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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1917)
y CYRUS TOWNSEND BR Father and Son Here Is a Poweirf ul Story of Failurc amid Sacrifice and Le and Cowage and Success Coryright by Fleming H. Revell Co. OF STEEL THREE CRUSHING SORROWS BEAR DOWN UPON YOUNG BERTRAM MEADE DEATH, LOSS OF REPU TATION AND LOSS OF FRIENDS Bertram Meade, Sr., plans a great International bridge for tho Martlet Construction company. His son, Bertram Meade, Jr., resident engineer at tho bridge site, and Helen llllngworth, daughter of Colonel lllingworth, president of the Martlet concern, are engaged to marry as soon as the work Is finished. The young engineer had questioned his father's Judgment on certain calculations and was laughed at for his fears. The bridge collapses and 150 workmen die. This Installment describes a memorablo ecene in tho elder Meade's office. CHAPTER VII. Continued. II "I haven't lost any confidence, sir. We all make mistakes. I mado one, irou know, and you took mo up." "It's too late for anybody to take me up. Men can't make mistakes at my ago. No moro of that. Wo have Itlll ono thing to do, set tho boy right before tho world." "But if I wcro your son, sir, said Iho secretary, "rather than see you ruined I would tnko the blame on my self. Uo can live It down." "But he Is not to blame. On tho contrary, ho was right, and I was wrong. Here, Shurtllff, Is his own let ter. You know It; you saw him give It to me. You heard tho conversation, nd I havo written out a llttlo account explaining It. stating that I mado light rt Ids protests acknowledging that ho was right and I was wrong, taking t o whole blamo upon myself, no will bo tVlVl Mffi1."" 8"r0, 1 ,ntC,ld Kl to give It to him.1 "Oh, don't do that, Mr. Meade." Tho telcphono bell rang. "Tho bridge 1" clamored tho Insistent lell. Staggering almost Uko n drunken inun. Shurtllff left his placo by tho floor, reached his thin hand out nnd lifted up tho telephone, Its bell vlbrat ng, It Boomed, with angry, venomous . - . i voinncuw uuuut," wv i"" "It's n telegram," ho whispered. Yes, this Is Mr. Meade's prlvat rlvato sec- rotary. Go on," ho answered Into tho mouthpiece of tho telephone. Thoro was another moment of ghast ly sllcnco whllo ho took tho mcssugc, It was typical of ShurtllfTs character that In splto of tho horrlblo agitation that filled him, ho put tho Instrument flstrttn lnnfill An lln .liml ttwitlinil. I u vuiViu.v uu uiv u, .mu.u- eally hanging up tho receiver beforo ho turned to face tho other man Ho ipoko doprccatlngly. No woman could exceed tho tenderness ho managed to Infuse into his ordinarily dry, emotion less voice. "Tho brldgo Is In tho river, sir." "Of courso ; any more." "Abbott nnd ono hundred nnd fifty fcen with It" "Oh, my God 1" said tho old man. no staggered forward. Shurtllff taught him and helped him down Into It.- . I mu uik wiuir uuioro uio ueait. xue sows had boon discounted In his mind, pun ouihu iiiuu ui. uoiiu iiuu uugureu Ihcro. Now It was over. "Wo must wiro Martlet," ho gasped "Tho telegraph ofilco said tho mcs lago was addressed to you and Mart' Jet, so they havo got tho nows, Bin' "It won't bo too lato for tho Inst cdl lions of Uio evening papers, olthor," Wo Must Wlro Martlet," Ho Gasped Out ' Id tho old man. "Shurtllff, I was Ing to givo theso documents to tho y when ho got back, but I want them nppcar simultaneously with tho Vbws of tho fnlluro of tho bridge, wait" Ho adzed tho pen nnd signed ls nnmo to tho brief letter of excul- Puoa Tho writing in tho body of tho doc- iment was weak and feoblo, tho slgna- Nre strong and bold. Ho gathered Vta papors up loosely. "Here," ho said, "I want you to tako them to n nowspapor tho Gazette lhat Kill be certain to lssuo as cctra U t ' 'i for tho lout etftlon. want this letter of his with mine to Bo sldo by side with tho news. Thoro must not bo n moment of uncertainty about it." "Mr. Meade, for God's sake " "Don't stop to argue with mo now. Take a taxi and get there as quickly us you can. You aro carrying my honor, and my son's reputation, do." CHAPTER VIII. For the Father. Two and one-half hours later a group of anxious reporters, clustered at tho door of the Uplift building, wero galvanized Into lifo by tho arrival of n taxlcab. Out of it leaped Bertram Meade. Ho was recognized Instantly. ' , hu," "jj fZMtol questioning, ... . ... ' "Vin lrnnui Pkor, their hands met. This was n man of his own ngo named Itodney, who had been Meade's classmato at Cambridge, his devoted friend there nftor. Tnsfond nf nrflvn nrnftlnn lin had chosen to become a writer on scl- cntlfic subjects nnd was there as n representative of the Engineering Nmvs. Thorn worn Rvmnnfliv nnd nf. ... . . V : . . lcciinn in ins vninn nn mmc nnn in i t,(n Krugp Q Ma lmmJ nn.,,m . Mnnrtn ',.,, ,,;, " I rr ' i-ivviiiui, iuhuwuu uy uu inu uieu. "At tho houso they Bald ho was not there, and hero nt tho ofilco wo get no answer: i y Utol ,,,... "si.urttlfT L nniimi fn,hprr v ' I ..J ,cft hIln , t, fl, t , n t ,fl toto0 nwny JySI i K bccil waif- tlnrlmr nbnnt tlin Rtrnntq." Outsldo In tho street th6 newsboys wero shrieking: "Extryl Extryl All about tho col- lapso of tho International bridge. Two hundred engineers nnd workmen lost." Shurtllff had ono of tho papers in his hand. Mendo torn It from him. "Who Is Itesponslblo?" Btared at him In big red headlines. "flnnMomnn nnlil fnmln "T mn " ..-..w, . I answer, that ouostlon" ho held un tho ,)n,,er so Uint n ,nlht sootho fault tho hliuno is mine." "Wn'il hnvn in nnn vm. fnHmi. uort . BnA Itodnov. "Ho is In this building, wo know, nnd he'll never leavo it without run- ning tho gantlet of us all," cried un- other amid n chorus of upprovnl. M end 11 realized thnro vnn nn psonno. They all plied Into tho elevator with him and ShurtlliT. Tlioy followed him up tho corridor, no Btoppcd beforo tho door of the ofilco. "I forbid you to coma In," ho suld. "This Is my father's private" "Havo 110 fear, Bert," said Rodney firmly. "We don't Intond to break In. Wo understand how you feel. Wo will wnlt hero until you pay tho word, and then all wo shall want will bo a stuto- mont from your father." "Thank you. old man. Come. Shurt- llff," said Meado, turning his key In tho lock. Tho two men entered and carefully closed tho door behind thmn. Tho door was scarcely Bhut when Ilolen llllngworth loft tho elevator and camo rapidly up tho corridor. Sho had called at tho ofilco beforo and had no need to ask tho way. Tho reporters gathered around tho door moved to glvo hor passago whllo thoy stared at her with deep If respectful curiosity, "Pardon me. gentlemen." sho began, "but I am very anxious to seo tho younger Bertram Meade." "Ho has Just gone Into tho office," answered Itodney respectfully. Tho girl raised her bund to knock. "A moment, pleaso; perhaps you had better understand tho situation. Tho miernnuonui uruigo " Tho girl camo to n sudden dcterml- nation. Sho could not declnro herself too soon or too publicly. "My numo is llllngworth," sho sold, and as tho hats of tho surprised rcnort- ors camo off, Bbo continued, "I am tho daughtor of tho president of tho Mart- let Brldgo company, which was erect- ing tho international." "Yes, Miss llllngworth," answered Itodnoy, "and did you come hero to represent him?" I "I nm Mr. Bertram Mcado, Jr.'s, promised wife, and I am hero because It Is tho plnco whero I ought to be. When tho man I lovo Is In trouble, I must bo with him." She raised her hand ugain, but Itod ney was too quick for her. Ho knocked lightly on tho door, and then struck It heavily several times. The sound rang hollowly through tho corridor, as It always does when tho door of an empty room Is beaten upon. There was no answer for a moment. "Oh, I must get In," said tho wom an. Itodney knocked again, and this time the door was opened. Shurtllff stood In the way. He bad been white and shaken before, but now so anguished und shocked was his appearance that everybody stnred. Shurtllff moistened his lips and tried to spcalc. He could not utter n word, but ho did manage to point toward the private office. "Perhaps I would better go first," said Itodney, as tho secretary stepped back and gave them passage. Helen Bllngworlh followed, nnd then the rest. Young Meade was standing erect by his father's chair. The great bulk of tho old engineer was slouched down, his body bent over, ills head on tho desk, face downward. Ono great arm, his left, extended, shot straight across tho desk. Ills list wus clenched, his right arm hung limp by his side. Ho was still. Thcro was something unmistakably terrible In bis motionless aspect. They had no need to ask what had hap pened. A sharp exclamation from tho woman was tho only sound that brofco the silence, ns she stepped to her lov er's side. "You can't question my father now. gentlemen," said Mcado; "ho is dead." In tho outer office they heard Shurt llff brokenly calling tho doctor on tho telephone and asking him to notify tho police. "Did he " began one, hesitatingly. "Ho was too big a man to do himself nny "u"' 1 ,KnoV """werca Meade .Vuu,y nB 1,0 . A"vin.cu auesuon 41A"C V,"10, WIU tc"' .uui 1 n,n suro thnt tlllJ falltiro of the bridge llOS broken IiIr honrK" ..Ami wo cnnt fl tno responsibility now. sum ltouucv. wno lor ins menu's sake was glad of this conscauenco of the old man's denth. the old man's dnnth. "Yes, you can," said tho young man. Ho leaned forward and laid his right hand on Ills dead father's shoulder. Helen llllngworth had possessed her- of his left hand. She lifted it and o'd It to her heart. Tho engineer it und lglneer seemed unconscious of tho action, nnd ! 1 ..... . huh it was mo greatest tiling no liuu over experienced. Meado spoke slowly "ml .wlth H10 lost weighty dellbera- u"" " " ouvious cnucnvor to give HIS ululun,c"t sucn cicar uennitenoss that ,,u OIlu t0Ulu misinuo it. "IIcro In tho I'rcscnco of my dead fther," ho began, "I solemnly decluro l!lul lllouo U1" rcsponmuio lor uio de K,11 01 lU0 memuer uiat wuea. Aly rather was getting along In years. Ho Ioft n Krcut I)lirt of tho work to nto. Uo pointed out what ho thought was 11 Structural Weakness ill tllO trUSSOS. but . . . -- 1 ovcruoro ins objections. 1 niono am to blame. The Martlet Brldgo company empioycu us uotn. 'xney said they wanted tho benefit of niv father's lone experience and my later trninlni: and research." Do you realize, Meade," said Itod- oy. "s the pencils of tho reporters flw across their pads, "that in ossum- lug this responsibility which, vour fa- ther being dead, cannot be" know It means tho end of my cn- roer," sum Alciule, forcing himself to speak. "My father's reputation is dearer to mo than anything on earth." "Even than I?" whispered tho woman. Oh. niy God I" burst out tho man, 'l"d then ho checked himself and con- tlnued with tho samo monotonous do- nucrntion as before, nnd with even nioro emphasis, "I con allow no other interest in uto, However great, to pro- vent mo from doing my full duty to my minor. Ho had been fully resolved to pro- tect his old father's famo had tho fa- thor survived tho shock. Tho appeal of tho dead man was even moro power- nil tnnti If ho had lived. Meado could not glunco down at that crushed, broken, Impotent flguro nnd fall to ro- spoud. It was not so much love never had ho loved Holen llllngworth so much as then as It was honor. Tho obligation must bo met though his bourt broko llko his father's; oven If it killed him, too. And tho womnnl How If It killed her? He could not think of that. Ho could think of nothing but of that In- crt body and Its demand. uavo you no witnesses, no evidence to substantiate your extraordinary statement?" asked Itodnov. "I can substantlnto it," said Shurt- HIT, coming into tho room, huvlnii fin- Ished his tolonhonlnir. "Tho il.wtnr mid tho police will bo hero immediately, but beforo thev come" nnd ho druw himself up nnd faced tho reporters boldly. "Gentlemen. I can testify that everything thnt Mr. Bertram Meado has said Is true. I hannened to bo hero when my dead friend and employer got tho telegram announcing tho falluro of tho brldgo and, nlthouch ho know It was his son's fault, ho bravely offered to nssumo tho responsibility and ho told mo to co to tho tell thorn that It wns his fault and that his son had protested In vain against his design." "Why didn't you do it?" asked ono of the reporters. "I couldn't, sir," faltered tho old man. "It wasn't true. Tlie son there was to lilutnc." He sank down in his scat and cov ered his face with his hands and broke Into dry, horrible sobs. It wns not easy for him cither, this shifting of responsi bility. "You see," said young Meade, "I guess that settles tho matter. Now you have nothing moro to do here." "Nothing," said Itodney nt last, "not In this office at least. We must wnlt for the doctor, but wo can do that out Blde." Ono by ono the men filed out, leav ing the dead engineer with his son, the secretary, und tho woman In tho room. "Bert," said the woman, laying her hand on his shoulder, "why or how I feel it I cannot tell, but I know In my "Ho Will Point Out Some Way f heart that you are doing this for your father's sake, that what you said was not true. Tilings you linvo said to me " "Did I ever say anything to you," began Meado In fierce alarm, while Shurtllff started to speak but checked himself, "to lead you to think thut I suspected any weakness In the brldgo?" Tho woman was watching him keen ly and listening to him with every sense on tho alert. Nothing was es caplng her aud sho detected In his volco n note of sharp alarm and anx iety as If ho might havo said some thing which could bo used to discredit his assertion now. "Pcrhnps not In .words but In llttlo things, suggestions," she nnswered quietly. "I can't put.my hand on any of them, I can hnrdly recall anything, but tho Impression Is there Meado smiled miserably at her and ngaln her searching eyes detected re lief In his. "It Is your affection that makes you say that," ho said, "and ns you admit there is really nothing. What I said Just now Is true." It was much harder to speak the Ho to tills clear-eyed woman, who loved him, than to the reporters. Ho could scarcely complete his sentence, and in the end sought to look away. "Bertram Meado," said tho woman putting both her hands upon his shoul der, "look mo In tho fnco nnd tell mo thnt you havo spoken tho truth and thnt tho blamo is yours." Mcado tried his best to return her glance, but thoso bluo eyes plunged through him llko steel blades, no did not dream in their softness could be developed such fire. Ho was speech less. After a moment ho looked away. no shut bis Hps firmly. Ho could not sustain her glance, but nothing could mako him retract or unsay his words. "I havo said It," ho managed to get out hoarsely. It's bravo of you. It's splendid of you," sho said. "I won't betray you. I don't havo to." "What do you moan?" asked tho man. But tho woman had now turned to Shurtllff. In his turn sho also seized him In her emotion and she shook him almost eagerly. "You, you know that it is not true, Speak I" But sho had not tho power over the older man thut sho had over tho young er. Tho secretary forced himself to look nt her. Ho cared notliiug for. Miss II llngworth, but ho had 11 passion for tho older Meado that matched hers for tho younger. "Ho has told tho truth," ho cried nl most like a baited animal. "No ono Is going to ruin tho reputation of tho man I have served nnd to whom I have given my llfo without protest from me, It's his fault, his, his, his I" ho cried his volco rising with every repetition of tho pronoun as ho pointed at Meade, Helen llllngworth turned to her lover again. Sho was quieter now. "I know that neither of you Is telling tho truth," she said. "Lying for n grent cause, lying In splendid sclf-sac- rlflcc. You nro ruining yourself for our father's name and he Is nbcttlng. Why? It can't make any difference to him now. But It makes a grctt differ ence to me. Hnve you thought of that? I'm going to mnrry you anyway. Only tell mo tho truth, Bert. By our lovo I ask you. If you want me to keep your secret I'll do it. But if you won't tell 1110 I'll get that evidence, I will find out the truth, nnd then I shall publish It to the whole world and then " And you would mnrry me then?" asked Mcado, swept away by this pro found pleading. I will marry you now, Instantly, nt any time," answered the girl. "Indeed 011 need me. Guilty or Innocent, I nm yours and you are mine." "Listen," protested tho engineer, nothing will ever relievo mo of tho blame, of the shame, of the disgrace of this. But I am n man. I have youth still, and strength nnd inspiration. Un til I can hold up my bend among men am nothing to you nnd you nro free." There was n finality In his tone which tho woman recognized. She could as well break It down as batter n stone Avail with her naked fist. She looked at him a long time. "Very well," she said at last, "unless shall bo your wife I shall bo the wife of no man. I shall wait confident In the hope that thcro is a Just God, and that he will point out some way." CHAPTER IX. The Unaccepted Renunciation. Tho doctor and the officers of the law entered the outer office. In spite of the bravo words that had been spoken by tho woman, the man could only see n long parting and an uncer tain future. Ue realized It the moro when old Colonel llllngworth entered the room In the wake of the others. After he hud recovered himself ho had hurried to the station In time to catch the next train nnd had come to New York, realizing nt once whero his daughter must havo gone. My father is dead," said Meado as tho doctor1 and the officers of the law examined tho body of tho old man. Tho son had eyes for no ono but the old colonel. "The failure of the brldgo has broken his henrt; my failure, I'd better say." "I understand," said llllngworth. "no Is fortunate. I would rather havo died than have seen nny son of mine forced to confess crlmlnul Incompe tency llko yours." "Puther," said the girl with n reso lution and firmness singularly llko his own. "I can't hear yoil speak this way, und I will not." "Do you go with him or do you not?" thundered the colonel. It was Meado who answered for her. "Sho goes with you. I lovo her nnd sho loves mo, but I won't drag her down In my ruin." "I nm glad to seo honor and decency nro In you still," said tho colonel, "even if you aro Incompetent." "If you say another word to him I will never go with you as long as I live," flashed out Helen llllngworth. "I deserve nil that he can say. Your duty Is with him. Good-by," said Meade. "And I shall seo you again?" "Of course. Now you must go with your father." Helen llllngworth turned to the colo nel. I shall go with you because he bids mo, not because " "Whatever tho reason," said tho old soldier, "you go." Ho paused n mo ment, looking from tho dead man to tho living one. "Meade," ho exclaimed at last, "I am sorry for your father, I am sorry for you. Good-by, nnd never wnnt to see you or hear of you again. Come, Helen." Tho womnn stretched out her hand toward her lover ns her father took her by tho arm. Meado looked at her n moment nnd then turned away delib erately as if to mark the final sever ance. With bent head and beating henrt, sho followed her father out of tho room. There ho had to fight off tho reporters. Ho denied that his daugh ter was going to marry young Meade. She strove to speak und ho strove to forco her to bo quiet. In tho end sho had her way. "At Mr. Meade's own request," sho sold finally, "our engagement has been broken otr. Personally I consider my self as much bound as ever, but in doferenco to his wishes nnd to my fa titer's" "Havo you said enough?" roared tho colonel, losing all control of himself at last. "Ivo, I will not bo questioned or Interrupted another minute. Come." Ho almost drugged tho girl from tho room. Within tho prlvnto ofilco tho phy sician suld thnt everything pointed to a heart lesion, but only an nutopsy would absolutely determine It. Meanwhile tho law would havo to tako chargo of the body temporarily. It was lato nt night before Bertram Meado and old Shurt llff wcro left alone. Carefully seeing that no ono was present In tho suite of offices Meado turned to Shurtllff. "Get mo that memorandum I wroto to my fnther. You kuow whero he kept It" "Yes, sir, separate from tho other papers concerning the International, In tho third compartment." Ho turned the big safe door slowly. Tho third compartment was empty. "It's gone," ho said. Mcado went to the safe, n small one, nnd examined It carefully and fruitless ly. Ills letter wus not there with the other papers, where it should have been If It wero In existence. It was not nnywhero. "Father told mo ho was going to de stroy It, but I rather thought he was keeping It to have some fun with me when tho brldgo was completed," he said at last. "Yes, sir, that was his intention. In fact, I know he did not destroy It at first Ho told mo to fllo It with the plnns. Ho must have destroyed II later. I haven't looked in this com partment for weeks." "I'll never forget tho Ho you told tc bnck me up, Shurtllff. I can see you loved him as much ns I." "No one will ever know the truth from me, sir. You saved your futher'i name nnd fume." "I think wo hnd hotter search the office now. I wouldn't have that papei como to life for the world," said Meade, Shurtllff was the most orderly ol men. Tho caro of the old engineer's papers and other arrangements had de volved upon hlni. The search was soon completed. "I guess he must havo destroyed it," said the young man, "but to bo suro 1 will examine his private papers nl home. Good night You will bo going yourself?" "In n few minutes, sir." "Come to mo In the morning aftei the nutopsy nnd we will arrange foi tho funeral," said the younger man ai ho left the office. ShurtllfT waited until his footstepj died nwny In tho hall. Ho waited un til he heard the clang of the elcvatoi gate. Even then he was not sure. He got up nnd In his catlike way opened tho door of tho office nnd peered down tho hall. It was empty, no stood In tho door waiting, whllo tho night ele vator mado several trips up and down without pausing nt that floor. He sal down nt the dead man's desk. From his pocket he drew forth a packet of po pers. There were no legal proceedings, al though there were many inquests at the bridge. The cause of the failurc was clear. It was recognized by every one, whose opinion wns worth consid ering, that tho disaster had resulted from a mistake which any englneei could have made. As n matter of facl thcro was no experience to guide tha designers. There never had been such n bridge before. Certain elements ol empiricism had to enter Into their cal culations. They hnd made tho plan after their best Judgment nnd It had failed. Thoy could bo blamed, oven vilified as they were In tho press, but that was tho extent of their punish ment Tho bitter weight of censure fell en tlrcly upon Bertram Meade. His ruin as nn engineer was immediate and ab solute. He wns the scapegoat No one had any good to say of him except Rod noy, who fought valiantly for his friend and classmate, nt least striving tc mltlgato tho censure by pointing oul tho quick nnd rendy acknowledgmenl of tho error which might havo been ascribed to tho dead man without feat of contradiction. An effort was mado by competitors nnd stock speculators to ruin tho Mart lot Brldgo company. By throwing into tho gap their private fortunes to the last dollar nnd by herculean work on tho part of their friends, tho directors saved tho Martlet company, although Its losses wero tremendous nnd nlmost Insupportable, not only in money, but in prestige nnd reputation. Colonel llllngworth camo out of tho struggle older nnd grayer than ever. The terriflo combat had left him almost broken for a time, and his daughter saw that It was not possible even to mention Bert ram Meado to him, then. Tho funeral of tho great engineer had been strictly prlvnto. Only his confreres, men who stood high In scientific circles, certnin people for whom ho had mado great and success ful designs, n few others whoso ties wero personal, hud been Invited to tho houso for tho services. Tho Interment was In tho llttlo Connecticut town of Mllford, In which tho older Meado had been born, nnd from which ho had gone forth as a boy to conquer tho world. Tho next Installment tells of young Meade's big move, which leads to even more startling con sequences than the recent hap penlngs In his life. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Optlmlstlo Thought A bad custom la better broken thtau kept 4