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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1917)
1 W TTICIC3! By CYRUS TOWNSEMD BRADY JrJP) Jp c3 Jl jC-yi JE vJI n Father and Son hum mum i inn m i "' """" 1 " Heine Is a Powerful Stoiry of Falwe amd Sacrifice aed Love anndl Courage and Success Copyright by Fleming H. Revell Co. I i' CHARACTER TEST CONFIDENCE and goodna ture are easy for folks who are already prosperous and successful. The true strength of a man's character Is revealed, however, In adversity. Tear the foundation from beneath one who has always enjoyed advan tagcs of wealth and position, and see If he has the backbone to conquer evil days to rise above circumstances and win. In "Web of Steel" we have the story of a man whose foundation Is de strayed. His fight to rebuild It makes the novel. It is not mere ly entertaining fiction; It Is a pleco of Inspiring literature. Wo feet sure all of our readers will enjoy this Cyrus Towsend Brady aerial. THE EDITOR. CHAPTER I. Love of Woman. If meetings only lived up to their anticipations, life would be u succes sion of stnrtllng climaxes. It hud been Homo months since Meade had fccd Helen Illlngworth. Ho had dreamed of meeting her every day nnd had pic tured the meeting differently and more rapturously after every letter. As a mutter of fact the whole thing was casual and ordinary to the last degree. It always Is. Doctor Severence, n retired physi cian, who was vice president and financial man, and Curtiss, the cldef engineer of tho bridge company, were hard upon Miss Illlngworth's heels ns sho stepped down from tho car to tho station platform, lie saw her, as it were, surrounded by prosulc men. Tho woman he loved got tho samo welcomo and the same handshake ns her father and tho other two men. It wns not until big Abbott, who had been belated by some sudden demand of work, camo sweeping down tho platform to engage the attention of the men that tho anx ious Mcuda had a moment with tho girl herself, Now Helen Illlngworth had also been seeing visions, so that sho had been as disappointed as he. Tho only real sat isfaction thai cither of them could tuko In tho situation lay In tho fact that tho other was there. It was midsummer und tho girl was dressed in somo light, filmy fabric which well becamo her ra dlnnt beauty. Mcado could look at a bit of structural steel work and tell you .all about It. All that ho could novo told you about the dress sho wore was that It was exquisitely appropri ate, but it never occurred to him that with a great prlco to a great artist Holen Illlngworth had obtained that look of delightful simplicity. Tho gown was not wasted on Meade, sho decided, ns sho caught his raptur ous glance. Sho hud never looked lovo ller. Sho was not a fragile, ethereal woman; qulto tho reverse. Thut was ono of ten thousand things Mcado liked about her. She could do all those ath letic und practical things that modern young women can do and sho could do them well. Meade was Intensely practical and efllclcnt. Ho could do nil of thoso things himself and many moro nnd ho liked .to do them, nnd that is ono rea son why ho had been attracted to her; yet not for that nlono did ho loVo her. On that soft summer afternoon sho looked ns subtly delicate as every man would tit ono tlmo or another liavo tho woman ho loves appear, and us far re moved from things strenuous ns if In another world I llo was wcnrlng tho rough clothes, flannel shirt, khaki trou sers, heavy shoes and leggings which were his habitual uso at work. Con trasted with her filmy nnd delicately colored fabric his well-worn ollvo drab habiliments stood forth hideously. That Is, ho thought so, and tho con trast somohow seemed typical of tho difference between them ns ho consld etcd her. ' Thcro was tho careless insoucluuco of conscious power In tho bearing of tho engineer which differentiated him from most ofttho men with whom sho hud been thrown In contact during Iter life. Tho International Bridgo was tho biggest thing of tho kind tho Murtlet company or any other American struc turul plaut had over undertaken. It had been a constant topic of converse tlon wherever her father wns. Sho had heard all about it, and although strictly speaking, tho bridgo was tho work of Mcudo, Sr., yot sho always Identified it with Mcado, Jr. Thcro was a feeling In her mind that it was her bridgo nnd thut, through him, sho com nmnded It. Sho was u supremely us surcd and entirely confident young lady, yet with tho man by her sldo sho experienced a passing senso of uncus! ness, such ns ono might coucclvo tho butterfly would feel in tho presence of iu stcum hammer. Thoy wcro ub awkward and con strained when left to themselves us If ono had not been all over tho world on man's jobs for a decade and tho nicest girls of tho land for half ns many years. And with thoughts burn ing, passionate, nnd words embarrass ingly torrential nt hand to give them utteranre, they only spoke common places I "How Is tho bridgo getting along?" asked the girl, repenting her futher's words of a few minutes before, ns theso two fell behind tho others march ing down the long platform, whllo tho maid standing by the prlvnto car with tho porter looked curiously after tho moving group and wondered If that grny-grccn, long-legged young man was tho reason for tho New York gownl "It's doing splendidly," was tho an swer, and even with his heart full of tho girl by his side whom ho longed to clasp In his arms but did not even dnro touch the hem of her garment, somo littlo enthusiasm enmo into ids voice. "It is tho grcutcst bridge that wus over erected," ho suld. "How you love it," suld tho girl. Did Meudo lovo tho bridge? Ah, thcro could be no doubt ns to thut. Ho had studied Its growth hour by hour. As the great steel web rose, his I get so tired of black nnd while," sho went on quickly to prevent him from tuklng advantage of her Incautious ad mission. "Hang tho clothes," suld tho man, radiant once more In that admission, "since you will allow it, I will come with what I can rako up. But you'll have to tell me which fork to use. I have almost forgotten out hero In tho wilderness." "It Isn't six months slnco you wcro at our house." t "Six months I It's n thousand years," ho went on, "und I'm going to tnko you out on the bridge after dinner. It's great nt any time. It's tho most mng nlllcent sight on earth oven now, but In the moonlight thcro It is now," lie pointed ns tho littlo group walked past the station which hnd hid the view and the grcnt structure suddenly was reveulcd to them. ' Tho four men ahead hnd stopped und stood silent. There wus something nwe-lnsplring nnd tremendous about tho great black, outreachlng, fur- cxtcndlng arms of steel. Tho first sight of It always gavo tho beholder u littlo shock. It wns so huge, so massive, so grandly majestic, and withal so ulry, seen ugalnst tho impressive background of deep gorge and palisaded wall und far-off mountains. So ether-borne wus it in its perfect proportion thut even dull nnd stupid people and none of theso wero thut felt Its overpowering presence. Mcudo and tho girl stopped too. After ono glance nt tho bridge, sho looked nt him. And that was typ ical. For the first tlmo ho wns not nt tho moment nwnro of, or Immediately responsive to, her glnucc. And thut, too, wus typical. She noted this with n pang of Jenlousy. "You lovo tho bridge," she suld softly. Ho straightened up nnd threw his head back nnd looked at her. "I thought so," ho suld simply "un til todny, but now" ho stopped nguln. "But now?" sho nsked. "I hnvo Just learned what lovo renlly Is und tho lesson has not been tnught mo by a bridge," he unswered directly. Yet Bcrtrnin Meade, tho younger, did truly lovo tho bridge which ho had seen grow from tho placing of the first shoe tho great steel baso on top of tho pier which curries tho whole struc heart expanded with It. Ho took prldo I ttire to tho completion of the soaring In It oven moro when they began to cantilever reaching out to meet Its push tho suspended spun across tho companion on tho otlier side the grcnt river on tho outer end of tho completed International, which wus to bo the tlo cuntllovcr, toward Its fellow rising on that bound, with web of steel, two tho other side. Ho lingered about it when tho rest of tho workaday world care, constantly reporting tho prog ress to his father, every step taken under the superintendence of Abbott, a man of great practical ability as an erector, but of much less capacity as a scientific designer or olllco engineer. Mcnde had watched Its daily growth with tho closest attention. Like every otlier man in similar case, tho work had got Into ills blood. It had become u part of his life, no loved tho bridge ; yet moro ho loved Helen Illlngworth. fj7 11 He Lingered About It which wns concorncd with it hnd with drnwn to rest. Frequently lato In tho night ho hud arisen nnd hud left tho sheet-Iron shack ho occupied nenr tho work (for tho topography of tho land and tho course of tho rlvor had deter mined tho locution of tho bridgo far from any town), nnd in tho moonlight ho had gazed bewitched by tho great web of stcol, all Its mighty trucery dell- catoly silvered, faintly outlined, laco liko, lofty, lifted high Into tho heavens. Ho fell Into n littlo roverlo for a brief moment from which sho recalled him. "Well?" sho asked. "Yes, naturally," ho found himself saying In n conventional touo of voice, 'it means a great deal to me. My father" "Oh, your father," sho began indif ferently, although Bho know nnd liked tho great engineer. "It is his crowning work nnd ' "Your beginning." "It Is not in me, or In nny engineer, to begin whero my father left off," ho suld. "But this will count n grcut deal, becnuso through futher's kindness I hnd somo hand " "I bellevo you did It all," Interrupt cd tho girl. Ho broke Into sudden luughtcr, and his merriment had that boyish ring sho liked. Ho seemed to think that was n sufficient answer to thut Btute- mcnt, for ho went on quickly. "How long shall you stay?" And In splto of himself ho could not keep his anxiety out of his voice "I think father's going on to tho city Bometlmo tomorrow probably lu tho morning." Meade's faco fell. "So soon ns that?" "I will try to persuade hltu to stny longer. I'vo seen lots of bridges built hut never ono llko tho International and I should enjoy standing by and watching you work." "I don't do tho work. Abbott does thnt, and tho men, of course." "Your work Is tho work thnt mnkes possible and profitablo tho lubor of tho others," sho answered. "You plan, you lend, tho rest only follow. By tho wny, father told mo to ask you and Mi. Abbott to dine with us tonight in tho car." Mendo's mood changed Into posltlvo gloom, "I can't," ho said dejectedly. haven't nny clothes, neither has Ah bott. Wo left our dross suits behind us when we cnino Into tho wilderness to woik." "Oil," sho laughed. "What dlfferenco docs thnt muko? Como Just ns you arc, other hud not queened It utuong. tho It will bo u relief, I llko you that wny, CHAPTER II. The Witness for the Defense. Ono of the plcnsant evidences of the possession of riches Is in tho luxury of n private- car. Although Colonel Illlngworth was personally a man of simple tastes as becumo un old cam paigner, there wns no appointment thut wit could dcvlso or that money could buy which wns lacking to make his prlvnto cur cither moro comfortable or moro luxurious In Its napery, glass, chlnn und silver, tho dining tablo need ed not to npologlzo to any other any where. Tho colonel was most punc tilious in dressing his part nnd Mcnde others, and Abbott wero both scrubbed to "Mr. Curtiss," said Meade, turning within an Inch of their lives, but, to the chief engineer, "If it will ndd climbing nbout tho bridgo, their hunds anything to your peace of mind, I will were scratched, roughened, stained und assume my full share of responsibility biggest thing In the world. It's tho longest cnntllever, tho greutest spun, tho henvlcst trusses, tho " "I've heard all about it," interrupted tho girl, waving him Into silence, "ever since you began It. Sometimes I think It's beginning to obsess me, too." "You don't look like it," whispered Meade, under cover of tho general luugh thut greeted her rcmnrk. "What do I look llko?" she whis pered bnck quickly, In return. But Meudo hnd no opportunity to tell her. "It Is not exnetly n subject for din ner conversation," said tho colonel with sudden gravity, "but all of us here, oven you, my denr, must rcullzo how much that bridgo means to us. I won't go so fur as to say that Its failure would ruin us, but It would bo hard for us to survive." "Have you ever known unythlng thnt my fnthcr designed to full?" usked Mcnde somewhat hotly. "No, nnd that Is why we took his plans In spite of " "In splto of whnt, sir?" "In splto of Curtiss hero and sonic" said the girl, standing by the door. "I want to see It when tho workmen nro nil off und It Is all quiet, In tho moonlight." "Very well. You hnd hotter chungo your dress, Helen, beforo you go," suld tho colonel, turning to Abbott nnd en gaging him In conversation on techni cal mutters. "I'll wait for you at the front door of tho car," said the engineer, his heart beating llko n pneumatic riveter and sounding utmost as loud lu his cars. "I won't bo long," she whispered aa she left him. Helen did not want to waste tlmo nny moro than Monde did. So, Instead of tnklng her fnthcr's ndvlce, all sho did was to cover her beautiful shoul ders with n light wrap and hasten to the enr door in the shortest possibla time. Every moment they were npart, slnco the sum-total In which thoy could be together wns so small, was u mo ment lost. 'Now," she snld, coming out of tho door of the car and descending tho steps toward him, cugerly expectant, I want a prize for my swiftness." A prize 1" returned the man, "why, ou'vo been gone years, nnu you hnven't even changed your gown. You great countries which lay breast to breast; already in touch save for tho mighty river that flowed between them. By no means would Mende, tho ouugcr, huvo been charged wltli tho great responsibilities of the bridgo had It not been for his exhaustive prepara tion nnd wldo experience. To n thor ough technical training at Uarvurd, in tho Lawrcnco Scientific school, had been added a substantial record of achievement. A fine bridgo which ho hnd erected In faraway Burma, trlum phantly nchlevlng tho design despite all sorts of difficulties, hud uttructcd tho nttentlon of old Colonel Illlng worth, tho president of tho Murtlet Bridgo company Ho had kept tho young mun under his eyo for n long tlmo. When ho com missioned lits fnthcr, Bertram Meade, Sr., to prcparo tho plans for tho grent International, tho most-sought-for and famous of bridges, ho had noted with satisfaction that tho older man, who stood first nmong bridge engineers on tho continent, hud associated with him self his son. Meade, Jr., had recently returned from South Anierlcn, where ho hud again shown his mettle. Tho two worked together In tho prepurntlon of tho designs for whut wns to bo tho crown nnd triumph of tho older man's life, tho most stupendous of nil the cuntllovcr bridges in tho world. Tho great engineer had n high Idea of his only son's ability. Ho was will- lug to proclaim It, to maintain it, nnd defend It against all comers except himself. When tho two wills clushcd, bo recognized but one wny, his own. Tho rotations between tho two wero lovely but not Ideal. Thcro wns lead ership not partnership, direction rather than co-operation. Tho knowledge nnd experience of tho boy for so ho loved to cull him whero of courso nothing compared to thoso of ills father. When, lu discussing moot points, tho younger man hnd been unconvinced by tho cal culations of tho elder, ho hnd been laughed to scorn in n good-natured way. His carefully set forth objec tions, even in serious matters, hud been overborne generally, and by trium phant calculations of his own tho fa ther had re-enforced himself In his con clusions; und the moro strongly be causo of tho opposition. Young Mendo's position was rather anomalous. Ho hud no direct super vision of tho construction. Ho was thcro ns resident engineer representing his father. Ho had welcomed the posi tion becnuso it gavo him nu opportu nity to seo from tho very beginning tho erection of whnt wns to bo tho great est cuntllovcr bridgo tho feet of tho world hnd over trod upon, tho wheels of tho world hnd ever rolled across. Ho hud followed with tho utmost torn. Aside from thut, Meade wns cer- tnlnly most presentable, nnd old Ab bott, In splto of his Indifference to such matters, looked tho able and pow erful mun he wns. The conversation at dinner wns at first light and frivolous. "I'm lost," begnn Abbott, "overpow ered with nil this silver nnd glass and chlnu." "Yes," lnughcd Mende, "wo should huvo brought along our granite ware and tlncups, then wo would bo free from tho dreadful fear thut we ure go ing to drop something or brenk something." "You can brenk nnythlng you like," said the colonel with heavy pleasan try, "so long as tho bridgo stnnds." "And thnt is going to be forever, isn't It, Mr. Mcnde?" nsked nelen quickly. "I don't think nnythlng built by man will survive quite thnt long," ho an swered ns much to her fnthcr and tho others ns to her, "but this gives every promise of lasting Its time." "Yon know," observed Curtiss, "there wns some question in ray mind nbout these big compression members. When I first studied your futher's drawings, I wondered if he hnd made tho luclug strong enough to hold the webs." "Thnt matter was very thoroughly gone Into," snld Meade quickly. "It was tho very point which I myself h nd questioned, but futhcr is absolutely confident thnt wo provided lnttlclng enough to tnke up nil tho stresses. I looked Into that matter myself," ho went on with much cmphnsls. "I guess It's nil right," said Curtiss lightly. "I examined the webs nnd lac ings carefully this afternoon. They seem to be as right ns possible." "Those trusses," said Abbott emphat ically, "will stand forever. You need not worry about that." "Are you going to finish his Job on time?" nsked Severence, tho vlco presi dent. "You know the financial end of it is mine, und much depends upon tho dnto of completion." "That depends upon you people nt tho shop, doctor. If you get tho stuff it Had Been a Part of His Life. hero to me I'll get It in place in short order," answered Abbott. "Wo aren't worrying about anything with you nnd Meado on tho Job, Ab bott," snld the colonel genially. "Yes, you are, father," said tho girt. "Ever Blnco the International lias been started you have scarcely been nblo to glvo n thought even to me. I'm tired of It. I hopo tho old thing will soon bo finished, so that wo can nil go bnck to norinul llfo nguln." "I hopo so, too," assented the colonel, "and I guess you nro right. Tho fact is tho bridge Is an obsession with us nil. It Is tho biggest Job the Martlet has over handled. Indeed, it is Ute nnd" for the nintter. You know the books by Schmldt-Chemnftz, the great Ger man bridge engineer?" Curtiss nodded. , "At first I thnt is, we thought that there might possibly be weakness in those compression members, but I checked them with the methods he ad vocates and then submitted the figures to my fnthcr, and then ho went through tho whole calculation nnd nppllcd co efficients ho felt to be snfe." "I'm willing to tnke your father's Judgment in the matter rather thuu Schmidt-Chemnitz', or nnybody's," said Curtiss, "so successful has been his ca reer." "Now thnt I have seen the members in plnco I have no doubt that they will stand," said the colonel "Suro they will," added Abbott with supreme and contagious confidence, nn nssurnnce which helped even Meade to believe. "Of course we nil know," safd Doc tor Severence, who hnd been long enough in touch with engineering to lenrn much nbout it, "that there Is ul wnys more or less of experimenting in the design of n now thing like this." "xcs, said the colonel, "but we don't want our experiment to full In this Instnnce." "They won't," said the young man boldly Ho had long since persuaded himself that ho hud been nil wrong und his father nil right, so that he entcrcdS upon his defense nnd the defense of the bridge with enthusiasm. He was rendy to brenk n lnnco with nnybody on Its behalf, "Well," began the colonel, "we hnve every confidence In your father and In you. I don't mind telling you, Meade, It need not go nny further, that when tills bridge Is completed we shall bo prepnrcd to muko you pcrsonnlly n very ndvnntugeous offer for futuro re lations with the Murtlet company if you enre to accept It. On the strength of your probable acceptance we nro al ready planning to venture Into certuin foreign fields which we hnvo hitherto not felt It to our Interest to enter." "That Is most kind of you, Colonel Blingworth," snld tho young mnn grate fully, "nnd it nppenls to mo very strongly. I hnve been associated with father latterly. Ho wnnts to rotlro with the completion of this bridge, nnd beforo I open nny office of my own I should like the ndvuntngo of further experience. Such n connection as you propose seems to me to bo Ideal, from i y point of view. No mnn could hnvo any better bucking thnn the Martlet Bridge company." "Well, we shnll look to you to bo worthy of It," said the colonel kindly, nis glance vaguely comprehended his daughter ns he spoke. Colonel Illlngworth was a very rich man. Tho Mnrtlet Bridge company wns neurcst his heart, but ho hnd many other In tercsts, Ills only dnughter would event ually bo the mistress of n grent for tune. Mende was not poor. Of course, his means wcro limited compared to Colonel Illlngworth's great fortune, but what he had earned, saved, and Invest ed wns sulllclent yes, even for two, And ho would Inherit much more. Old Meade had not been tho greatest engl ncer of his generation for nothing. In dependent and self-respecting, young Mende could not bo considered n for tune hunter by nnybody. He wns tho kind of man to whom n decent father likes to Intrust his daughter. Old Colonel Illlngworth found himself gaz ing wonderingly nt tho two, After dinner the men snt out on tho observation platform with their cigars und coffee. For thoso thnt liked It thcro wns something In tnll glnsses in which lee tinkled when tho glnsses were agitated, but Meado declined nil three. "With your permission, sir," ho said, "I am going to take Miss Illlngworth out n the bridge. The moon is rising They Saw Her Round, Red, Full Face. can't go out on a bridgo In that gown and thoso slippers, trumping over dirty trucks, piles of steel, rough wooden planks, paint nnd " "Can't I?" she said; "you just seo." "I hate to see you spoil your dress," ho said uncertainly ns she stopped. Itcnlly what gown on earth was worth half an hour of her society? At leust that Is the way ho felt abont It and evidently she felt the samo way. "It is settled, then," sho said, slip ping her arm through his as they walked down the long wooden plat form neur the siding. At the end of tho plutform, ns they turned nbout tho temporary station nnd storehouse, be foro them rose the bridge. Tho moon wns rising over tho high hills that sprang up from the steep clifflike bank of the other side of the vnst river. They saw her round, red, full faco through an Interlacing tracery of steel Tho lower part of the bridgo was still in deep shadow. Indeed, tho moon had just cleared the hills of the opposlto bonk of the great gorge cut by tho brond river flowing swiftly in Its dark ness far below. At the fnrther end of the suspended urm extending fur over the wuter tho top of tho traveler glis tened. Tho cnntllever on the opposite shore, Incomplete und sunk under n high rise of snnd, wns still in shadow nnd not yet discernible. Unwittingly the woman drew a littlo near the mnn. He beenme moro con scious thnn before of the light touch of her Jinnd upon his arm. It wns very still whero they stood. Tho shucks of tho workmen hud been erected be low the bridgo nbout n quarter of n mile to tho right nlong tho banks of the littlo nlllucnt of the main stream. They could hear fnlut but Indistin guishable noises that yet Indicated hu manity coming from thnt direction. The fires In the mnchlno house und in tho engines wero bnnked. Lazy curls of smoko rose to be blown away in tho limitless areas of tho upper air. In tho darkness all tho unsightly evidences of construction work were hidden. "Oh," said tho woman, drawing a long brenth, "I don't wonder that you lovo It. Isn't It beautiful, flung up in tho nlr that wny? Ono would think It wasn't steel but silver nnd gold und" "Time was," said the man, "when I loved n thing llko that nbovo every thing except my'luthcr, but now" Young Meade comes out of his dream with a terrific bump the real story begins with the next Installment Tell your friends to read "Web of Steel," the best serial of the year. I (TO BE CONTINUED.) ft I