The Dermott news., 1917-08-16
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

-7-
 Again the train was delayed and held up for half an hour just as 1t reached the Mississippi river. He left his seat in the dining car, his dinner uneaten on the table. to go out and in- spect the bridge during the half-hour that the limited" lay idle. The next day some enormous irrigation works fin western Nebraska so engrossed his attention and aroused his interest that in spite of himself he stopped over between trains to see them. And these actions were typical.
 Yet after every one of these excur- stons back into his own field. his con science smote him. Was he never to get away from this engineering? Was there nothing else for him but brick and stone. steel and concrete. designs i and plans and undertaking and accom- 0lishment in the world? Because 1t was the thing that he must abandon and put out of his mind, engineering seemed the only thing he cared for. There would be no engineering on that ranch on the slopes of the range. He could settle the question there.
 Winters was glad to see him. He and Rodney and Meade had been the warm 3gt of friends. Of course Meade could 0ot tell Rodney the truth on account of his newspaper connections. but he decided finally that he could and would tell Winters under assurance of abso- lute secrecy. For one thing the big cattleman had bluntly refused to credit his friends first statements: and. when he at last heard the truth, he blamed him roundly while he appreciated fully Ghe nohleness of his self-sacrifice. The clear-headed. practical Winters put 1t 3his way: Meade was capable of do- Ing splendid service to humanity as an engineer and bade fair 10 be even greater than his father, yet for the | sake of the fame of dead man, to whom after all il would matter little. he had thrown away that splendid op- Sortunlty,
 This was new thought to Meade and disturbing one. Unfortunately. as even Winters was forced to ae- l knowledge. the suggestion came too late. The course had been entered up- on. It would be eowardly to try to change 1t now. Indeed 1t would have been impossible with the disappear ance of the written protests and notes. Even if Shurtliff had been willing, no one would have believed delayed re- traction and explanation, and Shurtlin would not have been willing Meade we'll knew. Neither for that matter was Meade himself He was glad that the affair had been settled and would not change 1t even now though Win ters' rough-and-ready presentation of the situation dlsquleted him.
 Winters, who saw how greatly over wrought and unstrung his friend was, contented himself with the assertion. He did not press the point or argue 1t with him. He rested quietly confident that matters would right themselves some way in the long run. He treated Meade exactly right. He left him to his own devices. He did not force his accompany upon him. Sometimes the en- gineer would mount horse-and all at the ranch were at his disposal-and would ride away Into the woods and mountains with n camping outfit. Some times he would be gone for several days, coming back white and haggard and exhausted but victor in some hard battle fought out alone.
 One day there came to the ranch letter to Winters from Rodney, full of friendly chat and pleasant remini- ocence.
 "Meade has disappeared absolutely" wrote Rodney in closing. "Eyen Miss nlingwovth, to whom he was reported engaged and upon whom l have called occasionally. says she does not know his whereabouts. Of course you saw in the papers his connection with the tragedy and failure of the Internation- all Although his frank statement was corroborated by that of the older AM~,e's private secretary. have never Nep able to believe 1t, neither does Y.sas nnngworth. know Bert, and so uoes she. We can't accept even his own testimony We have been work ing together to establish the truth. but with very faint prospects of success so far. Theres some tremendous mystery about it. I have thought that maybe Meade might haSc come to you. If he lAe show Mm t4is letter and beg him