Tombstone epitaph., 1917-05-27

taking adv antage of her incautlous ad- mission.
 "Hang the clothes" said the man, radiant once more in that admission. 'since you will allow It, I will come with what I can rake up. But you'll have to tell me which fork to use. have almost forgotten out here in the wilderness"
 "It isn't six months since you were at our house."
 "Six monthsl It's a thousand years," he went on, "and I'm going to take you out on the bridge after dinner. It's great at any time. It's the most mag nificent sight on earth even now, but in the moonh ght-there 1t Is now," he pointed as the little group walked past the station which had hid the view and the great structure suddenly was revealed to them.
 The four men ahead had stopped and stood silent. There was something awe-insplring and tremendous about the great, black, outreaching, far extending arms of steel. The first sight of it always g ave the beholder a little shock. It was so huge. so massive, so grandly majestic, and withal so airy, seen against the impressive background of deep gorge and palisaded wall and far-or mountains. So ether-borne was 1t in its perfect proportion that even dull and stupid people-and none of these were that-felt its overpowering presence. Meade and the girl stopped too. After one glance at the bridge. she looked at him. And that was typ ical. For the first time he was not at the moment aware of. or immediately responsive to. her glance. And that, too, was typical. She noted this with a pang of jealousy.
 You love the bridge" she said softly.
 He straIghtened up and threw his head back and looked at her.
 ''I thought so," be said simply-"un- til today, but now"-he stopped again. 'But now?" she asked.
 'I have just learned what love really is and the lesson has not been taught . AIt bs o4AhHts d4> VI tu t44tNAAs Yet Bertram Meade, the younger, did truly love the bridge which he had seen grow from the placing of the first shoe-the great steel base on top of the pier which carries the whole struc- ture-to the completion of the soaring cantilever reaching out to meet It's companion on the other side-the great International, which was to be the tie that bound, with web of steel. two great countries which lay breast to breast; already in touch save for the mighty river that flowed between them. By no means would Meade. the ! younger, have been charged with the great responsibilities of the bridge had | 1t not been for his exhaustive prepara- | ton and wide experience. To a thor [ ough technical training at Harvard, In | the Lawrence Scientific school. had been added a substantial record of achievement. A fine bridge which he i had erected in faraway Burma, trium- ! phantly achieving the design despite all sorts of difficulties, had attracted l the attention of old Colonel Hing worth, the president of the Martlet Bridge company.
 He had kept the young man under his eye for long time. When ne com missioned his father, Bertram Meade. ST., to prepare the plans for the great l International, the most-sought-for and famous of bridges, he had noted with satisfaction that the older man, who stood first among bridge engineers on the continent, had associated with him self his son. Meade, Jr., had recently | returned from South America, where he had again shown his mettle. The two worked together in the preparation { of the designs for what was to be the crown and triumph of the older mans life, the most stupendous of all the ] cantileyer bridges in the world. The great engineer had high idea of his only sons ability. He was will | ing to proclaim it, tc maintain it, and | defend it against all corners except i himself. When the two wills clashed. he recognized but one way. his own. | The relations between the two were | lDFtIl Dul uOl lutstl- lutTe WIS ltaiu- ership not partnership, direction rather than cooperation. The knowledge and experience of the boy-for so he loved 1 to call him-where of course nothing compared to those of his father. When, in discussing moot points, the younger man had been unconvinced by the cal culations of the elder, he had been laughed to scorn in a good-natured way. His carefully set forth objec- tiOns, even in serious matters, had been oyerborne generally. and by trium- phant calculations of his own the ia ther had re-enfOrced himself in his con
 clusions; and the more strongly be- cause of the opposition.
 Young Meade's position was rather anomalous. He had TO direct super vision of the construction. He was there as resident engineer representing his father. He had welcomed the posi- ton because it gave him an opportu- nifty to see from the very beginning the erection of wh at was to be the great est cantilever bridge the feet of the world had ever trod upon, the wheels of the world had ever rolled across.
 He had followed with the utmost