She finally read it; twice, to be exact.
Its meaning was not clear to Mary V, but she saw that it had to do with airplanes, or at least with certain parts of an airplane.

She wondered if Johnny Jewel was crazy enough to try and make himself a flying machine, away down here miles and miles from any place, and when he did not know the first thing about it.

Perhaps that horrid man he had brought was going to help.
"Bland Halliday!" she said abruptly, memory flashing the name that fitted the personality she so disliked.

"I _knew_ I had seen him.

That--whatever made Johnny Jewel take up with _him_, for gracious sake?
I suppose he's persuaded Johnny to build a flying machine--the silly idiot! Well!" She waited as long as she dared, meaning to give Johnny some much-needed advice and a warning or two.