Tombstone epitaph., 1917-05-27

the heaviest truSSeS, the-'
 five heard all about it." interrupted the girl, waving him into silence. lever since you began it. Sometimes I 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 I look lIke?" she whIs- pered back quickly, in return.
 But Meade had no opportunity to tell her.
 Tt Is not exactly a subject for dln- her 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 It's failure would ruin us, but 1t would be hard for us to survive"
 Have you ever known anything that my father designed to fail?". asked Meade somewhat hotly. | No, and that Is why we took his plans in spite of"
 Tn spite of what, siry'
 ''In spite of Curtiss here and some others"
 ] "Mr. Curtiss," said Meade, turning to the chief engineer. eff 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 I-that Is, we-thought that there might possibly be weakness in those compression members, but I checked them with the methods he ad- vocates and then submitted the figures to my father. and then he went through the whole calculation and applied CO., i efficients he felt to be safe.-
 I'm willing to take your fathers | judgment in the matter rather than Schmidt Chemnitz'. or anybody's." said Curtiss, "so successful has been his ca- | reer."
 "NOw that have seen the members in place have no doubt that they will stand" said the colonel. l Sure they will" added Abbott with supreme and contagious confidence, an assurance which helped even Meade to believe.
 1 "Of course we all know" said Doc tor Severence, who had been long enough in touch with engineering to learn much about it, that there Is al- ways more or less of experimenting In the design of a 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 all 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 ak a lance with anybody on its behalf"
 "Well," began the colonel, ''we have every confidence in your father and in you. don't mind telling you, Meade, 1t need not go 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 Martlet comp any if you care to accept 1t. On the strength of your probable acceptance we are al- ready planning to venture into certain foreign fields which we have hitherto not felt It to our interest to enter"
 ''That is most kind of you. Colonel Illingworth." said the young man grate- | 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 I open any office of my own should like the advantage of further experience. Such a connection as you | propose seems to me to be ideal. from | my point of view. No man could have any better backing than the Martlet Bridge company"
 Well, we shall look to you to be worthy of It." said the colonel kindly.
 His glance vaguely comprehended his daughter as he spoke. Colonel ! Ilingworth was very rich man. The Sfartlet Bridge company was nearest his heart, but he had many other in terests. His only daughter would event. l uaiiy Dc llc ulistEesS OI u STtuI TUT tune Meade was not poor. Of course, his means were limited compared to Colonel Illingworth's great fortune, but what he had earned, saved, and invest ed was sufficient-yes, even for two. And he would inherit much more. Old Meade had not been the greatest engi- neer of his generation for nothing. h. dependent and self-respecting. young Meade could not be considered a for tune hunter by anybody. He was the kind of man to whom a decent father likes to intrust his daughter. old CoIoae, HIingworth found himself gaz- ing wonderingly at the two.
 After dinner the men sat out on the observation platform with their cigars and coffee. For those that liked 1t there was something in tall glasses in which ice tinkled when the glasses were agitated, but Meade declined all three.
 "with your permission. sir" he said, T am going to take Mss Ilingworth out on the bridge. The moon is rising and"