The Tomahawk., 1917-08-02

TO my 1aCuer. 4SU huO" "A ~ >Rs
it."
Eyes, sir, separate from the other
papers concerning the international, In
the third compartment" He turned
the big safe door slowly. The third
compartment was empty. ITS gone"
he said.
Meade went to the sars, small one,
and examined it carefully and fruitless-
ly. His letter was not there with the
other papers, where it should have
been If it were in existence. It was
not anywhere.
Father told me he war going to de.
stroy it, but rather thought he was
keeping it to have some fun with me
when the bridge was completed" hi
said at last.
Eyes, sir, that was his intention. In
fact, I know he did not destroy 1t at
first. He told me to file it with the
plans. He must have destroyed 1t
later. I haven't looked in this COM
partment for weeks"
It'll never forget tho lie you told to
back me up, Shurtliff. can see you
lOV0u IT'LL us IuuCu DIS L.
mo one will ever know the truth
from me, sir. You saved your fathers
name and fame"
II 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 engineers
papers and other arrangements had de-
volved upon him. The search was soon
completed.
81 guess he must have destroyed It,"
said the young man, "but to ke sure I
will examine his private papers at
home. Good night. You will be going
yourself?"
I'm few minutes, sir"
"Come to me in the incoming after
the autopsy and we will arrange for
the funeral" said the younger taan as
he left the Office.
Shurtliff waited until his footsteps
died away in the hall. He waited un-
til he heard the clang If the elevator
gate. Even then he WIS not sure. He
got up and in his catlike way opened
the door Of the Office and peered down
the hall. It was empty. He stood in
the door waiting, whilN the night ele-
vator made several trips up and down
without pausing at thar floor. He sat
down at the dead mans desk. From his
pocket he drew forth packet Of pa
pers.
.
There we're no legal proceedings, al.
though there were many iDQuests at
the bridge. The cause of the failure
was clear. It was recognized by every
one, whose opinion was worth conAd-
ering, that the disaster had resulted
from a mistake which any engineee
could have made. AS matter of fact
there was no experience to guide tho
designers. There never had been such
a bridge before. Certain elements Of
empiricism had to enter into their cal,
culations. They had made the plan
after their best judgment and it had
failed. They could be blamed, even
vilitied as they were In the press, but
that was the extent Of their punish
ment.
The bitter weight Of censNre fell en-.
tirely upon Bertram Meade. His ruin
as an engineer was immediate and alb
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 feaI
Of contradiction.
An effort was made by competitoN
and stock spectators to ruin the MART
let Bridge company. BY throwing int
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
1nsupportable, not only in money, but
in prestige and reputation. Colonel
ulingworth came out Of the struggle
older and grayer than ever. The terrific
combat had left him almost broken for
a time, and his daughter saw that II
was not possible even to mention Bert.
ram Meade to him, then.
The funeral of the great engineer
had been strictly private. Only his
confreres, men who stood high In
scientific circles, certain people for
whom he had made great and success
full Designs a few others whose tie6
were personal, had been invited to tho
house for the services. The interment
was in the little Connecticut town Of
Milford, in which the older Meade had
been born, and from which he had gone
forth as boy to conquer the world.
The next instaIiment tells Of
young Meade's big move, which