The Golden Angel

by Gilbert, Morris

  “She’s not here yet, but if she comes, I’ll call you at once.”

  “We’re all terribly worried. She doesn’t have much money, so we can’t imagine where she is. Call us if she gets in touch with you.”

  “Of course I will. Right away.”

  Erin hung up the phone, and her brow contracted in a furrow. She had been worried about Amelia for longer than most people. They had grown up together, and Erin had seen Amelia’s rebellious streak begin to develop when she became a teenager. Now she was in a strange country and vulnerable to all kinds of dangers.

  Erin began to pace the floor and finally left her room and went down and knocked on Quaid’s door. He opened it almost at once and, looking at her face, asked, “What’s the matter?”

  “May I come in?”

  “Sure, come on in. Is something wrong? Is it your grandfather?”

  “No,” Erin said quickly. “He’s about the same. But it’s Amelia. She’s run away from home. Grandmother just called me.”

  “Sit down,” Quaid said. He waited until Erin sat down and then asked for the particulars. He listened while she spoke and then shook his head. “That’s a bad one,” he said finally.

  “You could see how she wanted to experience everything life had to offer, Quaid. I’m worried to death about her.”

  “Tough when these things happen, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  The two sat there talking quietly, and Erin was suddenly aware that there was a comforting quality in Quaid that she had never noticed before. Perhaps it had not been there before but had something to do with his becoming a Christian. He seemed so solid now, and he had a peace that had been lacking before. As he spoke quietly now, she was suddenly grateful that he was there for her to talk to.

  Finally she said, “I’ve been seeing Helen Frazier, Derek’s ex-wife.” She went on to explain the circumstances and then said, “It would be wonderful if they were to find each other again. I know she’s still in love with him, and I think he’s still in love with her.”

  Quaid nodded his agreement. “I’d like to see that happen. I’ve been trying to learn a bit about how to live for the Lord, and everything I read about marriage says that it’s forever, like geese.”

  Erin blinked. “What do you mean like geese?”

  “Why, Canadian geese mate forever. Didn’t you know that?”

  “No.”

  “Well, it’s true, from what I read. They find a mate and stay for life. If something happens to one of them, the other one grieves forever, I guess.” He bowed his head and studied his fingers, which were locked together. “When people marry,” he said quietly, “it should be for as long as they live.”

  Erin sat there silently for a moment. Then she whispered, “I think you’re right. We should pray for Derek and Helen.”

  “For them and also for Amelia.”

  She looked up and saw a smile turning up the corners of his lips. “Sounds funny to hear myself say that. To talk about praying.”

  “It doesn’t sound funny to me. It sounds wonderful!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Between Heaven and Hell

  All but a few scenes of the movie had been shot, and Derek should have been happy, but Erin noticed that he did not seem to be particularly joyful. Whenever they went out to lunch or dinner, he talked little, and when they recently had gone to a concert he’d particularly wanted to hear, he had remained silent the whole time. He was not acting like the man she had first met.

  Erin had been thinking a great deal about the handicapped children she had visited in the hospital. She had, in fact, gone back to make a fourth visit. While she was there a thought came to her that had slowly developed and ripened. Her heart had been touched by the children, some of them so young they could not even walk, and the desire to help them grew in her.

  Finally she called Helen Frazier and asked to see her. The two met at the hospital cafeteria, where they got coffee and took seats in a corner. At ten o’clock in the morning the restaurant was not crowded, and the only sounds were the cooks talking in the kitchen amid the clatter of dishes.

  “I’ve thought so much about the children you help, Helen,” Erin said, “and I want to do something to help them myself.”

  “Well, you have helped them. You can’t imagine how excited they’ve been about your visits. They all want pictures of you. Signed pictures.”

  “I’ll have the studio make some, and I’ll bring them back—but I want to do more than that.”

  “Well, what did you have in mind?” Helen asked curiously.

  “I don’t have much money, but while I was visiting in the ward last week an idea came to me. I’m wondering if it would be possible to put on a special benefit air show with all the profits going to the handicapped children you take care of here.”

  Helen exclaimed, “Why, Erin, that would be wonderful! Do you think it could be done?”

  “It might be a very small air show, but Quaid and I have gotten to know quite a few of the stunt pilots. We could put out some feelers. At the very least, Quaid and Rev and I could put on a small show, but I’d rather it be bigger than that.”

  Helen’s eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she bit her lower lip. “You know, Erin, I do this work day after day, and I see these children in such pitiful condition. Aside from a few doctors and nurses and relatives, no one seems to care. When someone does care—like you—it’s like a light coming on in my spirit.” Helen reached over and took Erin’s hand and held it. “Whatever you could do would be so welcome!”

  ****

  “. . . and so that’s what I’m going to do, Derek, and I need some help.” Erin had rushed into Derek’s office and bombarded him with her idea for a benefit air show. Derek had listened at first with surprise, and then as Erin had gone on speaking rapidly, he had leaned forward, his face alight with interest.

  “These are the children Helen works with?”

  “Oh yes! That’s how I got involved with it all, Derek. She’s such a loving woman, and I do want to help.”

  Derek Wells rose and walked over to the window. He stared out silently for a while and was so still that Erin was afraid she might have crossed over some invisible line. She felt certain that Derek still loved Helen, but in Hollywood, it was virtually unheard of for a man to go back to a former wife.

  Suddenly Derek turned and said, “I’d like to help you on this.”

  “You would? Oh, Derek, that would be wonderful!”

  “Why don’t you work on getting as many pilots to participate as you can? Put together a good show. And I’ll work on the publicity. I’ll make it sound like the greatest air show ever done, and we’ll stress the fact that all the proceeds are going to handicapped children. And I’ll get some stars to be there—that ought to help.” His eyes grew bright, and he said, “I never would have thought of this, but I should have.”

  “Oh, Derek, I’m so excited!” An idea came to her mind, and she said almost casually, “Why don’t you call Helen and tell her what our plan is? I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”

  “All right, I will. Now you get cracking on the nuts and bolts.”

  ****

  Helen Frazier looked up, turned, and then stopped dead still. She had been helping Toby, a six-year-old, who was having great difficulty managing his new crutches. He was frightened, and the braces on his legs seemed to be part of his fear.

  “Please, Miss Helen, I’m afraid.”

  Helen took her eyes off Derek Wells, who had entered through the double doors and was coming toward her rapidly. “It’s all right, Toby. I will stay with you as long as you want.” She looked up then and said quietly, “Hello, Derek.”

  “Hello, Helen. Who’s this young fellow?”

  “This is Toby.”

  Derek knelt down until he was on the boy’s level and put his hand out. “Hello, Toby. How are you today?”

  “I’m not so good.”

  “Well, I have those days myself. What seems
to be the problem?”

  “I can’t make these things on my legs work, and I’m afraid to try to walk.”

  “Well, you’re getting to be a big boy now, and I think you’re going to make it. I’ll tell you what. Suppose we help you a little bit—Miss Helen on one side and me on the other side.”

  “Would you do that?” Toby asked hopefully.

  “Sure. Come on now. I’ll get over here, and, Helen, you get over there, and we’ll be running up and down these halls before you know it.”

  The walking lesson continued for fifteen minutes, and Helen was amazed at how Toby responded to Derek’s jokes and smiles. She was very tired, for she had put in many hours this week working with the children.

  After depositing Toby with another aide, Derek said, “Can you take ten minutes off for a break?”

  “Of course. Would you like to go to my office?”

  “That would be fine.”

  The two passed out of the large ward, walked down the hall, and stepped into Helen’s small office that she shared with another nurse. Actually it was more of a nursery than it was an office, and it was cluttered with toys and a cot. Still, she had a desk, and now she said, “Would you like coffee or, perhaps, a cold drink?”

  “Not really,” Derek said. “I wanted to talk to you. Erin came to me with this idea of an air show with the benefits going to your children here. I’m very interested in it, Helen.”

  “You mean you’d like to help?”

  “I’ll do anything I can.”

  “You could do so much, Derek,” Helen said, and suddenly she could not face him. She turned and looked out the single window, but he had seen her face.

  “Hey, you’re not crying, are you?” he asked.

  “I guess I am,” she said as tears gathered in her eyes. “You should have seen me when Erin offered to do the show. I blubbered like a baby.”

  “Well, there’s nothing to cry about.” Derek came over and hesitated, then put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. Now tears were running down her cheeks, and she took a handkerchief out and dabbed at them. “Crying’s okay. I do it myself sometimes.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “It’s true enough,” he shrugged. A silence fell over them then, and Derek said, “I told Erin I would arrange all the publicity. It won’t be advertisements. It’ll be feature stories in all the big papers. I’m also going to arrange for some big stars to be there. People will come out stargazing as much as to see the air show. It’ll be big, Helen.”

  “That—that’s wonderful, Derek. I appreciate it, and the children will be so blessed.”

  “Here, sit down. I want to hear about what you’ve been doing.”

  Helen sat down and almost shyly began to talk about her work. As she did she saw that she had Derek’s total attention, and that he did not take his eyes off of her. Finally she laughed nervously. “Here I am talking about myself and my work.”

  “You’re doing a fine thing here, Helen. I’m proud of you.” Derek reached over and took her hand, held it for a minute, then with a gesture that caught Helen completely off guard, he bent forward and kissed it. He looked up and said, “I’m very proud of you. I always have been.”

  “Oh, Derek—”

  “I’ve been lonely, Helen. I think about the good times we used to have. Didn’t have a dime, did we?”

  “Not a dime.”

  “But we had fun. Do you remember going to the Crawfish Festival in Baton Rouge and dancing there?”

  “I’ve never forgotten. It was such fun. We had such a good time there in Louisiana.”

  The two sat there talking, and Helen felt something stir in her heart. After a time Derek got up and said, “I know you have to get back to work, but maybe we could get together later. Maybe we could go out tonight and get some Chinese. There’s a little place over on Sixth Avenue that makes the best fried rice you’ve ever had.”

  “If you really want to, Derek.”

  “I’ll pick you up at six.”

  “All right, I’ll be waiting.”

  As Derek left, Helen sat at the desk, and she recognized that the new sensation she was experiencing was hope, and she bowed her head and thanked God for His blessings.

  ****

  The grandstands that were assembled for the occasion were packed, and an enormous crowd had gathered, with standing room only along the side of the field. Erin reached up and grabbed Derek by the arm and said, “Look, Derek, there’s Rudolph Valentino.”

  Derek Wells grinned down at her. “He’d better be here. I had to make him a lot of promises. And there’s Bessie Smith and Al Jolson. They’re going to do part of the entertainment before the air show starts.”

  Helen was standing on the other side of Derek, and she smiled at him, saying, “You’ve done so wonderfully well with all the publicity and getting all these stars to come. It was a great idea to have a little entertainment before the show.”

  “I don’t know as I’ve ever enjoyed anything more,” Derek smiled. A photographer suddenly approached, and he said, “Uh-oh, get ready to smile.” He reached out and put his left arm around Erin, his right around Helen. “Smile now and try to look sweet. That’ll be hard for me, but not for you two.”

  Several photographers converged on them, and all of them knew Derek, of course. One of them, however, a sharp-eyed man with a head of bushy black hair, said, “Hey, you stirring up an old romance, are you, Mr. Wells?”

  Wells did not release his grip. “No comment. Just take pictures of these beautiful ladies.”

  “Are you going to do more pictures, Miss Winslow?” Another reporter shot the question and then flashed a bulb in Erin’s face.

  Blinking to regain her vision, Erin smiled. “I’d rather fly upside down over Madison Square Garden. Acting is too hard for me.”

  The three stood there answering questions as the musicians entertained the crowd. Finally Quaid appeared. He smiled as he saw the trio and then moved over and said quietly, “It looks like the music is about done. It’s about time for the flying to start.”

  “All right, Quaid.” Erin waved at the reporters, and the two pushed their way through the crowd. A wire fence held them back, and the attendant opened the gate. “Show ’em how it’s done, Miss Winslow, and you, too, Mr. Merritt.”

  “We’ll do our best, George.”

  As they walked quickly toward where the planes were being prepared, they stopped, and Erin said a quick thank-you to all the pilots who had volunteered their services. They had actually put together a very respectable show, and for the next forty-five minutes they watched as some of the best stunt pilots in America went through their paces.

  Quaid leaned against the fuselage of his plane, speaking quietly to Rev, and finally he looked up and said, “I guess it’s time to go. You ready, Erin?”

  “I’m ready.”

  Erin did not even put on her helmet, for she was going to do her wing walking for the crowd. They had practiced it for several days just to be sure that all was still fresh in her mind. Rev came over and put his arm around her and gave her a hug that made her gasp. “You be good now, and be careful.”

  “I will, Rev. We’ll be back before you know it.”

  Five minutes later Erin was sitting in the front cockpit, and she knew that the announcer below was announcing her wing-walking act. Her hair was flying in the wind, and when she turned around to face Quaid, who was smiling at her, she had to hold it back. She shouted against the wind, “Let’s do a good one for the kids!”

  “Right, be sure that safety cable’s good and tight.”

  “I did. It’s okay.”

  The act had become very easy for Erin. She climbed up quickly and surely, slipped her feet into the boots, and then stood up, holding her arms out. She put her head back as the wind whistled through the wire of the wings, and a thrill rushed through her, as it always did during this stunt. She held this position as Quaid brought the plane down no more than twenty feet from the earth. H
e rolled the plane over slowly, and Erin felt the blood run to her head. She kept her arms out straight, but as she flashed by the grandstand, she waved, and she could actually hear the cheers of the crowd over the roar of the engine.

  When they sailed past the end of the field, Quaid slowly rolled the plane into an upright position and then the nose rose, and they gained altitude. For the next ten minutes Quaid and Erin put on a real show. Quaid did acrobatics while Erin stood tall, her golden hair flying in the sunlight.

  The last feature of their act was the most thrilling. They would climb almost out of sight until the plane was a mere dot. Then Quaid would put the plane into a steep dive and actually turn into a spin. He would wait until they were only three or four hundred feet from the earth and then do a loop in front of the grandstand.

  The sun was warm on Erin, and she was excited about the way the show had gone. She arched her back, for it was difficult to stand up against the constant wind. The wind pulled her hair across her face, and she reached up with both hands to move it. Just as she did the plane suddenly seemed to fall away beneath her, the nose dropping so rapidly that it jerked her upward. Fear shot through her, and she made a quick grab for the stays beside her legs, but the power of the sudden drop was too much. She felt her feet pull from the leather straps that held them, and before she could even think, she felt herself blown off of the wing by the force of the sudden lurch. As she flew over the rear cockpit, she actually caught a flashing glance of Quaid’s face, which was filled with horror. The only thought she had was, Thank God for the safety cable! She hit the end of the cable when she was immediately behind Quaid’s cockpit, and it brought her up with a tremendous jerk, but it did not completely stop her. She was thrown against the upright rudder, and she saw to her horror that the end of the cable was whipping around. It was still tied to the short piece of metal bar that had been the anchor, but the bar had been torn loose.

  I’m going to die!

  Now she felt the wind pulling her past the upright rudder, and she tried desperately to hang on, but the force of the wind tore at her.