The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-07-06
CHAPTER v.
The Death MESSAGE.

CHAPTER v.
The Death Message.
Meade, ST., was an old man. AL
though unlike Moses his eye was dim
and his natural force abated, the evil
dences Of power were still apparent,
especially to the observant. There rose
the broad brow Of the thinker. His
power Of intense concentration was ex-
pressed outwardly by a directness Of
gaze from the old eyes which, though
faded, could flash on occasion. Other
facial characteristics Of that snow
crowned, leonine head, which bespoke
that imaginative power without which
great engineer could not be in spite
of all his scientific exactitudes, had not
been cut out of his countenance by the
pruning knife of time.
He was a great engineer and looked
it, sitting alone in his Office with the
telegram crushed in his trembling
hand, despite the fact that his gray
face was the veryspicture of unwonted
weakness, Of impOtency, and abiding
horror. The message had struck him a
terrific blow. He had reeled under it
and had sunk down in the chair in a
state of nervous collapse.
The telegram fairly burned the
clammy palm of his hand. He would
fain have dropped it yet he could not.
Slowly he opened it once more. Ordi-
narily, powerful glasses stimulated his
vision. He needed nothing to read it
again. 1t is doubtful whether his eyes
saw it or not and there was not need,
for the message was burned into his
brain.
He read again the mysterious words:
One and three-quarter-inch Gambler in
C-10-R.
There could be no mistake. The
name that was signed to it was the
name of his son. the young engineer,
the child Of his fathers old age. The
boy, as the old man thought of him,
had ventured to dispute his fathers
figures, to question his fathers design,
but the elder man had overborne him
with his vast experience, his great au-
thority, his extensive learning, his high
reputation. And now the boy was right.
Strange to say some little thrill of
pride came to the old engineer at that
moment.
He tried to find, out from the tele-
gram when it had been sent. That day
was holiday-the birthday of one of
the worthless Of the republican some
Of the United States, New York and
Pennsylvania among them, and only by
chance had he come down to the office
that morning. The wire was dated the
night before. And he recalled that the
state from which the bridge ran did
not observe that day as a holiday.
They would be working on the Interna-
tional as usual unless
One and three-quarter inches of de-
Election No bridge that was ever made
could stand with bend like that in
the principal member of it's compress
sion chord, much less so vast a struc-
ture as that which was to span the
greatest Of rivers and to bring nation
into touch with nation. He ought to
do something, but what was there to
do? Presently, doubtless, his mind
would clear. But on the instant all he
could think Of was the impending ruin.
The Uplift building, in which he had
his offices, was mainly deserted on ac-
count of the holiday. The banks were
closed and the offices and most Of the
shops and stores. 1t was very still in
the hall and, therefore, he heard dis
tinctly the door Of the single elevator
in service open with an unusual crash,
then the sound of rapid footsteps along
the corridor as of someone running.
They stopped before the outer door of
the suite which bore his name. In
stantly he suspected a messenger of
disaster. The door was opened, the Of
flee was crossed, a hand was on the
inner door. He sank back almost as
one dead waiting the shock, the blow.
"Father," exclaimed the newcomer.
'You got my telegram"
The other silently exhibited the
crumpled paper in his hand.
'What have you done?"
'Tt's holiday, don't you know? I
only got it few moments ago. The
bridge?"
"Still stands"
"But for how long?
81 can't say. The Martlet's resident
engineer is mad. begged, threatened,
implored. I tried to get him to stop
work, to take the men off the bridge,
to withdraw the traveller, but he won't
do it. Said you designed it, you knew.
I was only cub"
"But the camber?"
Gle said, Tll jack it into line again.
Like every other engineer who sees
big thing before him it looks to him as
if it would last forever, tried to get
you on the telephone here and at the
house last night and failed. 1 wired
you. Then jumped on the midnight
express and"