The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-05-12
CHAPTER xIV.-continued.

The lantern was standing on the
roadway on top Of the dam. A man
was kneeling beyond it, his figure seen
dimly in the faint light of the lantern
he was staring intently down the
front of the dam at the water The
lantern was near the edge and it faint
ly illuminated the black, rain-lashed
surface below. Vandeventer realized
with a shock of horror how much more
rapid the rise had been. A quick esti-
mate convinced him that the level of
the water was now within eight or nine
feet of the dam-and it was still rain
ing
The face of the kneeling man was
hidden by a SOu'weSter and he had on
heavy black rubber raincoat. Van
deventer reached over and touched
him on the shoulder.
"What are you doing here" he
asked.
The kneeling man sprang up with an
exclamation. 1t was Meade. The re-
lief in Vandeventer'S mind was great
at the recognition.
81 just came out to look at the wa
ter. / couldn't sleep with all that
pounding on the iron roof of the quar-
tiers, so / dressed and came out"
Vandeventer opened the slide Of his
own lantern and threw the light on the
reservoir.
"It's risen eight or ten feet since we
saw it, and with this rain"
'It's not coming down so hard as
1t was when l first came out here"
said Meade. Il think you can see it
slackening yourself"
"Yes," said the resident engineer,
listening q moment, 81 believe it is. II
it stops now" he continued thought
fully, 1--WE ought to be safe"
"Yes, l think So" answered Meade.
In the night alone, together in that
crisis in their fortunes, the two men
were interchanging thoughts and ideas
on terms of perfect equality. 1t did
not occur to Vandeventer to question
why. and that they were doing SO
aroused no surprise in the mind OF
Meade.
"Of course" continued Meade, seven
If it does stop raining We'll continue
to get lot Of runoff from the water
shed for some time"
Eyes" said the resident engineer,
"that Of course, but If the rain stops
everywhere we can scarcely have a
rise of more than five or six feet, and
that would still be little below the
spillway."
Its stopping here now" pointed out
Meade, and, indeed, the force OF the
downpour was greatly diminished.
The two stood watching the dam and
the black lake beyond it in silence Tor
q few moments until the rain practical-
" ceased. The air was misty and heavy
with moisture, but the rain was GER
tainly over for the time at any rate
"Thank goodness" said the resident
engineer in great relief. "Now II II
stopped everywhere we'll De al risii''
eyes" said Meade, "and I'm inclined
TO think it has stopped everywhere
Whoever thought it would rain i'll Jan
nary here? There hasn't drop, &c
speak of, fallen in January for twenty
wears. or since there have been an!
records. Why in heavens name II
had to come now I don't see.
sTook here, Roberts" said Nande
venter suddenly, you know you're
first-cass engineer"
Meade shook his head.
You can't fool me-" said the Older
man. give watched you. You kno"
more about the game than anybody
here except myself. You don't CHOOSE
to contide in me, although l like you
/ and | am in position to help you.
III 81 appreciate what YOU say, MI. van
fdeycntcr." returned the other; there
lis no one to whom I should rather tel
the whole story than to you, put
can't-not yet"
well, keep your own counsel pu
if Won ever want a friend. count on me
meanwhile, as Il man Of experience AM
ability, what would you dog
Get out the men and bulld up
temporary dam on the top of the ROAD
way here, to turn the flow over 10 III
east bank and make the subway u'
more work"
but the rain has stopped.
"And in all probability will sra.
stopped-still you never can ten.
few more hours of rain like that we "
had and the whole thing would go. L