Tale of Two

Tears splashed on the jewels of the Queen of Diamonds, otherwise Miss Mabel Boll (Senora Hernando Rocha-Schioos). "Now he has taken another woman," she sobbed.

"He" was Wilmer Stultz, expert pilot.

The Other Woman was Amelia Earhart, who once sold sausage-meat while Mabel was selling cigars, and who looks amazingly like Lindbergh. Stultz had decided to risk a trans-atlantic flight with Lady Lindy rather than with the Diamond Queen, perhaps because: Lady Lindy is tall, blue-gray of eye, curly of hair, while her rival is shorter, dark-eyed, vividly blonde. More probably because:

Miss Earhart is an experienced pilot, licensed in May, 1923, a former holder of the altitude record for women fliers, but Miss Boll was led to take up trans-atlantic flying last summer by the ambition to show New Yorkers her Parisian sweater woven from gold links. Lady Lindy flies in a trimotored Fokker, equipped with pontoons and two radio sets, while the Diamond Queen has chosen the single-motored Columbia, trans-atlantic veteran with no pontoons and no radio. Backing Miss Earhart are the advice of Commander Byrd, the promoting wisdom of George Palmer Putnam and the wealth of Mrs. Frederick Guest (TIME, June 11), but Miss Boll's sponsor is Charles A. Levine, of uncertain reliability. Lady Lindy knows she wants to fly to England, while the Queen of Diamonds would fly anywhere if she could lead her rival across the water.

Miss Boll, on Long Island, consoled herself with Oliver C. Le Boutillier and Captain Arthur Argles, War aces. Miss Earhart, at Trepassey, Newfoundland, admired the scenery. Both made false starts; both panted at the leash of bad weather.