The Arvada enterprise., 1917-05-10

everything. That IL not to say he was
hcartless, but the bridge and its erec-
tion were supreme IN his mind.
The material was arriving and every
thing was going on with such Il swing
and vigOr that he would fain have kept
them ut work an hour or two longer.
| The men themselves did not feel that
way. Some Of thl employees of tie
| higher grades had got the obseSSion OF
the bridge, but to most Of them it was
the thing they worked nt, by which
they got their daily brcad-nothing
more.
Those who worked by the day were
already laying aside their tools, and
preparing for their departure. They
always would get ready so that at the
signal all that was left to do was to
stop. The riveters, who were paid by
the piece, kept ut 1t always to the very
last minute.
Abbott had been standing near the
outer end of the cantiiever and he
turned and walked toward the bank.
The pneumatic riveters were rat-tat-
tatting on the rivet heads with n per-
fcctly damnable iteration of insistent
sound. a confused babel OF voices. the
clattcr OF hammers, ringing sounds of
swinging steel grating against steel,
clanking OF trucks, grinding of wheels,
the deep breathing of locomotives,
mingled in nm unharmonious diapasOn
OF horrid sound.
Abbott was right above the pier head
now. He looked down at 1t through
the struts and floor beams and braces.
fastening his gaze on the questioned
member. There 1t stood satisfactorily.
Of course. Yet, something impellcd him
to walk out on the nearest floor beam
to the extreme edge OF the truss and
look down at It once more leaning far
out to see 1t better. He could get n
better view OF 1t with nothing between
1t and him. 1t still stood bravely. II
was all right. OF course. He wished
that he had never said n word about 1t
to anyone. He did not dee why he could
not regard it with the Indifference that
1t mcritcd. As he stared down at 1t
over the edge of the truss the whistle
for quitting blew.
Every sound of work ceased after
the bricfest Of intervals. except here
and there few rivctcrs driving home
final rivct kept ut 1t for Il few sec
ond, but only for n few seconds. Then
for n moment n silence like death It.
self interviewed. 1t seemed as II the
ever blowing wind had been momen-
tarily stilled. That shrlll whistle and
the consequent cessation OF the work
always affected everybody the same
way. There was inevitably and In
variably n pause. The contrast be-
tween the noise and Its sudden stop
page was SO great that the men in
stinctivcly waited few seconds and
drew breath before they began to
light their pipes, close their tool boxes.
pick up their coats and dinner pals.
and resume their conversation MS they
strolled along the roadway to the
shore.
II seemed to Abbott that II had never
been 81 silent on the bridge before.
Their. was almost always breeze,
sometimes II gale, blowing down or up
the gorge through which the river
flowed but that afternoon not breath
was stlrrng
Abbott found himself waiting In
strained and unwontcd suspense for
the next second or two, his eyes fixed
on the member. The long warm rays
Of IA" afternoon sun Illuminated II
clearly. H. that second Immediately
below him, far down toward the pier
head h" saw II sudden flash nS Of break
/ Ing steel, Low, but clear enough In the
4 Intense silence. he ncurd popping
/ sound like the snap Of great finger.
/ Then III" bright g'onm OF freshly
| broken metal caught his excited glance.
/ Tn" lucing was giving way. Meade was
right. Tho member would go with It
/ The first pop or two was succeeded by
n llttl" rattle ns OF revolver shots
heard from n distance. rs the lncIncs
give way In quick succession. Abbott
he raised II to It's limit.
TIL" idle wurkmon Just beginning TO
laugh and Jest heard great cry:
"On the bridge, for Gods snkcw
Two or three. among them wIlch.
Ings, who happened to be within few
feet Of the lundwurd end. without IN.
Outstanding why, but impcllcd by the
agony, the appeal, the horror IN the
great shout ~ the mus'cr builder.
lcupcd for the shore. On the bridge
itself som" stepped forward, some
stood s,ill staring, others pccrcd down.
wurd. The great NNiyrnot webs OF
steel wnvcrrd lll" ribbons In tho wind.
The bridge shook rs II In nm earth.
quake. There was heavy. shudd,rlns.
Swnylne movement and then the coo.
foot cnntlcvcr nrm plunged down.
ward. ns n great ship falls into the
trough of n mighty sea. Shnrpkoycd
sounds cracked on, overhead as tho
truss parted nj the apex. the outward
half inclinlng tn the water. the Inward
hnlf sinking strnlgh, down,
shouts, onths sCr'nms rose. heard
fnIntly above the mighty hcll.llkc re-.
I