THE 8EMI.WEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
WEB OF STEEL
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY father and son
YOUNG MEADE MAKES A DISCOVERY WHICH TERRIFIES
HIM AND HE TRIES TO SAVE MANY LIVES
Tho Martlet Construction compnny Is putting up n grcnt Inter
national brldgo planned by Hertram Monde, Sr., u fnmoUH engineer.
IIIh bou, Bertram Mcndo, Jr., resident engineer nt tho bridge, Is lu
lovo with Helen Illlngworth, daughter of Colonel llllngworth, pres
ident of tho construction company, and they will murry ns 8oon ns the
brldgo Is complete. Tho young engineer questioned his father's Judg
ment on tho strength of certain Important girders, but was laughed
at. Ills doubts arc verified, however, nnd ho makes desperato efforts
to stop construction, fearing greut loss of life.
CHAPTER IV Continued.
But Meade was out of tho house. It
was summer nnd tho sun had set, but
tho long twilight of tho high latltudo
still lingered. Bcforo him rose tho gi
gantic structure of tho bridge. For nil
Its airiness It looked ns substantial ns
the Itock of Glbrultnr, and it looked
even more substantial If possible, ns
the man, seizing a lantern and, for
getting his weakness, ran down be
neath tho overarching steel to tho pier
head, climbed up to tho shoe, and
crawled out on the lower chord ns rap
idly ns ho could.
Mcndo needed but ono glanco to sco
tho deflection from tho right line in
tho Important member. For all his
fears of lncxperlenco ho was u better
trained engineer thnn rough-and-rendy
Abbott What appeared to tho latter
as a slight deflection, Mcndo saw In Its
true relation. Thcro was a variation
la tho center of tho member of nn
Inch and a half nt least, although tin
tlceablo to an untrained oyc. It had
all como In tho last week. They had
extended tho suspended span far out
beyond tho edgo of tho cantilever and,
with tho heavy traveler at tho end,
the downward pressure on tho great
lower chord members had greatly In
creased. It was a terribly heavy brldgo nt
best. It had to bo to sustain so long a
span, tho longest In tho world. And
the load, continuous and Increasing,
had brought about tills, to tho layman
trifling, to tho engineer mighty, bond. If
It bent that way under that much of a
toad, what would It do when the wholn
great span was completed and It hnd
to carry Its transitory loads of traffic
besldo?
When two different views moot It is
aaturnl that ago, experience, reputa
tion and authority shall carry tho day.
Although Bertram Meade, Jr., had
never been porsuaded in all particu
lars of tho soundness of his father's
design, and could not bo persuaded,
that vast cxperlcnco, that great repu
tation, that undoubted ability with Its
long record of brilliant achievement
had nt last silenced him. Ho had ac
cepted through loyalty that which ho
could not accept In argument. Onco
accepted, ho acted accordingly, heart
ily seconding nnd carrying out tho
Wishes of tho older nnd, us tho world
would say, tho abler man.
The thing that smoto tho engineer
hardest was that this weakness was
eaactly what ho hud foreseen and
n4ntcd out. It was tho possibility of
Ike inability of this grcnt member to
carry tho stress that young Mcndo hud
deduced by using tho formula of
Bchmldt-Chcmnltz. It was tills point,
Bftd this point particularly, that ho
had dwelt upon with his father and
which they hnd argued to n finish. So
strongly hnd ho been impressed with
the posstblo structural weakness of
this member that ho had put himself
8& record In writing to his father. Tho
bid man had overborno him nnd now
the llttlo curve, ono nnd a halt to ono
and three-quarter Inches in sixty feet,
established tho accuracy of his un
heeded contention. Vainly now ho
wished ho had not let tho old habit of
affection nnd tho llttlo touch of nwo
with which ho regarded his father per
Buado him against his reason.
, He stopped, feeling suddenly 111, as
ivtx? nervous high-strung man may
reel under tho sudden and unexpected
physical shock. IIo was weak still
from tho tonsllltls. IIo leuned against
the dlagonul nt tho end of O-lO-ll,
clinging to It tightly to keep from fall
Inc. Abbott, who bad followed nioro
slowly, stoppod by him, somewhat sur
prised, somewhat amused, moro Indig
nant than both.
"Abbott," said Meado fiercely as tho
erecting engineer joined him on tho
gderhend, "if you put another pound of
lead on that cantllovcr I will not bo
aaswcrublo for tho consequences."
' "What do you mean?"
"That deflection Is nearly two Inches
deep now nnd every ounco or pouud of
added weight you put upon it will nmko
It greater. Its limit will bo reached
Mighty soon. If It collapses " ho
tfcrew up his hands "tho wholo thing
(will go."
"Yes, if It collapses, that's true,"
feald Abbott, "but It won't."
"Tou'ro mad," ;sald Meade, taking
Unfortunately the wrong courso with
jtfce older man.
"Why, boy," said Abbott, "that brldgo
Mil stand ns long an creation. Look
kt It That bucklo doesn't amount to
tartfclng. It 1 only la ono truss any'
Copyright by Flemln
way. Tho corresponding member In
tho other truss Is perfectly straight."
"Abbott, for God's sake, hear me,"
pleaded Meado In desperation. "Druw
back tho traveler nnd put no moro men
on tho bridge. Stop work until wo can
get word to "
"Don't tulk to me, boy. I know my
business. I tell you I can Jack It back.
That member's big enough nnd strong
enough to hold up tho world."
"What aro you going to Jack
against?" Meado aBked, and for tho
first timo a llttlo of Abbott's contempt
appeared in tho younger man's voice.
Abbott reflected thut thero was noth
ing firm cnough'to servo as a support
for Jacks nnd said rather grudgingly,
for It seemed llko a concession to tho
younger nnd Junior engineer:
"Well, I can hook on to tho opposite
truss nnd pull it back with turn
buckles."
"That will damage the other truss
too much, Abbott," Meado retorted
promptly. "It isn't possible."
"Then I'll think up somo other
scheme," returned Abbott Indifferently,
as If humoring tho other. "Wo can't
wait, wo'vo got to hurry It along.
Ho Stopped, Feeling Suddenly III.
Thoro's going to bo no pennlty against
us on account of mo. I won't stop work
a minute," ho explained patronizingly.
"Thero will bo a bigger penalty If
you don't do what I say, aud paid In
another way, In blood. And It will bo
your fault"
Now both men wero nngry nnd In
their passion they confronted each
other moro rcsoluto and flcrco than
over.
"Look hero," said Abbott, his fiery
temper suddenly brcnklng from his
control, "who nro you nnywny? You'ro
only a kid engineer. Your father up
proved of tho plan of this brldgo. I
guess wo can nfford to bank on his
reputation rather than yours,"
"Well, ho doesn't know of this."
"Nobody is on Urn brldgo now, and
nobody Is going to bo on thcro until
tomorrow morning, wiro mm if you
llko. Ho'U wlro BUngworth down at
Martlet and wo'll got word what to
do."
"You won't put any men at work on
tho brldgo until"
"Not until tomorrow morning," Bald
Abbott decisively, "If I don't hear from
somebody nt Martlet tomorrow morn'
lug tho work goes on."
"But If my father wires you "
"I tako orders from tho Martlet com
pany and no ono else," was tho short
answer with which Abbott turned away
In finality, so thut tho other realized
tho interview was over.
Meado wasted no moro pleas on Ab
bott As HI luck would havo It some
thing had happened to tho telephone
nnd telegraph wires between tho city
and tho camp. Meado dressed himself,
got a handcar, and was hurried to the
nearest town on tho railroad's main
lino. From thcro ho sent a telegram
and tried to get connection with Now
York by telephone, but failed. Moved
by a natural Impulse, In default of
other means of communication, ho
Jumped on tho midnight train for New
York, no would go himself In person
and attend to tho gravo uffnlr. Noth
tng whatever could bo so Important
Thcro had been somo friction be
tween Abbott and Mcndo beforo on oc
casions, not serious, but several times
Moado had ventured to suggest some-
II. Revel! Co.
thing which to Abbott seemed useless
nnd unnecessary, and the fact that
subsequent events had moro often than
not proved Mende's suggestions to be
worth while, had not put Abbott In nl
together the best mood toward his
young colleague. Abbott never forgot
that Meado hud really no olllclal con
nection with the building of tho bridge,
nnd that ho was only there ns a special
representative of his father, and al
though ho could not help liking tho
younger mnn, Abbott would hnvo been
better pleased If ho had been left
alone.
Meade had not gone about It In tho
right way to move a man of Abbott's
temperament. Ho realized that as ho
lay awako on tho sleeper speeding to
New York. Abbott wa3 a man who
could not bo driven. IIo was a tre
mendous driver himself and naturally
ho could not tnko his own medicine. If
Meado had received the announcement
moro quietly nnd If ho had by somo
subtle suggestion put tho Idea of dan
gor into Abbott's mind all would have
been well, for when ho was not blind
ed by prejudice, or his authority or his
ability questioned, Abbott was n sen-
slblo man thoroughly to bo depended
upon. But the news had como to Meade
with such suddenness, Abbott hnd only
casually mentioned It at tho closo of n
lengthy conversation regarding tho
progress of the work us If It were n
matter of no special moment, that tho
sudden shock had thrown Meado off
his balanco.
Thercforo ho could sco nothing but
danger and tho necessity for action.
How ho should handlo his superior, or
ruthcr tho brldgo's superior, was tho
last thing in his mind. Asldo from his
natural pride in his father nnd In tho
brldgo and his fear that lives would bo
lost If It failed, unless ho could get
tho men withdrawn, thero was tho
complication of his engagement to
Helen Bllngworth.
Mcndo could not closo his eyes, ho
could not sleep a moment on tho train.
Ills mind was in a turmoil. Prayers
that ho would get to his father and tho
brldgo people In timo to stop work and
prevent loss of life, schemes for taking
up tho deflection, strengthening tho
member, nnd completing tho bridge,
nnd fears that ho would loso tho wom
an, stayed with him through tho night
CHAPTER V.
The Death Message.
Mende, Sr., was nn old mnn. Al
though unllko Moses his cyo was dim
and his natural forco abated, the evi
dences of power wero still apparent,
especially to tho observant. Thero roso
tho broad brow of tho thinker. His
power of lntcnso concentration was ex
pressed outwardly by a directness of
gazo from tho old eyes which, though
faded, could flash on occasion. Other
facial characteristics of that snow
crowned, lconlno head, which bespoko
that Imaginative power without which
a great engineer could not bo In splto
of all his scientific exactitudes, had not
been cut out of his countcnanco by tho
pruning knlfo of time.
Ho was a great engineer nnd looked
It, sitting alone In his office with tho
telegram crushed In his trembling
hand, dcsplto tho fact that his gray
faco was tho very plcturo of unwonted
wenkness, of impotency, nnd abiding
horror. Tho message had struck him a
torrlflc blow. Ho had reeled under It
and had sunk down In tho chair In a
stnto of nervous collapse.
Tho telegram fairly burned tho
clammy palm of his hand. Ho would
fain hnvo dropped It yet ho could not.
Slowly ho opened It onco more. Ordi
narily, powerful glasses stimulated his
vision. IIo needed nothing to read it
again. It Is doubtful whether his eyes
saw It or not and thcro was not ueed,
for tho mcssago was burned Into his
brain.
Ho read again tho mysterious words :
One and three-auartor-lnch camber in
C-10-U.
Thero could bo no mistake Tho
name that was signed to it was tho
nnmo of his son, tho young engineer,
tho child of his father's old ago. Tho
boy, as tho old man thought of him,
had ventured to dispute his father's
figures, to question his father's design,
but tho elder mnn had overborno him
with his vast experience, his great au
thorlty, his extensive learning, his high
reputation. And now tho boy was right.
Stranga to say somo llttlo thrill of
prldo enmo to tho old engineer at that
moment.
Ho tiled to find out from tho tele
gram when It had been sent. That dny
was n holiday tho birthday of one of
tho worthies of tho republic in somo
of tho United States, Now York and
Pennsylvania among them, nnd only by
chance had ho como down to tho ofllco
that morning. Tho wlro was dated the
night before. And ho recalled that tho
stato from which tho brldgo ran did
not observo that day ns a holiday.
They would bo working on tho Interna'
tlonal as usual unless
Ono and threo-qunrter Inches of de
flection I No brldgo that was over mado
cculd stand with a bend llko that lu
the principal member of Its comprcs
Blon chord, much less so vast a struc
ture as that which was to spau the
greatest of rivers and to bring nntlon
Into touch with nntlon. He ought to
do something, but whnt was there to
do? Presently, doubtless, his mind
would clear. But on tho Instant nil he
could think of was tho Impending ruin.
Tho Uplift building, In which he hnd
his offices, was mainly deserted on nc
count of the holiday. Tho banks wero
closed and the offices nnd most of tho
shops nnd stores. It was very still In
tho hall and, therefore, ho heard dis
tinctly tho door of tho single elevator
in service open with un unusunl crash,
then tho sound of rnpld footsteps along
tho corridor ns of someone running.
They stopped beforo tho outer door of
the sulto which boro his name. In
stantly he suspected a messenger of
disaster. Tho door was opened, tho of
fice was crossed, a hand wns on tho
Inner door. Ho sank buck almost as
one dead waiting tho shock, the blow.
"Father," exclaimed tho newcomer.
"You got my telegram?"
The other silently exhibited tho
crumpled paper In his hand.
"What hnve you done?"
"It's a holiday, don't you know? I
only got It a few moments ago. Tho
bridge?"
"Still stands."
"But for how long?"
"I can't say. The Mnrtlct's resident
engineer Is mad. I begged, threatened,
Implored. I tried to get him to stop
work, to take the men off tho bridge,
to withdraw the traveler, but ho won't
do It Said you designed It you knew.
I wns only n cub."
"But the camber?"
"He said, Til Jack it Into line ngaln.'
Llko every other engineer who sees a
big thing before him It looks to him as
If It would last forever. I tried to get
you on tho telephono hero and at tho
house last night and failed. I wired
you. Then I Jumped on the midnight
express and "
"Whnt Is to be done?" asked the old
man.
Meade, Sr., was thankful that the
younger man had not snld, "I told you
so," as well ho might. But really his
father's condition was so pitiful that
tho son hnd not tho heart.
"Telegraph tho Martlet Bridge com
pany at onco," ho nnswered.
"Whnt shall wo suy?" asked tho old
man, uncertainly.
Tho young man Bhot a quick look at
him, that question evidenced tho vio
lence of tho shock. His father was
old, broken, helpless, dependent, at
last. . . .
"Glvo mo tho blank," he answered,
"I'll wire In your name,"
no repented tho telegram that ho
had sent to his father and added theso
words as he signed tho old man's
name to It:
Put no moro load on tho brldtre. With
draw men and traveler.
T can't understand why wo don't
hear," said the young engineer two
hours later, walking up und down the
room In his agitation. "Two telegrams
and now wo can't get a telephono con
nection, or nt least any answer after
our repented calls."
"It's a holiday thero as well as hero,"
said the older man. "Thera Is no ono
In tho office at Martlet."
"I'll try tho telephone again. Some-
ono mny como In at any time."
Ho sat down nt tho desk, and after
flvo minutes of feverish and excited
waiting he finally did get tho ofllco of
tho Martlet Brldgo company. By a
hnppy fortune It uppeured that some
one happened to come Into tho ofllco
ust at that moment
"xnis is Menue," ncgan tho young
mnn, "tho consulting engineer of tho
International bridge. Well, at ten
All He Could Think of Was the Im
pending Ruin.
thirty this morning I sent n telegram
to Colonel Illlngworth and nn hou
later I sent another. What's that?
Both telegrams aro on tho desk? Glvo
mo your name Johnson you'ro ono
of tho clerks thero? Well, telephone
Colonel Illlngworth nt his horn
whnt! no Isn't at homo? Is tho vice
president there tho superintendent
anybody? How far away are they?
Twenty miles I There's no telephono?
Now, listen, Johnson, this Is what you
must do. Get u car, tho strongest nnd
fastest you can rent und tho boldest
chauffeur, and n couple of men on
horses too, nnd send up to thut plnco
wherever they nre, nnd tell Colonel
Illlngworth thnt ho must telephono mo
nnd como to his office nt onco. Thero
nre telegrams thero thut mean Ufo or
death and the safety of tho brldgo.
You understand? Good. Ho says he'll
do It, father. We've dono all wo
can," ho ndded. Ho hung up tho re
ceiver, sprang to his feet, looked nt
his watch. "It's so Important thnt I'll
go down thcro myself. I can catch tho
two o'clock train, and that will get mo
thcro In two hours. You stay quietly
hero in tho ofllco and wait until I get
In touch with those people. I mean, I
want to know whero I can reach you
Instnntly."
"I'll stay right here, my boy. Go,
and God bless you."
As usual when In u great hurry
thero wero unexpected delnys and the
clock on tho tower nbovo tho big struc
tural shop was striking flvo when a
rickety stutlon wngon, drawn by nn ex
hausted horse, which had been driven
unsparingly, drew up beforo the office
door. Flinging tho money at tho driver,
Meado sprang down from his seat and
dashed up the steps. Ho threw open
the door nnd confronted Johnson.
"Did you get him?" ho cried.
"Ho Isn't hero yet. I sent an auto
mobile and two men on horseback
and"
Tho next minute the faint note of
nn automobile horn sounded far down
the valley.
"I hope to God that Is he," cried tho
young engineer, running to the win
dow.
That's the car I sent," said John
son, peering over his shoulder. "And
there nro people In It. It's coming this
wny."
"Johnson," said Meado, "you havo
ncted well In this crisis and I will see
that tho Bridge company remembers
It"
"Would you mind telling me whut
tho matter Is, Mr. Meade?" .
"Matter I The International "
"Bert," exclaimed a Joyous voice, ns
Helen Illlngworth, smiling in delighted
surprise, stepped through tho open
door nnd stood expectant with out
stretched hands.
Young Johnson wns as discreet as ho
was prompt and ready. Ho walked to
the window out of which ho stared,
with his back ostentatiously turned to
ward them. After a quick glance nt
the other man, Meado swept tho girl
to his heart and held her there a mo
ment. He did not kiss her beforo ho
rclcnsed her. Tho woman's passionate
look at him was caress enough and his
own ndorlng glunce fairly enveloped
her with emotion. Johnson coughed
nnd turned as the two separated. It
wns tho woman who recovered her
poise quicker.
"What were you saying nbout our
brldco when I cumo Into the room?"
she begun, and Meade fully understood
the slight but unmistakable empbusls
In the pronoun our bridge, Indeed "I
wns lying down this ufternoon, but
when I uwnkened my muld told me
nbout your urgent calls for father,"
she ran on, renllzlng that some trouble
portended und seeking to help her
lover by giving him time. "I knew
something must be wrong, so I cumo
hero. I didn't expect to sco you. Oh,
whut is it?" sho broke off, suddenly
renllzlng from the mentnl strain in her
lover's face, which tho sudden sight of
her hud caused him to conceal for a
moment thut something terribly seri
ous had happened, nnd she turned a
little pale herself as sho asked the
question, not drenmlng whut tho nn
swer would bo.
"Helen," said tho young man, step
ping toward her and taking her hands
again, "we're in awful trouble."
"If It Is any trouble I can share,
Bert," said the girl, flashing at him n
look which set his pulses bounding at
least sho wns to be depended on
"you know you can count on me."
"I know I enn," ho exclaimed grate
fully.
Now tell me."
The International bridge la about to
fall."
Tho color camo to her face agnln.
Wus that all? cumo Into her mind
That was serious enough, of coarse,
but It would not matter In tho long
run. Helen realized the nwful gravity.
tho terrible seriousness, of tho sltua
tion of course. The bridge meant much
to her even If in quite n different way.
It was there ho had saved her from the
awful fall. It was thcro that ho had
told her that ho loved her. The bridge
might fall, but It was as eternal as her
affection in her memory. Their en
gagement, or their marriage, had boen
mado dependent upon tho successful
completion of tho brldgo. What of
that? The proviso meant nothing to
her when sho looked nt tho white-faced
agonized man to whom sho had given
herself.
"It Is terrible, of course," she said
quietly. "But you can do nothing?"
"If I could, do you thluk I'd let tho
bridge, nnd you, go without "
"I'm not going with tho bridge," wns
her quick and decisive interruption.
They hnd both forgotten tho pros
enco of young Johnson, who wus not
only decidedly uncomfortable, but des
perately anxious. Ho was about to
speak when, Into this already broken
scene, came another interruption.
Thcro wnB a rush of wheels on tho
driveway outside, tho roar of a motor,
Before Meado could answer the state
ment Into tho room burst Colonel n
llngworth. Ho wob covered with dust,
his face was whlto, his eyes filled with
anxiety. Tho character of tho sum
mons hnd disquieted him beyond mens
ure. Back of him camo Severance, the
tico president, and Cuitlss, the thief
engineer.
"Meado, whnt of tho bridge?' ha
burst out, with a quick nod to his
daughter. Colonel Illlngworth had not
stopped to hunt for a wayside tele
phone. Tho automobile driven madly,
recklessly through the hills and over
tho rough roads, hud brought him di
rectly to tho ofllco In tho shortest pos
sible time.
'Thcro is n deflection ono Inch nnd
three-quarters deep in ono of tho com
pression members, O10-B," wns tho
prompt nnd terrible answer.
Colonel Illlngworth had not been
president of tho Martlet Brldgo com
pany for so long without learning some
thing of prnctlcul construction. Ho
wns easily enough of nn engineer to
rcnllze Instnntly what that statement
meant.
"When did you discover It?" ho
snapped out.
"Lnst night."
"Is; the brldgo gone?"
"Not yet"
"Why didn't you let us know?"
"I telegraphed father nnd, not hear
ing from him, I camo down on the mid-
Into the Room Burst Colonel llllngton.
night train. It Is a holiday in New York
as well ns here. I Just huppened to
meet fnthcr In the office. He sent a
telegram to you and not henrlng from
you, duplicated It nn hour Inter. I
tried half a dozen times to get you on
the telephone nnd finally, by a happy
chance, got hold of young Johnson."
"Whero aro your father's tele
grams?"
"Here."
Colonel BUngworth tore the first
open with trembling fingers.
"Why didn't you tell Abbott?" asked
the chief engineer.
"You know Abbott He' said tho
brldgo would stand until tho world
enved In. Said ho could Juck tho mem
ber Into line. He wouldn't do a thing
except on direct orders from here."
"Your father wires, "put no more
weight on tho bridge.' What shull wo
do?" Interposed Colonel Illlngworth.
"Telegraph Abbott nt once."
"If tho bridge goes it means ruin to
tho compnny," said the agitated vlco
president, who was tho financial mem
ber of the firm und who could easily be
pardoned for a natural exaggeration
under tho terrible "Irciimstunces.
"Yes, but If It goes with tho men on,
it meuns Johnson, are you a telegraph
operator?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tnke the key," snld tho colonel.
who, having been a soldier, thought
first of tho men.
Johnson sat down at tho tuble whero
tho direct wlro ran from the brldgo
company to tho telegraph office. Ho
reached his hand out and laid his
fingers on the key. Before ho could
glvo the fnlntcst pressure to tho Instru
ment, it suddenly clicked of its own
motion. Everybody In tho room stood
silent.
"It is a messago from Wllchlngs, tho
chief of construction foremnn of,"
Johnson paused a moment, listening to
tho rapid click "the International "
ho said in nn awestruck whisper.
It had come I
"Bead It, muni Bead It, for God's
sake I" cried tho chief engineer.
"Tho bridge Is In tho river," fultered
Johnson slowly, word by word, trans
lating tho fearful message on tho wire.
"Abbott and ono hundred nnd fifty men
with It"
What happens after the crash
Is told In the next Installment
What happens to the Meadea
and Illlngworths, and the vast
trouble stirred up, makes thrill
ing chapters.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Beware the Loaded Gun.
Tho man who returns from hunting
and sets his loaded gun in tho corner
or hangs it on the wall Is, in reality,
setting a death-trap. Yet It is surpris
ing how often this Is dono. Tho gun
wo "didn't know was loaded," is nn
old, old Btory, says Farmer's Guide.
You cannot bo too cautious. Tho
loaded gun you may keep on tho wall
to shoot crows with when they get in
tho corn Is Unblo to cause you moro
loss than u million crows can. It tukes
only a second to put a cartridge in a
gun when tho time Is at hand. It
takes no longer to tuko It out
Blossom Remains.
Bacon "Crlmsonbeuk says his wlfo
keeps his noso to tho grindstone." Eg
bert "Well, It doesn't Beem to wear
thQ red off of It"
