Tombstone epitaph., 1917-07-08
CHAPTER xl-Continued,


 -7-
 Again the train was delayed and held up for half an hour just as 1, reached the Mississippi river. He lief, his seat in the dining car, his dinner uneaten on the table. to go out and in spect the bridge during the half-hour that the limited" lay Idle. The next day some enormous irrigation works in western Nebraska so engrossed his attention and aroused his interest that in spite of himself he stopped over between trains to see them. And these actions were typical.
 Yet after every one of these excur- sions back into his own field, his con- science smote him. Was he never to get away from this engineering? Was there nothing else for him but brick and stone. steel and concrete, designs and plans and undertaking and accom- plishment in the world? Because 1t was the thing that he must abandon and put out of his mind, engineering seemed the only thing ha cared for. There would be no engineering on that
 
 could settle the question there.
 Winters was glad to see him. He and Rodney aud Meade had been the warm est of friends. Of course Meade could not tell Rodney the truth on account of his newspaper connections, but he decided finally that he could and would tell Winters under assurance of abso- lute secrecy. For one thing the big eattleman had bluntly refused to credit his friends first statements; and. when he at last heard the truth. he blamed him roundly while he appreciated fully the nobleness of his self-sacrifice. The clear-headed. practical Winters put 1t this way: Meade was capable of do- Ing splendid service to humanity as an engineer and bade fair to be even greater than his father, yet for the oake of the fame of a dead man, to whom after all it would matter little, he had thrown away that splendid op- portunity!
 This was a new thought to Meade and . disturbing one. Unfortunately, as even Winters was forced to ac- knowledge, the suggestion came too late. The course had been entered up- on. It would be cowardly to try to >hange 1t now. Indeed it would have been impossible with the disappear ance of the written protests and notes. Even if Shurtliff had been willing. no traction and explanation, and Shurtliff would not have been willing Meade well knew. Neither for that matter was Meade himself. He was glad that the affair had been settled and would not change 1t even now though Win ters' rough-and-ready presentation of the situation disquieted him.
 Winters, who saw how greatly over wrought and unstrung his friend was, eontented himself with the assertion. He did not press the point or argue it with him. He rested quietly confident that matters would right themselves some way in the long run. He treated Meade exactly right. He left him to his own devices. He did not force his company upon him. Sometimes the en- gineer would mount a horse-and all at the ranch were at his disposal-and would ride away into the woods and mountains with camping outfit Some times he would be gone for several days, coming back white and haggard And exhausted but victor ip some hard battle fought Sut alone.
 One day there came to the ranch letter to Winters from Rodney, full of chat and pleasant remini- ocence.
 ~Heade has disappeared absolutely" wrote Rodney in closing. "Even Miss ulingworth. to whom he was reported engaged and upon whom have called says she does not know his whereabouts. Of course you saw h the papers his connection with the tragedy spd failure of the Information alf Although his frank statement was by that of the older private secretary. have never been able to believe 1t, neither does Miss nlingworth. know Bert, and % does she. We can't accept even his ewn testimony. We have been work | lnR together to establish the truth. but | with very faint prospects of success so enr. There's some tremendous mystery ahout 1t. I have thought that maybe | Meade might have come to you. If he | -. ht- Se-a~ latter and hog him