The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-04-19
CHAPTER VII.
For the Son.

| idNS was HeTg Teu DcilIum NchuC
was whittier than any other man In the
room. He was thinking of his father.
The girl moved first. Her father
and the young engineer were the two
most deeply touched. They were both
in agony, both In need of her. Unhesi-
tatingly she stepped to the side of the
younger. And the father saw and un-
derstOOd even In the midst of his suf-
fering. She had chosen.
I'VE are ruined" gasped the colo
mel, tugging at his collar. ave could
stand the financial loss, but our reputa-
ton! Wen never get another con-
tract. might as well close the works.
And it is your fathers fault. It's up to
him. The blood of those men is upon
his head. Well, sir, I'll let the whole
world know how grossly incompetent
he ls how"
"Slr," said young Meade, standing
very erect and whittier than ever, "the
fault is mine. made the calculations.
/ checked and rechecked them. No
body could know with absolute certain
ty the ability Of the lower chord men,
bers to resist compression. But what
ever the fault, 1t is mine. My father
had absolutely nothing to do with 1T.
He is"
Hes got to bear the responsibility"
cried the colonel passionately. at has
his name"
mo, tell you," thundered the
younger man. For I'll proclaim my
own responsibility. The fault is all
mine and I'll publish the fact from one
end of the world to the other"
"It's load wouldn't want to have
on my conscience" said Colonel Hing
worth
'"The ruin of a great establishment
like the Martlet," added Doctor Sew
erence.
'The dishonOr to American engineer
ing" said Curtlss.
"And the awful loss of lIfe," con-
tinued the colonel.
II assume them ALL" protested the
young man, forcing his lips to speak,
although the cumulative burdens set
forth so clearly and so merclessly babe
fair to crush him.
ut was only mistake" protested
Helen IllingwOrth, drawing closer to
her lovers side, and with difficulty re-
Sisting temptation to clasp him in
her arms.
"a mistake" exclaimed her father
bitterly.
"YOu said YOURSELF" urged the wOm-
an, turning to the chief engineer, ''that
you didn't know whether the designs
would work out, that nobody could
know, but you were convinced that
they would"
Wait" interrupted the father.
MEADE, there Is one consequence you
have got TO bear that you haven't
thought Of"
'What do you mean?"
'DO you think I'd let my daughter
marry a man who had ruined me, an
incompetent engineer by his own con-
fesslOn, a"
ut is just" said Meade. II have
nothing further to do here, gentlemen.
must 60 to my father"
"Just or not" cried Helen Hing
worth, II can't allow you to dispose of
me in that way, father. If he Is as
blamable as he says he Is, and as you
say he is, now is the time above all
others for the woman who loves him to
stand by him."
Miss IllingwOrth, you don't know
what you are saying" said Meade,
forcing himself into cold formality
he did not feel. Il am disgraced
shamed. There is nothing in life for
me. My chosen professionally repu-
tation-everything is gone"
'The more need you have for me,
then"
at is noble of you. shall love you
forever, but"
He turned resolutely away and
walked dOggedly out of the room. Hell
en- Illingworth made a step to follow
him.
Helen" interpOsed her father,
catching her almost roughly by the
arm in his anger and resentment, ''if
you go out Of this door after that man.
I'll never speak to you again."
Father, | love you. I'm sorry for
you. would do anything for you but
this. You have your friends. That
man yOnder has nothing, nothing but
me. l must go to him."
She turned and went out of the
room without backward look or an
other word, no one OBTAINING her. Now
1t happened that by hurrying down the
hill in the station wagon, Meade had
just caught u local train, which made
connections with the Reading express
| some twenty miles away, and Helen
Illingworth in her cur reached the sta
tiOn platform just in time to see it de-
part. She remembered that ten miles
across the country another railroad
ran and If she drove hard she could
possibly catch a train which would
land her in Jersey City few minutes
before the train her lover caught. She
told the chauffeur, who scented ro-
nance and drove as he had never
driven before.
The girl caught the express and rode
to the Hudson terminal in the city.
The newsboys on the street were al
ready crying the loss of the bridge.
She saw the story displayed in lurid
red headlines as she sprang into the
taxi and bade the chauffeur hurry her
to the Uplift building downtown. The
bill she handed him in, advance made
him recklessly break the speed limit.