The Winslow mail., 1911-10-21
THROUGH THE
FIRE
By BRYANT C.. ROGERS

the coil of auburn hair, usually ar
ranged with tantaliZing grace, betray-
ed the disorder of her mind in its
careless disarray.
Seated before the switchboard, an
swering calls, taking down messages,
ringing up different Offices in the
yard, she attended to the necessary
part of her work only. For once her
voice, in repeating a call. was sharp
and even impatient. In all OF her
five years as chief night operator in
the Chicago freight house this had
never before occurred.
AS the men passed through the Of
fee that evening, a few minutes be-
fore 10, to register on the big clock,
each called out some salutation to
Milly, who was great favOrite.
Instead of responding, she shrugged
or frowned or bit her lips in pretend
ed absorption.
Don't sulk, Milly," bawled out the
superintendent, as he paused on the
threshold Carl won't come back
any the quicker for your scowis, when
little Margaret has smiles to spare.
She returned no answer but ap-
piled herself more closely to her du-
ties. Despite her self-control, tear
splashed on the message she was re-
cording
Snags, my child?"
The gruff voice of Banks, father"
of the machine shops-the oldest mar
at the works, was kind and did not
wound. Milly raised her wet eyes
mutely.
He shook his head.
Men are funny brutes, Milly Carl
is fond of you, but he's like the rest
of us. He won't stand for nagging
nor being hectored. l once was young
and now that | am old, l haven't for
got the girl | loved first and best.
We had little difference just like
you and Carl We never made it up.
We were both too spunky."
He sighed and slowly quilted the
room.
Thank heaven, she was at last
alone! How her head ached! She
closed her eyes. The salty tears
stung the lids. Only two more of the
night shift must register. They were
late already. Why didn't they come?
Carl Meurer and Margaret Donnelly.
There was a time when Carl had
always come first and fingered as
long as possible. That was before
before Margaret Donnelly came to
act as typewriter in the superinten
dents Office
The essence of bitterness lay in the
fact that it was through her efforts
that Margaret had come She had
been sorry for the girl--one of big,
shiftless family.
Till her advent, Milly had been
queen of the freight house. She was
willingly worshipped. Little wonder
that she became domineering even to
Carl Meurer. Margaret, on the con
trary, was bright and obliging, with
seductive Irish tongue, and when
Milly sent him to the right about for
some trif1ing matter he promptly
availed himself of the other girls
ready smiles and good d-humored com.
radeship.
The other men in the yard where
he was foreman had widened the
breach by teasing him about being
"bossed.' This was gall to the high
spirited German. He would have
been willing to die for woman, yet
he would not submit to leading
strings.
AS Milly brooded over her troubles.
which had kept her awake all that
day, pretty laugh rang through the
Office, and Margaret pushed open the
swinging doors and entered, followed
by Meurer. They made a simultan
eous rush for the clock to register on
time. Margaret did not speak to the
operator, but with another laugh
passed through the door of exit, fol
lowed by Meurer, who had taken no
notice of Milly either.
AS the night wore Oh Milly's dis
traction increased. She imagined that
she heard sounds that had no basis
Carl's footstep, his voice in her very
ear-but when she started and gazed
around there was only the vacant of
flee and the incessant murmur from
the great city, which could not even
sleep quietly.
The bodiless whispering had ceased
at last, but at about 3 O'Clock in the
morning a dull persistent roar began
to hammer her ear drums. Her half
dazed brain became gripped by
spasm of terror. Was she going mad?
She abandoned the switchboard and
moved across to one of the windows
glar;nev palely with the reflection of
the street amps. She looked down
on the sidewalk taaf below-noted the
stagnation, saw solitary pedestrian
and heard the tramp of his feet on
the pavement. Still the roar surged
against her ears. 1t was sinister.
She swung away from the front
window and turned her attention to
those commanding the freight yard
Down somewhere in that intricate
mass of men and machinery was the