The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-05-10


lieved to be structurally unsound.
don't know whether he reasoned II out
l don't think he had time to argue thC
case, the shock was so swift and sud
den, but as soon as he did see the stu
alton he discovered that you were lOst
anyway, except of the charity of you
affection, which he could not accept
and that he could save his father. Thi;
may all be the widest speculation, but
this is the way 1t presents itself tC
me-"
"And to me-" said Helen, but before
we go any further, let me say should
rather be his wife than enjoy any other
fortune"
"That is the kind of affection his
qualities merit and would evoke IL
the mind of q discerning woman"
THANK you. VIII you go on, RowT
"Of course you know that what we
have said is not evidence. 1t is all as,
sumption, perhaps presumption"
ITS as true as gospel" said the girl
earnestly.
"TO you and to me, yes. WE'LL" he
continued, 81 remember that Meade
and were talking just before he went
to Burma three years ago about a new
book by a German named Schmidt.
Chemnitz, in which certain methods OF
calculations were proposed for the de-
CT of loOiunS Won lynnNH, h.
lacings Of one Of the compression
members of the cantilever that gave
way"
swell Meade and I got into hot dis.
cusSiOn over some of Schmidt-C Chem
nitz's formulas. maintained that they
were wrong. He took the opposite
view. He was right. He was so in
terested in the matter that after we
separated he wrote me q letter about
it, adding some new arguments to re-
enforce his contention. The other day
made a careful search among my pa
pers and by happy chance l found the
letter. l was half-cOnvinced by his
reasoning then, although the matter
was dropped. l am altogether con.
vinced now. His argument is very
clear. have examined since then the
plan and sketches for that bridge. The
calculations did not agree with those
of Scbmidt-ChemnitZ. His methods
were not used. Meade could not have
forgotten the matter. l am morally
certain that he made a protest to his
father, probably in writing, then al
lowed himself to be persuaded by his
fathers reasoning. AS matter of
fact, i suppose that Bertram Meade,
ST., was a greater authority on steel
bridge designing than even Schmidt
Chemnitz. Well, sometimes, the small
er man is right. We know now, and
Bertram Meade, Sr., would admit it if
he were alive, that Schmidt. Chemnitz
was right, and we can make a good
guess that young Meade did not let 1t
pass without protest"
Mr. Rodney, it's wonderful"
"Well, that's not all. There was not
a little bit Of hesitation in Meade's
assumption of the blame, not q person
who heard it doubted 1t, apparently
But was the first man to see the older
Meade except his son and ShurtIiff."
"Oh, Shurtliffw
well come to him presently. 1t
was obvious that the older Meade had
been writing. don't know whether
the others noticed it, but it is my buSi-
ness to take in even inconsiderable de-
tails. The pen was still between his
fingers. His hand was CONSTRUCTED and
the pen had not dropped Out-in fact,
myself took 1t out and laid it on
the desk"
His last conscious act was to write
therefore"
'Yes; for confirmation I ascertained
that there were ink-stains on his fin
GERS"
What did he write and to whOmT'
II don't know. can only guess"
"What do you guess?" ,,
"The assumption of entire RESPONSE
Dility and the exculpation Of his son,
probably to some paper"
"FrOm the same motives that
prompted Bert?"
"No, because it was true. But that
s only an assumption, although not al
ogether without further evidence"
Sand what Is that?" asked the wom-
IN eagerly.
She had sat down opposite Rodney
1t the table and was leaning toward
lin. Her color came and went, her
breathing was rapid and strained un-
Ter the wild beating of her heart.
"The blotter on the desk. exam
ned it at my leisure. 1t had been
lsed some time. l went over it with
glass. Meade, Sr., had evil
lently written a letter. l found the
words fault is mine have the blot
err in my desk. The word fault Is
rarely decipherable, IS can be made
'ut with difficulty, but mine is quite
lain. l am familiar with the older
1eade's handwriting, and though this
S weaker and feebler and more irregu-
ar than was his custom-ordinaril
le wrote bold, free hand-this is un-
his. OF course no one can
ay that he wrote anv letter. This is
'iling assumption upon assumption,
nd, furthermore, there is no evidence
f any signature having been written
eneath It,"
as that all?"
"There is one more bit Of evidence.
The sheet of paper on which the de-
Ign computations for the compression |
hord members appear was not with