Tombstone epitaph., 1917-08-19

his name IL NOT hoOertA II
Meade"
"whatl The International manr
yes"
II knew he was an engineer. Well,
he's made up for his failure there"
He did not fail there any more than
he failed here" said the colonel.
where Is her"
ats long story"
at can wait" said vandeventer
brusquely. Il want to thank him for
saving the dam and the lives of the
men on il, and the town, and the rail-
road, and the bridge"
FL don't know whether you can thank
him or not" said the colonel.
You don't mean"
"He was terribly hurt by the last eI-
plosIon and they brought him here"
Can l see himT"
For answer Colonel nlingworth
pointed to the door.
This Is my daughter. Your name Is
| yandeyenter, is II not? Helen. this is
| the engineer who is building the dam.
He has come to ask after his man."
I've done everything GIN for him."
said Severance. coming out of the
stateroom, followed by the porter. as
yandeventer shook hands with the girl.
He's still unconscious, but seems TO
breathe little easier"
Into the little room the woman and
the four men crowded. vandeventer,
accompanied by Murphy and Funaro.
followed the colonel. Neither Of the
| workmen would be left out. There lay
the engineer. his face as white as the
linen OF the pillow or the bandage
which had been deftly tied around his
head. One hand. still grimy and mud
stained. lay on the sheet. Helen IL
lingworth knelt down and kissed it and
I laid her head on the bed.
"He is to be my husband If he lives"
she said simply.
"A man and an engineer he Is" whis-
pered vandeventer.
Il misjudged you, Meade" said the
colonel softly, speaking as II the I'M
/ conscious man could hear. ~ con-
demned you. I wish to heaven you
could hear me make amends now"
"Begob," whispered Murphy. you'd
ought TO seen him run wild the dlnna-
mite"
words which they knew were prayers
J a"d th""gh they came from humble
7 lips they brought r-;:"f to all. They
entered deeply into Helen i:rngworth's
heart and mingled with her Omc petit
tons. frantic. fervent, imperative. a..
though she offered them to Almighty
God as from a woman broken. Pres
emily they all filed out OF the room,
leaving Helen Illingworth alone with
what was left Of life in the crushed
body of the man she had never loved
so much before.
/ In the observation room Handkerchief
told them of the fight for the dam and
how they had reached their maximum
/ power OF resistance and more. and that
the relief came In the very nick Of
time. Meanwhile the engine driver
had burned up the track going and com
ing and in less than an hour he was
back with two surgeons and trained
nurse. Was II their skill and care and
watchfulness that finally brought
Meade back to consciousness, or was II
the passionate, consuming intensity OF
will and purpose of the woman who
loved him. who could scarcely be driv-
en- from his side? Well, whatever the
reason. after many days he passed
from death into life and came back
again.
He was conscious OF Helen's pres
ence and lay quietly developed in her
love before he could talk coherently or
question. Indeed. with Rodney and
Winters, and old Shurtliff. who swore
TO himself that he would never forgive
himself If Meade did not recover, and
the colonel, and vandeventer, and all
the men of the force, who used TO stroll
over after hours and just sit on the
side of the track and stare at the car
where the man who had saved them
was fighting for his life as desperately
as they had fought to save the dam.
Meade was surrounded by such an at
mOsphere OF admiration and devotion
as might have stayed the hand of death
itself There came a day when the
physician said he could talk a little.
Il saw you" Helen whispered. 'T
was standing on the high hill! watch
ing. looking down upon you just be-
fore"
But I shall look up to you all the
rest Of my life" said the man. as the
woman knelt, rs was her wont, by the
side of the bed. She kissed his hand,