The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-04-21

L DeleNe i can manage IT,
Old Vandeventer leaned back In his .
chair in the office and looked care /
lessly away from Meade to all appear
ances. He clasped his hands back OF ,
his head and seemed lost In thought. |
Suddenly he began hummins httIe
scrap of verse about another college
which Cambridge men sing with zest:
I'm physical wreck.
From the grand old Tech.
But a h OF an engineer!
He stopped abruptly, whirled about
in his swingchair and shot n quick
glance at Meade. II was trap. Ana
as he Sprung il Vandeventer surprised
the ghost Of Il smile. repressed quickly
but there. on Meade's lips. The chief
engineer was satisfied. Before thlS'
little things had betrayed fellow
alumnuS, or at least fellow STUDENT
of the old Lawrence Scientlnc Scho"l.
Vandeventer was pleased at his adroit-
ness. He did not. however, refer 10
II.
There's a new transit in that box
on the floor there" ne said, resumlnS
his Indifferent manner. i've had the
case opened. but haven't taken 1t out.
Get it. and Wen go outside and see
what you can do with IT,.
Now a transit, for all it is used in
rough tieldwork, is one OF the most
expensive and delicate of instruments.
1t is capable of the most accurate al
iustment. and if il is 10 be of any
real use, the refinement of these adj
iuStmentS must not be impaired IN any
degree by unSkilled and reckless pack
ing. The boxes in which the instru-
mentS are shipped are very carefully
constructed in accordance with the
principles which experience has shown
/ 10 be necessary, and each one is eSpe-
cially fitted To the particular inStru-
mcnt To be contained therein. Inc
box is a complicated thing and the
/ transit cannot be taken out or replaced
except in one way. With a knowledge
/ of the combination, so Ia speak. II Is
| comparatively simple To take transit
! from the box; without that knowledge
which none but an expert tranSitman
or the packer himself can have, 1t Is
rather difficult without running Il RISK
of running the instrument.
This command was another of Van
! deventerS tests, therefore. Meade
knew this as well as his superior. In
spite of himself. he would have to be
hp1
brought himself to the conclusion that
| he could not continue his work with
out very soon disclosing the fact that
he had been an engineer. And in case
of the inevitable. the sooner the bet
ter. So long as he had to betray him
self, ne would have all the advantages
as well as the disadvantages. He I'M
! locked the door of the box, slid the
instrument out quickly, accurately,
without moments hesitation. and
rapidly unscrewed the head from the
slide-board. and screwed 1t carefully
on the tripod. Vandeventer's eyes
sparkled.
Come outside" he said leading the
way TO the side of the hill, land set II
up there over the tack in that stake
and level it,"
Beginners have been known to take
ten minutes to get a transit set up
leveled and conferred. 1t is good work
If il Is done inside of minute; thirty
seconds is very fast. In forty-five sec
onds Meade reported. "all ready, sir
He could have done 1t in less, but he
was little out of practice, he saiC
to himself.
Look here" said Vandeventer, "yOJ
can't pull any more bluff on me, Rob
: erts; you're an engineer, all right"
81 know something about the practi
cal side Of 1t. sir" answered Meade
: turning little pale and wondering
. how far Vandeventer would press hi:
: questions and what he would learn.
But the engineer was a man.
practical, yes, and theoretical too
I'll be bound. but don't seek to pr!
into your antecedents. It's enough TO
me If you do good work for me here.
"Tll do my best, sir"
Tie youlS'
That was the first step and the mex
step came very shortly after, when
2 having further demonstrated his ca
pacity in other ways. Meade was Civ
e en- charge Of the work on the east en-,
e of the dam.
e II don't care who he is said Van
\ deventer to his chief subordinate, "h
( knows what he's about, and IL 20,
!. watch him you'll see. He's keen OF
= handling men. The other section fore
4 men will be hard put to keep up wit
: him. He keeps watch on himself. He
$ got some secret he won't betray. III
: doesn't mingle with the crowd, bu
: every once I'm a while something slip
h out What he doesn't know about Ell
l. gineering nobody needs to know, T.
/ wager"
: "HOw do you account for his bein
: out here?"
i "Oh, it's the old story, l suppose
, he's come a crOpper somewhere
= down and out and wants to begi
Z again. and can't do anything but thi!
! It's not our business. Stafford; he doe
Z good work for us and we're satisfied
u CHAPTER XIV.