Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-08
The Daily Story
Baptized BY Poverty vingie Z. Roe.
r-o,vripb.ed 1914 by Associated Literary Bureau.

cut in the other machinesf
She had followed him so often in the
monotony of the dull hours that she
knew every motion.
| But where did he begin? And the
synchroniziDg!
She nearly tainted at the appalling
| thought of the delicate operation at the
switchboard after the dynamos were
started.
Could she throw the big copper
switch just at the proper fraction Of
second?
Or would her eye and hand fan and
knock out the circuit breaker. thereby
wrecking all hope?
She covered against the cement wall,
staring out at the empty room.
Then, fearfully, she gathered up her
trembling limbs and walked out to the
shining governor.
Instinctively. not trusting her brain,
she opened the valve on the governor.
Instantly she caught the low roar Of
the opened turbine gates, saw the gov.
ernor begin to whirl, heard the thua-
der of the great turbine in the depths
below, and her heart leaped In her
throat.
Steady now!
What did Jim do next, where had
she followed him from here?
Again following instinct, she went
back through the passage.
She stopped at the small hooded gen.
orator beside No. g.
1t was beginning its own little tune.
From there she went as one In a
dream. softly, following Jim on other
journeys and threw the exeter switch
By now Nos. 3 and 4 were whiri-
ing under their hoods, giving out
strange, menacing note that rose stead
fly, an exciting, terrible note.
She stood wide eyed and watched
the power her hand had loosed roar
I'D to its zenith. The trembling was
gone out Of her limbs.
In its stead she felt something strong
rising within her, an excitement bor-
rowed from the dynamos, crazy JOY
"a triumph!
She ran, wavering a bit under the
strain, to the switchboard and switch
ed on the synchronizing lights, two
small bulbs in the front of the marble
face.
and went out, In perfect regulated
time, like the play Of pendulum.
That stood for 1 and 2, harnessed
and obedient, already working like VIII.
ing giants.
The other was slower, its beat cross
ing and falling behind and overstep-
ping the step of the other. That was
and coming up to the pace
Steadily the second light gained on
the first.
Now it was only a hairs breadth be-
hind; now it was so near as to be
scarce perceptibly slower; now 1t light
ed and went out in unison with the
other.
Tense, steady, she watched a second
longer, gauging the lights. Now they
were at the zenith. Now they went
down and out. Now-now-just before
they reached the zenith again
Click!
Strongly she pushed the big switch
down-and let out her bursting breath
Right! Nothing had happened!
The four black monsters were work
ing together nightly, filing the power
house with their awful humming.
Staggering and laughing. she went
and switched off all the current from
BarteIl City and the valley towns.
She got the Black Drift on the tee-
phone. Some boy answered.
Flows the power?" she asked
weakly.
Elmer came back the word. Drills (
workin' like the devil. Comprises
ready All hopin'."
When she at last reached Jim be 4
opened his arms, and she sank into
them.
"Oh, Miss -Prettyface~ cried the man
tensely. Miss Braveheart. My own
girl, What woman-you are!"
An hour la ter she got the Black Drift
again. this time the hoarse voice of the
who had begged for
power.
what iuck?'' she asked bravely.
BEST luck. thank Godr' he answered
heartily. We've hit the level and are
pumping them air while the RELIEF
squads work. All alive. Give Har-
grave my thanks for his prompt work
"GoodI" said Ellen. And now, MI
when you can spare them
viii you send me help and DOCTOR
My husband is lying here on the noot
with broken leg. You VIII!
Thanks. Right soon. please. Oh. JUST
a bit ago. Goodbye
When the men from the Black Drift
full Of the days happening. carried
Jim Hargrave up the crooked path ~
the shack beneath the pine the woman
turned from the stretcher's head ana
looked hack Ot the river the hills anu 4
the ugly power house beside its dam
1t was whole new country to Der
misty eyes. and all its bitterness wD
swept away as by n mighty wind.
The world had changed since noon. \
''Jim." she said in the quiet nisnL
let's build another room Cd the caoh
think want to stay"