The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-05-10

If by working together there was moi
some way by which we could prove
that Bertram Meade has assumed the
blame to safe the honor and fame OF
his father"
"YOu belieSe that, Miss Iningworth?' ?
Il am surs Of it."
$50 am l. said Rodney quickly.
THANK GHd," cried the girl q little
Historically. surprised and almost
swept off Ter feet by this prompt
avOwal by Ole who, though young. was
already ar. authority in the literature
of engineering. "Why do you say that
What evidence have your"
Unfortunately" answered Rodney
Il haven't any tangible evidence what.
ever, but I know Bert Meade as few
people know him, Miss Illingworth
perhaps not even you," he went on, in
spite of her unspOken, but vigorous
protest at that last statement, as she
shook her head and smiled at him.
And there are several little circum.
stances that make me feel that he
could not have been to blame. Have
you any ground for your convictionY
"Probably even less than you have
and yet l, toO know him." Helen II.
lingworth looked into the plain, home
ly, but strong, reliable face of the
man and dismissed any thought of re-
serve from her mind.
LET us place." she began, "the little
| circumstances upon which our intui.
tions are based, if intuitiOns are ever
based on anything tangible, together.
Perhaps the sum of them may yield
something"
THE suggestion is admirable" as
serted Rodney, land as l knew him
first and longest will begin. Perhaps
1t would be WELL too, to take notes so
that we may consider them at leisure.
getting an eye view as we'll as an ear
view of them"
"NOw, in the first place" he began.
writing and speaking at the same time,
point one is Meade's absolutely un.
bounded devotion to his father. The
old man was not always right. The
boy was as clear as n bell on most
things, but I recall that he would main-
tain his fathers propositions tena-
ciously, determinedly, long after every
body, perhaps even the old man him
self, had been convinced of their fall
lacy. Engineering is in Meade's blood
He is the fifth of his family to gradu-
ate at Harvard and three Of his for
bears were engineers, his grandfather
noted and his father world-famous. He
fairly idOlized his father. The affec-
ton between them was delightful. The
king could do no wrong. Meade was
quick-tempered and not very receptive
to criticism, but he would take the Sc
verest structure from the old man with
out murmur."
"Here we have" said the woman,
who had listened with strained atten-
ton, "an early devotion to q person
and an unbounded respect for his at
talnments. Go on"
"The next point is, Meade was In
Ordnately proud of his family reputa-
tion, especially in the engineering
field. OF the two of the line who were
not engineers, one was soldier and q
One but his career had
little interest for Meade. l have heard
him say that there had been q steady,
upward movement in his family, that
had reached it's elimination in his IA
ther. He hoped to be good, useful
engineer, but he never dreamed of 60
ing any higher or even approaching
the altitude Of the other man."
1T was q sort of fetish with him
then, wasn't it?" asked the woman as
Rodney stopped again.
"YOu have hit it exactly. His love
for the man, his admiration for the
engineer, which sometimes blinded
him, and his pride in his fathers career
rs typifying his family, was I'M
"YOu have established q motive for
any sacrifice; love, respect, pride!"
THAT'S the way it presents itself to
me, Miss Illingworth. l know thor
Oughly the quiXOtic, impulSive, self
nature of the man. l know