people,” laughed Lady Crumbles. “If you get any complaints from a club member, I will have a little chat with him and point out that it is for the good of the club. Don’t you worry on that score.”
    â€œI hope it’s not going to cost anything,” said Sally, unwilling to give in without a struggle. “We really can’t afford a penny of capital expenditure.”
    â€œLeave that to the Executive Committee! We’ll raise the money. My dear, you seem to have so many odd objections…you don’t resent my coming in, do you? I mean, if you would prefer to be chairman of the Executive Committee yourself, I should gladly serve under you. I always say that we women shouldn’t let our feelings stand in the way of charity.”
    â€œGood Lord, no! I am delighted you should run the show,” said Sally, now fairly cornered. “I’ll co-operate with you all I can. I don’t want to have to do anything but the flying side.”
    As Sally thus succumbed to Lady Crumbles’ powers, there was the sound of a song outside, and Tommy Vane threw open the door. He was carrying a glass of beer, was dressed in a cherry-coloured, open-necked shirt, and wore dark-green flannel trousers with an orange belt.
    â€œHi, Sally!” he shouted, holding up something in his fingers. “Look what I’ve found in the beer!” Then, seeing the formidable bulks of Lady Crumbles and Mr. Walsyngham and the familiar figure of Sir Herbert Hallam, he started to retreat with a muttered apology.
    Lady Crumbles, who had scrutinized him closely, suddenly gave an exclamation. “My dear Mr.