Adventures with Allie

The girls who glowed

The factory gave them something the night could not take away.

When the young women stepped outside after work, luminous dust clung to their dresses and settled into their hair. In darkened rooms, they shimmered.

They called them the ghost girls. Radium was still considered a miracle then. It was painted onto watches, clocks and military instruments so their numbers could be read in darkness.

Every g…