The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-04-05

SlIOuS Huuu upon the HTIu HeSH OL HeT
round arm. She shrank closer to him,
again unthlnkingly, by q natural I'M
pulse.
The moon was now well clear of the
brow Of the highest hill. It's yellow
was turning to silver and in its cold
and beautiful illumination the whole
river flowed bright beneath them. Ev-
cry inch Of the bridge was now clearly
revealed in the white, passionless light.
Fifty feet away it ended in the air.
They were now almost directly be-
meath the traveller, near the end of the
suspended span. Its huge legs sprawled
out like those of a gigantic animal on
the extreme edges of the bridge on ell
ther side above their heads. The wood
en- platform on the track ran out half
the distance to the bridge end. Slowly
the two walked along it until but
few feet We're left between them and
the naked floor beams and the string
ers carrying the ties to which the rails
were bOlted and the planks laid.
BY the side of the track on the top
of the stringers had been placed pile
of material surmOunted by large fiat
plate of steel, which lay level upon it.
1t was triangular in shape, the blunt
point inward. The base which was
about six feet wide paralleled the
course of the river. The plate on the
top of the pile was raised about three
feet above the level of the track. They
stopped abreast of 1t.
Cant we go any further?" asked
the girl In low tones, still close to the
young man, who still lightly claSped
her arm.
I'm afraid It wouldn't be safe to
go any farther" he said.
81 want to see the steamer. 1t will
pass directly under the bridge"
"They have no business to pass un-
der the bridge" said Meade. They've
been warned hundreds Of times and or
ders have been issued. There is al
ways danger that something might
| fall"
NHy Gull SIuuu up IhAeF
"On that gusset platter"
as that what you call it?"
"YeS, it bears the same relation to
structural steel that a gusset does to
wOman's dress"
Exactly. But can't stand on it?"
wait" he answered.
He climbed to the center of 1t, lifted
himself up and down on his feet to test
it, and found it solid apparently.
II think so, but l shall have to put
you up" he said at last as he lifted
her up and set her down on her feet in
the middle of the plate of steel.
"Oh. there comes the steamer" she
cried. II can see 1t beautifully from
here"
"Br careful. You must not move
Stand perfectly steady. l am not SC
sure of that plate" lie reached over
from where he stood on the track be,
low her and by her side and gathered
the material of her dress in an iron
grasp.
| Nu upI IllLllh tllhl - llCNCNDulSN
she said. This plate seems as solid as
the rest of the bridge and-Oh, there's
the steamer She's right under u.s."
The big river craft was filled Will
light and laughter. The wind fOrtu
nateIy blew the smoke away from the
bridge so that they had n clear ant
perfect view Of her. There was a banC
playing aboard her. They heard thu
music above the beat Of the whirlln:
paddles, the song of the rising wind
The passengers were cOngregate(
about the rails on the upper deck!
staring upward. The bridge was al
fascinating TO them as it was to thu
people ashore evidently.
"IIow interesting" said the delight
ed girl. "Why don't you come up her,
yourself, you can see so much better?
The man had dropped her gown, lift
ed his right foot to the pile on tn
strlngerS to follow her suggestion
Thoughtlessly she stepped toward tn
outer end to give him room, quite for
getful of his caution. Before he coul,
complete his step or warn her of tn
danger, it now bent forward. 1t title,
distinctly. In spite of herself, Helel
IllingwOrth was carried still farthe
forward as she sought to regain he
balance. The piece of steel began t
slip downward, grating on the pile o
beams as 1t moved; another secon
T and it would be off and on it's way IL
revOcably.
, Meade threw himself at the girl. II
lunged out and caught her just as sh
: was slipping downward with the plat
! now almost perpendicular. To cate
e her he had to step to the very edge O
the planklng beyond which the rail
e ran naked on the ties.
D With q tremendous effort he caugh
t her by the waist, swung her up and IL
and stood fast on the brink QuIverin,
:, heaving himself desperately backwar
as he sought to maintain his balanc
:. and take the backward step that near
!. safety.
r A wild shout rose from the steame
}, as the huge plate dropped, like tn
q blade of mighty guillotine, stralgf
down through the air. II 1t had struc
= the boat, 1t would have cut throus
like knife. Fortunately It cleare
I. the gangway by inches. In secon
It it had disappeared. Screams. shout