Holbrook argus., 1911-10-24
THE
 FIRE
By BRYANT c. ROGERS

MlilN nope uau not sept vel, as her dull, puffy eyes indicated. Even 1 the coil of auburn hair, usually ar ranged with tantaliziug grace, betray- ed the disorder of her mind in it's careless disarray.
 Seated before the switchboard, an | sweriDg 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 call, was sharp 1 and even impatient. In all of her five years as chief night operator in 1 the Chicago freight house this had never before occurred.
 As the men passed through the of flee that evening, a few minutes be fore 10, to register on the big clock, each called out some salutation to | Milly, who was a great favorite.
 Instead of responding she shrugged or drowned 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
 "SDags, my child?'
 The gruff voice of Banks, father" of the machine shops-the oldest man 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. I once was young and now that 1 am old, I haven't for got the girl I loved first and best. We had a little difference just like you and Carl. We never made it up. We were both too spunky." q
 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 Gen Carl had a,ways 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 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 trifling matter he promptly availed himself of the other girls ready smiles and good-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 a woman, yet he would not submit to leading strings.
 As Milly brooded over her troubles. which had kept her awake all that
 
 office, and Margaret pushed open the swinging doors and entered, followed by Meurer They made simutan- eous rush for the clock to register ou 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 ol Milly's ais 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 fee and the incessant murmur from the great city, which could not e> en 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 a l spasm of terror Was she going mau :?
 She abandoned the switchboard and moved across to one of the windows glaring palely with the reflection of 1 the street lamps. She looked down on the sidewalk far below-noted the stagnation. saw 8 solitary pedestrian and heard the tramp of his feet up the pavement Still the roar surged against her ears. It was sinister.
 Sho swung away from the front window and turned her attention to those commanding the freight yard. 1 Down some where in that intricate ,,occ Df mon and machinery uoc tI,a