The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1917-04-19

since you began 1t. Sometimes think
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 l look like?' she whis-
pered back quickly. in return.
But Meade had no opportunity to
tell her.
at Is not exactly n 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.
mo, and that is why we took his
plans in spite Of"
an spite Of what, slr?"
"In spite of Curtiss here and some
Others"
"Mr. Curtiss," said Meade, turning
to the chief engineer. "if 1t will add
anything to your peace of mind. will
assume my full sh are Of responsibility
for the matter. You know the books
by Schmidt Chemnitz, the great Ger
man bridge engineer?"
CurtiSs nodded.
AT first THAT is, we-thought that
there might possibly be weakness in
those compression members, but l
checked them with the methods he ad-
vOcatcs and then submitted the figures
to my father, and then he went through
the whole calculation and applied CO.
etlicicnts he felt to be safe"
"Tm willing to take your fathers
judgment in the matter rather than
Schmidt 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 1t. "that there Is al
ways more or less Of experimenting in
the design of new thing like this"
"Yes," 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 NIL 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 nix lance with anybody
on Its behalf"
SWELL" began the colonel, 1--WE have
every confidence in your father and In
you. don't mind telling you, Meade,
1t need not 20 any further. that when
this bridge Is completed we shall be
prepared to make you personally
very advantageous offer for future re-
lations with the Martlct company II
sou care to accept II. On the strength
OF your probable acceptance we are al
ready planning to venture into certain
foreign fields which we have hitherto
not felt 1t to our interest to enter"
THAT Is most kind OF you, Colonel
Illingworth." said the young man CRATE
fully, "and 1t appeals to me very
strongly. / have been associated with
father latterly. He wants to retire
with the completion of this bridge, and
before ! open any Office of my own l
should like the advantage Of further
experience. Such n connection as you
propose seems to me to be ideal, from
my point OF view. No man could have
any better backing than the Martlct
Bridge company"
swell, we shall look to you to be
worthy OF IT," said the colonel kindly.
His glance vaguely comprchendcd
his daughter as he spoke. Colonel
llllngwOrth was very rich man. The
Mnrtlct Bridge company was nearest
his heart, but he had many other In
tcrcsts. His only daughter would event
u1lly be the mistress OF great for
tune. Mendc was not poor. or course,
his means were limited compared to
Colonel llllngworth's great fortune, but
what he had cnrncd. saved, and Invest
ed was suillcicnt-ycs, even for two.
And he would inherit much more. Old
Meade had not been the greatest engI-
nccr Of his generation for nothing. In
dependent and sclf.rcspcc,lng, young
Mcndc could not be considered n for
tuno hunter by anybody. He was the
Kind OF man 10 whom decent fathcr
likes 10 intrust his daughter. Old
Colonel illingworth found himself gag
Ing wondcrlngly ut the two.
After dinner the men sat out on tho
observation platform with their cigars
and coffee. For those that liked Il
there was something In ,nll glasses in
which Ice tlnklcd when the glnsscs
were ngtntcd. but Mcadc declined nil
three.
with your permission. sir he said,
VI nm going to take Miss lllingworth
out on the bridge. The moon II rising
apl-S