The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-03-17
CHAPTER V.
The Death Message.

htdut, 81, WAS an blu liltiu. al
though Unlike Moses his eye was din
and his natural force abated, the evil
dences Of power were still apparent
especially 10 the ObServant. There rOSt
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
a 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
il. sitting alone in his Office with the
telegram crushed in his trembling
hand, despite the fact that his gray
face was the very picture of unwOnted
weakness, Of impOtenCy, and abiding
horror. The message had struck him q
terrific blow. He had reeled under II
and had sunk down in the chair in q
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. Ordl-
narily, powerful glasses stimulated his
vision. He needed nothing to read II
again. 1t is doubtful whether his eyes
saw ii or not and there was not need,
for the message was burned into his
brain.
He read again the mysterious words
- One y and three-quarter-inch Gambler in
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
l..
Strange to say some little thrill of
pride came to the old engineer at that
He tried TO find out from the tele-
gram when it had been sent. That day
was a hOliday-the birthday of one of
the worthless Of the republican some
Of the United States, New York and
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-
lection No bridge that was ever made
could stand with bend like that in
the principal member of its 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
10 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
,lOSed and the offices and most of the
shops and stores. 1t was very still in
he hall and, therefore, he heard dis
inctly the door of the single elevator
n service open with an unusual crash.
hen the sound of rapid footsteps along
he corridor as Of someone running.
They stopped before the outer door of
he suite which bore his name. In
family he suspected a messenger of
iSaster. The door was opened, the Of
ice was crossed, a hand was on the
nner door. He sank back almost as
ne dead waiting the shock. the blow.
Father exclaimed the newcomer.
You got my telegram"
The other silently exhibited the
paper in his hand.
What have you dOne?"
It's a holiday, don't you know? l
My got it a few moments ago. The
ridge?"
"Sull stands"
but for how longT
Il can't say. The Martlet's resident
ngineer is mad. l begged, threatened.
nplOred. l tried TO get him to stop
ork. TO take the men off the bridge,
, withdraw the traveller, but he won't
D it. Said you designed 1t, you knew.
was only a cub"
But the camber?"
He said, I'll jack it into line again.
Ike every other engineer who sees q
& thing before him II looks to him as
1t would last forever. 1 tried to get
,u on the telephone here and at the
ouse last night and failed. I wired
~. Then 1 jumped on the midnight
,press and"