The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-03-31

from me, sir. You saved your fathers
name and fame"
Il think we had better search the
office now. | wouldn't have that paper
come to life for the world said Meade.
Shurtliff was the most orderly of
men. The care of the old engineer
papers and other arrangements had de-
volved upon him. The search was soon
completed.
II guess he must have destroyed it,
said the young man, but 10 be sure |
will examine his private papers N
home. Good night. You will be going
yourself?"
"In few minutes, sir"
Come to me in the morning after
the autopsy and we will arrange for
the funeral" said the younger man rs
he left the office.
Shurtliff waited until his footsteps
died away in the hall. He waited I'M
I'll pc heard the Clang Of the elevator
gate. Even then M was not sure. He
got I'D and in his caiiike way opened
the door of the office and p"ered down
the hall. 1t was empty. tie stood In
the door waiting, while ,!r night Gle
vator made several trips up and dow
without pauSing at that floor. He sat
down at the dead mans desk. From his
| pocket he drew forth packet of pa
pers.
There were no legal proceedings, al
though there were many inqueStS at
the bridge. The cause of the failure
was clear. 1t was recognized by every
one, whose opinion was worth consid-
ering, that the disaster had resulted
from a mistake which any engineer
could have made. AS n matter of fact
there was no experience to guide the
designers. There never had been such
bridge before. Certain elements of
empiriciSm had TO enter into their cal
culatiOns. They had made the plan
after their best judgment and 1t had
failed. They could be blamed, even
vilified as they were In the press. but
that was the extent of their punish
ment.
The bitter weight of censure fell en-
tirely upon Bertram Meade. His ruin
as an engineer was immediate and abb
sOlute. He was the scapegoat. No one
had any good to say Of him except Rod
ney, who fought valiantly for his friend
and classmate, at least striving to
mitigate the censure by pointing out
the quick and ready acknowledgment
of the error which might have been
ascribed to the dead man without fear
of contradiction.
An effort was made by competitors
and stock spectators to ruin the Mart
let Bridge company. By throwing into
the gap their private fortunes to the
last dollar and by herculean work on
the part of their friends, the directors
saved the Martlet company, although
its losses were tremendous and almost
insuppOrtable, not only in money. but
in prestige and reputation. COlone
Illingworth came out Of the struggle
older and grayer than ever. Inc terrln(
combat had left him almost broken fol
time, and his daughter saw that Il
was not possible even to mention Bert
ram Meade to him, then.
The funeral of the great engineer
had been strictly private. Only hi:
confreres, men who stood high IL
, scientific circles, certain people 70
, whom he had made great and success
J full designs, a few others whose tie
were personal, had been invited to thu
house for the services. The intermen
J was In the little Connecticut town o
, Milford, in which the older Meade hat
, been born, and from which he had gOn,
forth as a boy to conquer the world.