The Dermott news., 1917-06-07

l get so tired of black and Whtte,' she went on quickly to prevent him from taking adv antage ut her incautious ad- mission.
 "IIang the clothes" said the man. radiant once more in that admission, "since you will allow 1t. will come with what I can rake up. But you'll have to tell me which fork to use. I have almost forgotten out here in the wilderness"
 "It isn't six months since you were at our house.
 "Six months It's thousand years.' he went on, and l'ri going to take you out on the bridge after dinner. It's great at any time. It's the most mag niticent sight on eaSh even now, but in the moonlght--there 1t is now" he pointed as the little group walked past the station which had hid the view and the great structure suddenly was revealed to them.
 The four men ahead had stopped and stood silent. There was something awe-inspiring and tremendous about tue SItit, pluth, pNlltdt HlilE, IuI- extending arms of steel. The first sight of it always gave the heholder a little shock. It was so huge SD massive. so grandly ajestc, and withal so airy. seen against the impressive background of deep gorge and palisadcd wall and far-off mountains. So ether borne was 1t In its perfect proportion that even dull and stupid peeple-and none of these were that-felt its overpowering presence. Meade and the girl stopped too. After one glance at the bridge. she looked at him. And that was typ ical. For the first time he was not at the moment aware of. or immediately responsive to. her glance. Aud that, too, was typical. She noted this with pang of jealousy.
 You love the bridge" she said softly
 He strengthened up and threw his head back and looked at her.
 II thought so." he said Simply=''un- til today. but now'i-he stopped again.
 But now?" she asked.
 'f have Just learned what love really Is and the lesson has not been taught me by Il bridge" he answered directly.
 Yet Bertram Meade, the younger, did truly love the bridge which he had seen grow from the placing of the first shoe-the great steel base on top of the pier which carries the whole struc ture-to the completion of the soaring cantilever reaching out to meet its companion on the other side-the great International, which was To be the tie that bound, with web of steel, two great countries which lay breast to breast; already In touch save for the mighty river that flowed between them.
 By no means would Meade. the younger. have been charged with the great responsibilities of the bridge had ! it not been for his exhaustive prepara- ton and wide experience. To Il thor ough technical training at Harvard, in the Lawrence Scientific school had been added substantial record of achievement. A fine bridge which he had erected In faraway Burma, triuns phnntly achieving the design despite all sorts of difficulties, had attracted l the attention of old Colonel Hing l worth. the president of the Martlet Bridge company.
 He had kept the young man under l his eye for n long time. When he com missoned his father. Bertram Meade, l Sr., to prepare the plans for the great i International, the most=Soueht-for and i famous of bridges. he had noted with satisfaction that the older man, who stood first among bridge engineers on the continent, had associated with him self his son. Meade, Jr, had recently returned from south America, where he had again shown hlS mettle. The 1 two worked together in the preparation of the designs for what was to be the crown and triumph of the older mans 1 life. the most stupcndous of all the l cantilever bridges in the world.
 The great engineer had high idea l of his only sons ability. He was will- Ing to proclaim 1t. to maintain It. and | defend It against all corners except l himself. When the two wills clashed. he recognized but one way. his own. l The relations between the two were lovely but not ideal. There was lead ership not partnership. direction rather than cooperation. The knowledge and experience of the hoy-for so he loved i to call hlm--where of course nothing i compared 10 those of his father. When, i in discussing moot points, the younger man had been unconvinced by the cal culations of the elder. he had been laughed to scorn in a good-natured way. His carefully set forth ohjec- l tions, even in serious matters, had been overborne generally, and by trium- | phant calculations of his own the fa- ther had re-enforced himself in his con clusions; and the more strongly be- cause of the opposition.
 Young Meades position was rather anomalous. He had no direct super vision of the construction He was