Tombstone epitaph., 1917-06-24

1t always does when the door of an empty room is beaten upon. There was no answer for q moment.
 'Oh, I must get in," said the wom- an.
 Rodney knocked again, and this time the door was opened. Shurtliff stood in the way. He had been white and shaken before. but now so anguished and shocked was his appearance that everybody stared. Shurtliff moistened his lips and tried to speak. He could not utter a word, but he did manage to point toward the private office.
 Perhaps I would better go first" said Rodney. as the secretary stepped l back and gave them passage. Helen nlingworth followed, and then the rest Young Meade was standing erect by his fathers chair. The great bulk of the old engineer was slouched down, his body bent over. his head on the desk, face downward. One great arm, his left. extended, shot straight across the desk. His fist was clenched. his right arm hung limp | by his side. He was still. There was something unmlstakably terrible in his motionless aspect. They had no need to ask what had hap pened. A sharp exclamation from the woman was the only sound that broke the silence, as she stepped to her lov- CTS side.
 You can't question my father now. | eraFFlArraap Maoda. Ea a In the outer office they heard Shurt- Tiff brokenly calling the doctor on the telephone and asking him to notify the police.
 Did he" began one hesitatingly. "lie was too big man to do himself | any hurt, I know" answered Meade | proudly, as he div!ned the question. ''The autopsy will tell. But am sure that the failure of the bridge has broken his heart"
 | And we can't fix the responsibility | now" said Rodney, who for his friends sake was glad of this consequence of the old mans death.
 "Yes. you can" said tLe young man.
 He leaned forward and laid his right hand on his dead fathers shoulder Helen Illingworth had possessed her self of his left hand. She lifted It and held 1t to her heart. The engineer seemed unconscious of the action, and still 1t was the greatest thing he had ever experienced. Meade spoke slowly and with the most weighty delibera- ton In an obvious endeavor to give his statement such clear detiniteness that no one could mistake it.
 Here in the presence of my dead father" he began, T solemnly declare that alone am responsible for the de- sign of the member that failed. My father was getting along In years. He left great part of the work to me. He pointed out what he thought was a structural weakness in the trusses, but overbore his objections. I alone am to blame. The Martlet Bridge company employed us both. They said they wanted the benefit of my fathers long experience and my later training and research"
 Do you realize, Meade" said Rod ney. as the pencils of the reporters flew across their pads, that in assum- ing this responsibility which, your fa- ther being dead. cannot be-" | 'I know 1t means the end of my ca- reer." said Meade. forcing himself to speak. My fathers reputation is dearer to me than anything on earth"
 Even than r." whispered the woman.
 "Oh, my God" burst out the man, and then he checked himself and con- tinued with the same monotonous de- liberation as before. and with even more emphasis, T can allow no other interest in life. however great. to pre- vent me from doing my full duty to my father"
 | He had been fully resolved to pro- tect his old fathers fame had the fa- ther survived the shock The appeal of the dead man was even more power full than If he had lived. Meade could not glance down at that crushed, broken, impotent figure and fail to re- spond. It was not so much love-never had he loved Helen Illingworth so much as then-as 1t was honor. The obligation must be met though his heart broke like his fathers; even if it killed him, too.
 And the woman! How If it killed her? He could not think of tEat. He could think of nothing but of that in- ert body and its demand.
 | Have you no witnesses, no evidence to substantiate your extraordinary statement?' asked Rodney.
 'T can substantiate it." said Shurt- liff, coming into the room, having fin- ished his telephoning. "The doctor and the police will be here immediately, but before they come" and he drew himself up and faced the reporters boldly. Gentlemen, l can testify that everything that Mir. Bcrtram Meade has said is true. happened to be here when my dead friend and employer got the telegram announcing the failure of the bridge and, although he knew it was his sons fault. he bravely offered to assume the responsibility and he told me to go to the newspapers snd