The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-21
-:- OUR DAILY SHORT STORY !:

throttle, his thought riyeted m b,
 precious freight
 BOSS new womanhood was bor, as she dwelt on her helpiessness. re
 ylns upon his power. With enlarket l vssion she looked along the roadbe, ot tne future. to see the covering rail.
 or love and trust meet in a shinin. .rack of faith, which would surei, iead to the land of Heart Desire wifi 1 sucn man at the throttle.
 l The helper" had the right of way te l como, and Sunny was determined thai i. bess should not be disappointed o1 her thriller" as with the controIlef recklessness of perfect mastery hs gave "40" little rein.
 me rush of keen air, the rugged mountains shouldering one anot- .eI against star studded sky on one side and what seemed a fathomless, night. filled abyss on the other, awed ths EirI into shy thoughts of the Great | But Goodie swung wide the door c, the fire-box on it's iron chain. ana Hitting ravfne and towering peaks bIaz. ed in the red light of some hellish re. zion through which they were dash. ing, frantic to escape. the fireman a 1 captured demon making burnt offer. ings. Then the door slams shut and all Is biiterated by a darker rnys- tery than before. while lurid imakin- ings chase in scurryinR cavalcades through the night with fanciful Bess
 Sit tight, girl! We give her some head hereF shouted Sunny, and the swings into freer action.
 Bess clutches the window frame tight in sympathetic excitement as the black horse shows his paces, his strong breath of seething steam beating in her ears and whitening the night, while the titanic labor of the giant driving wheels pounding over rails and frogs pulse like lungs fighting for more air. Strangely elate. tingling with life, the heart of the novice leaped and throb- bed with the massive boast she rode.
 The cold fingers of the night 'rut- fled her hair, whipping it stingingly across her face. Cinders smarting like sharp sleet rained down as she leaned out, breathless. exultant eyes glory ing in the belching fire from the staci., with It's backward streaming, spark gemmeG banner of smoke.
 A startled night bird seemed to stand still in the air. H sculptuved thing with widespread wings. Show CTS of cinders clicked with intellectual force on her protesting glasses; but Bess drew back gasping. in an ice pack above the waist, while below, in the sweltering heat of the cab, she felt In streaming foot bath. Her face smarted at the swift change from rigid to torrtd zone till Goodle, flush- ing out the coal dust from behind the fire box with his hose. reached for her wad of waste and soon delicious coolness swabbed her fevered cheeks. while a merry but soundless "Thanksw was blown back with the sparks.
 "She gets to goin' some now!' yelled the fireman. trumpetinE through his hands. Goodie felt the infection of her exhilaration and "a new pleasure in his calling.
 Back swings the injection lever and
 the roar of sizzing steam, water churning into the pipe coils of the boiler and dinning clang of metal pulse sympathetically through her young blood Timidity Is stamped by a rush of pure elation and delirious in- difference as to the issue. Her cap Is whipped from her head with a tear in "Zip!" Lights streak by and