The Benson signal., 1917-04-14

SlHCo you DeSdu IL. SOmeLlmeS i CnlnK
it's beginning to obsess me. too"
"You don't look like it," whispered
Meade, under cover of the general
laugh that greeted her remark.
"What do I look nke?" she whis-
pered back quickly, in return.
But Meade had no opportunity to
tell her.
ut is not exactly subject for din
ner conversation" said the colonel with
sudden gravity, "but all of us here,
even you, my dear, must realize how
much that bridge means to us. won't
go so far as to say that its failure
would ruin us, but it would be hard for
US to survive"
"Have you ever known anything that
my father designed to fail?" asked
Meade somewhat hotly.
"No, and that is why we took his
plans in spite Of"
I'm spite of what, sir?"
"In spite Of Curtiss here and some
Others"
"Mr. Curtiss," said Meade, turning
to the chief engineer. eff it will add
anything to your peace of mind, will
assume my full sh are Of responsibility
for the matter. You iKnow the books
by Schmidt Chemnitz, the great Ger
man bridge engineerY
Curtiss nodded.
"At first THAT is, we-thought that
there might possibly be weakness in
those compression members, but I
checked them with the methods he ad-
vocates and then submitted the figures
to my father, and then he went through
the whole calculation and applied CO.
eficients he felt to be safe."
'Tm willing to take your fathers
judgment in the matter rather than
Schmidt-C -Chemnitz', or anybody's," said
Curtiss, $50 successful has been his ca
reer."
"Now that have seen the members
in place have no doubt that they will
stand" said the colonel.
"Sure they WILL" added Abbott with
supreme and contagious confidence, an
assurance which helped even Meade to
believe.
"Of course we all know" said Doc
tor Severance, who had been long
enough in touch with engineering to
learn much about it, 'that there is al
ways more or less Of experimenting in
the design Of new thing like this"
eyes," said the colonel, 'but we
don't want our experiment to fail in
this instance"
"They WON'T" said the young man
boldly.
He had long since persuaded himself
that he had been all wrong and his
father all right, so that he entered
upon his defense and the defense Of
the bridge with enthusiasm. He was
ready to bre ak lance with anybody
on it's behalf"
SWELL" began the colonel, 1--WE have
every confidence in your father and in
you. don't mind telling you, Meade,
it need not 60 any further, that when
this bridge is completed we shall be
prepared to make you personally
very advantageous offer for future re-
1ations with the Martlet comp any If
you care to accept it. On the strength
of your probable acceptance we are al
ready planning to venture into certain
foreign fields which we have hitherto
not felt it to our interest to enter"
'That is most kind of you, Colonel
nlingworth," said the young man CRATE
fully, "and it appe ais to me very
strongly. have been associated with
father 1atterly. He wants to retire
with the completion of this bridge, and
before I open any office of my own
should like the advantage of further
experience. Such a connection as you
propose seems to me to be ideal, from
my point of view. No man could have
any better backing than the Martlet
Bridge company"
"Well, we shall look to you to be
worthy Of it," said the colonel kindly.
His glance vaguely comprehended
his daughter as he spoke. Colonel
nlingworth was very rich man. The
Martlet Bridge company was nearest
his heart, but he had many other in
LCISSIS. Lis Ou1y uduS11ICA WOuIO CNCAC-
ually be the mistress Of a great for
tune. Meade was not poor. Of course,
his means were limited compared to
Colonel nlingworth's great fortune, but
what he had earned, saved, and invest
ed was sufficient-yes, even for two.
And he would inherit much more. Old
Meade had not been the greatest engi-
neer Of his generation for nothing. In
dependent and self-respecting, young
Meade could not be considered for
tune hunter by anybody. He was the
kind Of man to whom a decent father
likes to intrust his daughter. Old
Colonel Illingworth found himself gaz-
ing wonderingly at the two.
After dinner the men sat out on the
observation platform with their cigars
and coffee. For those that liked it
there was something in tall glasses in
which ice tinkled when the glasses
were agitated, but Meade declined all
three.
"With vOur permiSsiOn. sir" he said.