“Hold your ground, Miss,” the carriage driver yelled to Nellie Bly as his horses galloped forward. Bly jostled on the seat next to him, barely able to maintain her balance with the carriage bumping over the rocky terrain. The hot air balloon above them suddenly propelled forward on a strong gust of wind.“It’s escaping!” she yelled.The carriage driver snapped his reins. His horses sprinted forward, catching up to the balloon. It was above them again. The pilot dropped a flimsy rope ladder from his basket. Bly stood on her tiptoes. She jumped and grabbed for the ladder but missed. She fell back on the carriage seat and landed with a loud thud. The frightened horses surged forward, nearly pitching Bly out of the carriage. The driver steadied her with his powerful arm. She sat back on the seat, trembling.“It’s time to give up,” the driver yelled.“No! I will not fail!”Since she was a child, Bly had dreams of soaring through the sky like a bird. This was her one chance to make those dreams come true. Besides, the experience would make a great story for the local newspaper. As she looked skyward, she thought of her father, Judge Cochran. She twisted his gold band, which she wore on her thumb to remind her of his last words: “It’s okay to feel fear, Nellie but never let it win!”“I will not give up!” she yelled to the driver.“You asked for it!” he screamed. He shot her a wicked smile, then urged his horses to their top speed with startling ferocity.Struggling harder than ever to maintain her balance, Bly stood once again on the seat. Just before the carriage caught up to the basket, she looked at the ground whizzing past her, then up at the ladder. She quickly assessed her odds, then leapt like a cat. This time, she managed to grip the ladder. Her hands burned and her shoulders shrieked with pain. Still, she held on as if her life depended on it – because it did!Bly’s heart raced as the massive balloon lifted her into the air. She looked down and saw her driver pull a hard right, nearly tipping his carriage. The ground, which had been fifteen feet below her, suddenly plummeted to a thousand feet as the balloon sailed past the cliff and over a treacherous river gorge.Bly’s stomach dropped like the ground beneath her. When she looked down, she lost her grip with her left hand. Now hanging only by her right hand, she forced herself to look up instead of down. The flimsy ladder twisted in the wind.Her heart pounded. She spoke out loud to herself: “Never let fear win.” She took three deep breaths, the way he father taught her and focused on one thing — success. With absolute certainty, she reached with her left hand and grabbed the ladder. She mustered all her strength and pulled herself up, hand over hand. Slowly but surely, she inched upward.What felt to her like an eternity later, she reached the rim of the basket. The pilot grabbed her shoulders firmly and hoisted her to safety. She landed on the floor in a pile of petticoats and skirts.“Are you insane?” he yelled.“No sir. “I’m Nellie Bly!”Bly stumbled to her feet, dizzy from the combination of excitement and altitude. She stood clumsily, struggling to find her balance. She sidled to the edge of the basket. Finally, she was able to take in the amazing vista. Blue sky, puffy white clouds and flocks of birds floated past her. It was just like her dreams!Bly was speechless when suddenly, the hot air balloon plunged five feet on a wind current. She screamed and grabbed the edge of the basket to keep from falling. The pilot laughed. “Not as smooth as you thought it would be?”“Nothing this wonderful ever is!” Bly beamed.She looked down and saw her carriage growing smaller and smaller, until it disappeared from her sight. Her stomach lurched even as her heart soared. She gazed at the clouds. Lost in her dreams, she was transported into another world. New York City – Several Weeks LaterElizabeth Bisland stood above her guests in her elegant drawing room, holding her favorite hand-painted teapot. As always, she was exquisitely dressed, in the latest fashion of the day.Bisland had two great loves in her life. One was writing articles about ancient art for Cosmopolitan Magazine. The other was entertaining genteel guests from the highest circles of society. Today she had invited several members of the committee responsible for selecting the Woman of the Year for the New York Society of Ancient Arts and Antiquities. It was the very award she hoped to win this year.“More tea anyone?” she asked in a cheerful voice.“I would love a few drops,” Mable Watson said, lifting her hand painted teacup with her pinky extended.Just as Bisland tipped the teapot to pour, Mable jarred her focus. “Did any of you hear that incredible story about the reporter riding in a hot air balloon. Somewhere in Pennsylvania wasn’t it?” Mable asked.As Bisland shot Mable a look of disdain, she accidentally overfilled the teacup. ‘Oh dear, please excuse me,” she said as she dabbed the spill from hr lacy white tablecloth.The other guests instantly chattered with more excitement than Bisland’s parlor had seen in months. They had all heard the story.“Oh yes! It’s so exciting, isn’t it?”“Her name is Nellie Bly.” Mable purred. “Can you imagine going up in a hot air balloon? What bravery! What do you think Miss Bisland?”“Yes, well, it’s brave in a manner of speaking. However, I do think these so-called stunt reporters can be quite shameless. They’ll do anything for a story – and they’re taking front-page bylines no less! That will never be allowed here in New York City in the seat of true writing and publishing.”“Come now, don’t you find it just a tiny bit exciting?” Mable asked.“Honestly, no. Not one tiny crumb,” Bisland said sternly as she placed her precious teapot back on its stand and covered it with her hand crocheted cozy. “Fortunately, we have more important things to do with our lives than to run about drawing attention to ourselves. All I can say is that Bly woman is lucky she’s in Pennsylvania, because she would not make it one day in New York City!”

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