Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-02
''Four ,nclirs''
Eyes, sir. It's four inches too far this

Eyes, sir. It's four inches too far this
way
| And the scaging is down."
THAT'S SO; and it will take two weeks
to p It it up again."
And take week more tn move the
ridge. if it can BIZ moved, for it's risky
job anyway 1
And it will cost two thousand dollars. 4"
The remarks of tile men completely
crushed him. Everything was lost-repu-
tation busin ess. bride and happiness. 1t
was past belief he could make such mis-
take. IN error of one minute, or only
fonr inches in length, had ruined his whole
prospects in life. The men refused to go
on with their work The railroai people
would never accept the bridge in its pres
| ent position. 1t would have to be taken
down and rebuilt in Its proper place. and
i it was useless to lay tracks over CON-
! dpmued bridge.
Ate'even O'Clock four heavy locomotives
arrived. They were to be used in tes' ing
! the bridges, but as the rails were not laid
othing could be done. At noon the off
GERS nf the bridge company and the presi-
dent of the road arrived on a special en-
CINE. The truth could not be withheld,
and for few moments there were some
pretty sharp words ON both sldes. The
young man had nothing to say. He had
made mistake.
| mistakes are not permitted in modern
work. You may GO, sir. We have no
| further need of voui service.''
J The next day WAS the Sabbath. Fur the
| young man the night had been one of sl'ep--
| less misery and wretchpdness. At 4 - CLOCK
| he rose and went out in the su eet. cool air
of the morning. to look once more over the
impossible river that forever separated
him from his long wished-for happiness.
There stood the great bridge, monument
! to his stipend us folly and caralassness.
He had brdrpd the stream, aud yet in a
moment all was lost forever
| Only four inches only four inches from
happiness. He repeated the words me-
chanically as he b ushed through the dewy
grass and came to the yer. The sky was
[ rosy overhead, hut the sun had not yet
ppeared above the hills. The day prom
isrd tt be fair, perhaps warm, yet he shiv-
cred in the fresh breeze. Even the water
below looked cold and chilly. Every rod
and beam of the bridge was glistening
! heavy with dew. He went to the bridge
and stood with one hand resting on the
iron looking over where he might not
cross. Not u creature was stirring on the
J., 40
herewith perhaps tears npon her pillow.
| He had made a highway to her home. a
grand and noble rad for the locomotive.
highway for nation, and yet he could
| not cross the s. ream where he had walked
barefoot bov in the golden water among
J the amber pebbles.
| How cold the iron. He looked down
upon the stee! rollers on which the bridge
rested. They had turned part way over
since the day before The bridge had
contracted. had shortened under the inf1n-
ence of he fallen temperature. Yesterday
the day WAS warm and fair Now the world
semtd pinchtd and cold-1ike the bridge.
1t seemed also as if his heart had shrunk-
en- under the chill of bitter disappoint-
ment
( Suddenli there was sh0ut-a loud cry
Of JOY and triumph. Il echoed among the
their early Sabbath rest. Half second
later the young man was tearing down the
village road toward the boarding house
| where the workman lod yed shouting and
gpsticnl4ting wildly as he ran. In reply
to his calls a dozen drowsy heads were
thrust out of the windows.
! Come down, men! come drwn as quick
" as you can. Hurry! hurry before the
sun rises! Come help me move the bridge
INTO place.
"Poor lad, it's preyed on his mind. He's
crazy. Some one ought to take him home.
! The bridge won't be moved this day
month";
These we're comments of the men as
they came out. half dressed. to see what
had happened. Some wers for taking the
young man home 10 his parents; but he
only cried the more veLemrntly, Get
YOUR tools-cpld chlsels and wedges, your
flies and hammers. We Can move the
the sun strikes it,
sos. ay, lad said old Jimmy Walsh,
more thoughtful than the rest; we mean
he sun will move the bridge arler we've
damned the free end.
Eyes. She's contracted now, for the
l.night was COOL
I'm with the lad. It's good Sabbath
days work. and VI ed best help him.
The men did not see how the thing was
to be done, yet they with one accord got
their tools and set out for the bridge The
story of the young mans disappointment
had sp, cad. as such news will, through the
village and the men were we'll disposed to
help one who showed himself so earnest to
help himself.
When they arrived at the bridge the sun
was already up though the bridge itself
lay in the cool shade of the woods. There
WAS yet time.
jam up the free end ST. that it cannot
move, and then we'll cast off the other
end. Then when the sun strikes the bridge
it will expand, and something will have to
give way."
In less than halt an hour the space be-
tween the free end of the bridAe and the |
masonry was filled with solid blocks Of iron |
driven in hard and fast with wedges. Now,
thoIgh the bridge was on rollers. to allow
it to move forward and backward as it ex-
banded or contracted In the changing tenn
perature of day and night, it was proven !!
ted from moving; and when the fierce heat !
of the MONDAY sun shone on it, the great
masses of IRON must give" or move in !