The Benson signal., 1917-05-12


it,"
eyes, sir, separate from the other
papers concerning the international, iE
the third compartment" He turned
the big safe door slowly. The third
compartment was empty. "It'S gone,"
he said.
Meade went to the safe, small Que.
and examined it carefully and fruitless-
ly. His letter was not there with the
other papers, where it should have
been If it were in existence. 1t was
not anywhere.
"Father told me he was going to de-
stroy it, but rather thought he was
keeping it to have some fun with me
when the bridge was completed" he
said at last.
"Yes, sir, that was his intention. IL
fact, I know he did not destroy it at
| first. He told me to file it with th.
plans. He must have destroyed 1t
later. I haven't looked in this COM
partment for weeks"
'I'll never forget the lie you told to
back me up, Shurtliff. 1 can see you
| loved him as much as l."
"No one will ever know the truth
from me, sir. You saved your fathers
name and fame"
81 think we had better search the
Office now. wouldn't have that paper
come to life for the world" said Meade.
Shurtliff was the most orderly OF
men. The care Of the old engineers
papers and other arrangements had de-
volved upon him. The search was soon
completed.
81 guess he must have destroyed it,"
said the young man, "but to be sure /
will examine his private papers at
home. Good night. You will be going
yourself?"
I'm few minutes, sir"
| "Come to me in the morning after
the autopsy and we will arrange for
the funeral" said the younger man as
he left the office.
Shurtliff waited until his footsteps
died away in the hall He waited un-
| til he heard the clang of the elevator
| gate. Even then he was not sure. He
| got up and in his catlike way opened
the door of the office and peered down
the hall. 1t was empty. He stood In
the door waiting, while the night ele-
vator made several trips up and down
without pausing at that floor. He sat
down at the dead mans desk. From his
pocket he drew forth a packet of pa
pers.
q
though there were many inquests at
the bridge. The cause of the failure
was clear. 1t was recognized by every
one, whose opinion was worth consid-
ering that the disaster had resulted
from a mistake which any engineer
could have made. AS a matter of fact
there was no experience to guide the
designers. There never had been such
a bridge before. Certain elements of
empiricism had to enter into their cal
culations. They had made the plan
after their best judgment and it had
failed. They could be blamed, even
vilified as they were in the press, but
|
ment.
The bitter weight of cenSure fell en-
tirely upon Bertram Meade. His ruin
as an engineer was immediate and alb
solute. He was the scapegoat No one
had any good to say of him except Rod
ney, who fought valiantly for his friend
and classmate, at least striving to
mitigate the cenSure by pointing out
the quick and ready acknowledgment
of the error which might have been
aScribed to the dead man without fear
Of contradiction.
An effort was made by competitors
and stock spectators to ruin the Mart
let Bridge company. By throwing into
the gap their private fortunes to the
last dollar and by herculean work on
the part Of their friends, the directors
saved the Martlet company, although
it's losses were tremendous and almost
insuppOrtable, not only in money, but
in prestige and reputation. Colonel
IllingwOrth came out of the struggle
older and grayer than ever. The terrific
combat had left him almost broken for
a time, and his daughter saw that it
was not possible even to mention Bert
ram Meade to him, theL.
The funeral of the great engineer
had been strictly private. Only his
confreres, men who stood high in
scientific circles, certain people for
whom he had made great and success
full designs, a few others whose ties
were personal, had been invited tn the
house for the services. The inrerJnent
was in the little Connecticut town of
Milford, in which the older Meade had
been born, and from which he had gone
forth as boy to conquer the world.