THE 8EMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
By CYRUS
BERT MEADE'S FRIENDS LOSE TRACK OF HIM WHEN HE
GOES WEST, CHANGES HIS IDENTITY AND GETS A
JOB, BUT THEY SET OUT TO PROVE HIM
BLAMELESS OF THE BRIDGE DISASTER
Bertram Mende, Sr., plans nn International bridge for the Martlet
Construction company. IIIh Hon.Hertrnm Mende, Jr., resident engl
necr at the bridge site, nnd Ilelon Ullngworth, daughter of Colonel
Illlngworth, head of tlio Martlet company, nro engaged ta marry
when tlio bridge Is completed. Young Mendo bad questioned Ids
fntlier's calculations but wns Ijitghod at. The bridge collapses with
100 workmen. Meade, Sr., drops dead after writing n letter for the
public, taking all blame for thr accident. This letter Is hidden by
Shurtlffe, n faithful old secretary. Young Moado takes all blume to
protect his fnthor's professional lonor, breaks tho engagement with
Helen nnd disappears.
CHAPTER XI Continued.
Again tho train was delayed and
held up for half an hour Just as It
reached tho Mississippi river. Ho left
Ms seat In tho dining car, his dinner
uneaten on tho table, to go out nnd In
pect tho bridge during the ImlMiour
that tho "limited" lay Idle. Tho next
day some enormous Irrigation works
In western Nebraska so engrossed bis
attention and aroused bis Interest that
In Rplto of himself he stopped over
between trains to bco them. And theso
actions were typical.
Yet nfter ovcry ono of theso pxcur
bIoiib back Into his own Held, his con
elenco sinoto him, Was ho never to
got awny from this engineering? Was
there nothing clso for lilm but brick
and stone, steel and concrete, designs
cud plans and undertaking and ueeom
Idlshmcnt In tho world? Because It
wns tho thing that ho must abandon
nnd put out of bin mind, engineering
Boomed tho only thing ho cared for.
There would bo no engineering on that
ranch on tho slopes of tho range. Ho
could settlo the question there.
Winters was glad to bco him. He and
Xtodnoy and Mendo bad been tho warm
est of friends. Of courso Meado could
not tell Itodnoy tho truth on account
of his nowspapor connections, but ho
decided finally that ho could and would
ell Winters under assurance of abso
lute secrecy. For ono thing tho big
cattleman lind bluntly refused to crodlt
tils friend's first statements ; and, wheu
tio at last heard tho truth, ho blamed
htm roundly while ho appreciated fully
tho nobleness of his BClf-sacrlllco. Tho
clear-bended, practical Winters put It
this way; Meado was capablo of do
ing splendid service to humanity as an
engineer and bado fair to bo even
greater than his father, yot for tho
tuko of tho fnino of n dead man, to
fcrhom after all It would matter llttlo,
ho had thrown away that splendid op
portunity 1
This was a now thought to Meado
uid n disturbing ono. Unfortunately,
is oven Winters was forced to ac
knowledge, tho suggestion enmo too
ate. Tho courso had been entered up
an. It would bo cowardly to try to
mango It now. Indeed It would lmvo
joen linposslblo with tho disappear
mco of tho written protests nnd notes,
3Jvon If Shurtllff hud been willing, no
pno would hnvo believed a delayed re
traction and explanation, and Shurtllff
would not have been willing Meado
woll know, Neither for that matter
was Meado himself. Ho was glad that
tho affair had been settled nnd would
not chnngo It oven now though Win
ters' rough-and-ready presentation of
tho Bltuatlon disquieted him,
Winters, who saw how greatly over
wrought and unstrung his friend was,
contented himself with tho assertion.
EIo did not press tho point or nrguu It
With him, Ho rested quietly confident
that matters would right thcmselvos
Bomo way In tho long run. Ho treated
Mendo exactly right, Ho left him to
ftls own devices. II) did not force his
company upon mm. sometimes mo en
glnecr would mount a horao nnd nil
t tho ranch wore at his disposal -and
would rldo awny Into tho woods ami
jmountnlns with a camping outllt. Somo
times ho would bo gono for several
Says, coming back whlto and boggard
ml exhausted but victor in some hard
buttle fought out alouo.
Ono day thoro camo to tho ranch n
letter to Winters from Rodney, full of
friendly chat nnd pleasant remini
scence.
"Meado hnB disappeared absolutely,"
wroto Roduoy lu closing. "Kvon Miss
Ullngworth, to whom ho was reported
mgaged and upon whom I lmvo called
dccaslounlly, says she docs not know
bin whereabouts. Of courso you saw
In tho papers his connection with tho
tragedy and fatluro of tho Intemntlon
1? Although hU frank statement was
corroborated by that of tho older
Meade's private secretary, I have never
been oblo to bcllevo It, neither docs
Miss Ullngworth. I know Bert, nnd so
docs she. Wo can't accept-oven his
Swn testimony. Wo lmvo been work'
lug together to establish tho truth, but
with very faiut prospects of success so
far. There's somo tremendous mystery
bout It. I have thought that maybo
lleado might havo como to you. If ho
lUs tbow blm this letter and beg him
TOWNSEND
Copyright by Fleming II. Revell Co.
to tell us tho exact truth at any rate."
Winters passed tho letter over to
Meado without comment. Tho en
gineer read It with passlonato eager
ness. Ho was hungry for any news of
Helen Ullngworth. Rodney wns call
ing upon her. A sharp pang of Jealousy
shot through him at thut, although ho
know thoro wns no reason. Deur old
Rodney I Ho could sco lilu grnvo face,
his disapproving mnnner, his air of un
belief, as lie had taken down Meado's
words in tho ofllco thnt tragic day.
Of courso, Helen Ullngworth was not
a rccluso ns ho was. Sho mingled In
society. Sho took up llfo witli its de
mands. Sho entered Into its pleasures
and fulfilled Its duties. Ho wns Jea
lous of overyono who might como In
contact with her, but ho know tho
names of nono except Rodney.
And thoy wero suspicious of his
nvowall That was balm to his soul.
Of courso Helen Ullngworth wns sus
picious, but why should Rodnev rtnnlif
his assumption of tho blnmo? And
tney wero working to establish his In
nocence. Tho thought dlsnuleted blm
lest they should discover tho truth In
somo way. And It gnvo him Joy also.
Thoy would work desplto any rcmons-
irnnco from 1dm. Ho thought of that
protest to hlo father always with un
easlncss. If ho could only havo found
It and destroyed It himself ho would
hnvo been happier. Could it bo In cx-
Istcnco somowhero? Would it turn up?
Would thoy unenrth It? Well, ho hnd
dono his best for his father, yot ho was
giaa thoso two dlsbolioved and wero
working for him.
Mendo hod been tho most brilliant,
Winters tho most Indifferent, Rodney
tho most persevering, of tho trio at col
lego. Ho remembered that well. His
first thought was to forbid Rodnov to
do anything further, although how far
his frlond would respect his wishes ho
could not tell. Anywnv. ho did not
havo to dccldo that matter, becauso ho
count not say a word to h m. To
havo allowed Winters to write- would
havo botrnyed his whereabouts. Ho
was living with Winters under nn as
sumed nnmo of courso. no hnd had
his hulr cut differently und hnd grown
a beard nnd mustacho. Ho thought It
would havo taken a keen oyo Indeed to
lmvo recognized him with theso
changes.
In tho end ho handed tho letter back
to Winters, only chorclmr him that If
ho wroto to Rodnoy ho must not betray
tho fact that Meado was with him. Tin
had plenty of timo to think over tho
mutation, no decided tlnnlly that bo
Winters Passed tho Letter Over to
Meado Without Comment
long ns ho had been born an engineer
and trained and educated as an en
glncor bo would havo to bo until tho
end of tho chuptcr. Ho wodld go out
and Book work, not such work as his
ability and experience, but under somo
assumed nnmo ho would begin at tho
very beginning, at tho foot of tho lad
dcr as a rodman, If ho could; and
then ho would work on quietly, faith
fully, obscurely, praying for his chance.
It It camo ho would strlvo to bo equal
to tho opportunity; if It did not at least
ho would bo engaged In bouust work In
an honest way.
BRADY father and son
It was a very bumble program, not
at all promising or heroic or romantic,
Just a beginning. Ho would work on
nnd wait. They say that all things
como to him who wnlts. That Is only
half true. Somo things como to him
who waits sometimes. That is more
nearly accurate. Well, ho could think
of no better plan. So ho bado Win
ters good-by, swearing blm again to
secrecy until ho should lift tlio ban
agulnst speech, and rodo awny. When
ho got to tho llttlo village on tlio
Picket Wire below tho dam ho
stopped a long timo gazing nt tho long
bridge, or viaduct, of steel thnt was re
placing the old wooden trcstlo nnd
carrying tho railroad from the hills
to tho eastward over tho river.
It was not such an undertaking as
tho lost International, stlJJ it; was In
teresting engineering construction, 'it
was work that would bo intensely con
genial, to which ho was drawn almost
Irresistibly, yet ho managed to hold
himself aloof. Tho Martlet pcoplo were
building this Bteel bridge nnd they had
Just finished tho arch up under tho
mesa. A well-known construction com
pnny was building tho great earth dam
across tho Picket Wiro In tho valley.
Meado's engineering llfo hnd been
fipent mnlnly out of tho United Stntcs.
Ho had never been connected with tho
Martlet and Its employees until ho hnd
been associated with his father on tho
International. Ho could lmvo gono
nmong them with llttlo danger of im
mediate discovery, slnco most of the
men ho hnd known had gono down with
tho hrldgo, but ho decided not to do
so. Tho work on tho dam would bo
simpler and ho would hnvo less oppor
tunity to bctrny himself nnd It would
glvo him moro clinnco to work up in n
plnuslblo and rcnsonnblo way. Besides,
if Colonel Ullngworth enmo on to in
spect tho bridge, ns bo would probably
do, Mendo would havo to lcavo beforo
Ids arrival. Tho dam would bo Bufcr.
No ono would over think of looking for
him thcro. And no ono would over
rocognlzo In tho rough-bearded work
man tho elenr-cut, smooth-faced young
engineer of other days.
Tho dam was twenty miles up tho
valley. Yes, ho would bo less apt to be
observed working thcro than on tho
bridge. Yet as ho recalled that prl-
voto car and thnt It might como there,
ho realized that sho might bo on It.
His henrt leaped oven as It had leaped
at tho sight of tho viaduct then build
ing, ns It had quivered to tho familiar
rat-tat-tat of tho pneumatic riveters
and tho clang and tho clash of tho
structural steel. But what wns tho
uso? IIo would not daro trust himself
to look at her oven from a distanco.
No,, It was tho dam that best suited his
purposo, so ho turned away from tho
hrldgo and rodo up tho valley. Thcro
ho was fortunato In falling Into a po
sition, as has been set forth.
CHAPTER XII.
Marshaling tho Evidence.
For nil her sweetness and light,
nelcn Ullngworth was dowered with
lntcnso energy nnd n powerful will.
What sho began Bho finished, nnd sho
was not deterred from beginning things
by fears of consequences. Sho was con
vinced that Meado had not told tho
truth in that famous declaration in his
father's ofllco. Sho respected him for
his deslro to shield bis father's namo
and famo oven nt tlio oxpenso of his
voracity, albeit Bho would not havo
boon a woman If Bho had not resented
tho fact that lu so doing ho hnd sacri
ficed her happiness ns well as his own.
Tho question whether Meado, Jr.,
was tho moro rcsponslblo or ovon re
sponsible nt nil was moro or less
academic to Colonel Ullngworth. no
would havo had nothing further to do
with cither of them if both wero living,
nnd certainly not with tho younger sur
vivor. Ho tried to bellevo that If It
had como to n final cholco tho daugh
ter, in splto of tho fact thut such is
tho habit of women in tho experienco
of life, would not havo given up ago
and hor father for youth and her lover.
Indeed sho wns too genuinely devoted
to her father to do that except as a
last resort.
Sho cherished tho hopo first, that
Meado could re-establish himself sho
bad too sweeping a coufldenco In his
character and capacity to doubt that
and second, that It could bo Bhown
that ho had not been responsible for
tho failure of tho bridge. Sho was
moro nnd moro convinced that his as
sumption of tho blamo hnd been dic
tated by tho highest of motives nnd
Instend of being a fit subject for cen
suro uud condemnation, ho merited ad
miration nnd npplauso. Sho hoped with
her woman's wit to provo this event
ually, perhaps lu Bplto of her lover,
and to this cud sho applied herself as
siduously to Bolvo tho problem.
To her, at her request, camo Rod
ney. Now tho reporters had dealt very
gently with nelcn Ullngworth. They
had mado no announcement of tho en
gagement or of Its breaking nt her fa
ther's earnest request. Thoro was no
necessity of bringing hor Into tho
brldgo story, although It would havo
added a dramatic touch to their nar
ratives. Her Inclination had been to
avow It. But upon reflection sho saw
it would havo annoyed her father be
yond expression, It would not have
helped Meado any and it might ham
per her In her work. Sho realized
that sho had Rodnoy to thank for this
omission und after Bho had time to col
lect herself she usked him to call upon
her. Ho wns very glad to come.
"I Bent for you, Mr. Rodney, on ac
count of Mr. Bertram Meade," sho be
gan, after thanking him for his cour
tesy toward her tho day tho older
Meado died and thereafter. "I want
you to help me."
"I shall bo delighted to do so for
your own sake. I know how deeply
Interested you nro in Meado's rehabili
tation." "Mr. Rodney," returned the woman,
flushing a little, "you know of courso
that wo were ejigngcd. He considers
uie engagement uroiten."
"I suppose so. That would bo like
him," said Rodney gravely. "Indeed
as a man of honor ho could do no less."
"You nro all nllke," said the wom
an a llttlo bitterly. "Your notions nro
"The Kino Could Do No Wrong."
supreme. You may sacrifice lovo ond
your best friend so long as you pro
servo thoso notions of honor Intact."
"And yet if wo weren't honorable
men you wouldn't'caro for us at r.ll."
"Yes, I supposo that's it. Well, I do
caro very much, as you understand. I
may as well bo frank with you. My
father, of courso, is bitterly antagonis
tic to Mr. Monde. Ho won't oven al
low his namo to bo mentioned."
"Ono can hardly blamo him for that.
Miss Ullngworth. Tho falluro of the
brldgo seriously embarrassed tho Mart
let Brldgo company, and it Is a great
handicap for them to ovcrcomo In seek
ing any further contracts."
"But I did not summon you hero to
discuss tho affairs of tho Martlet
Brldgo company," said nelcn, "Inter
esting though they may be, but to seo
If by working together thcro wns not
somo way by which wo could provo
that Bertram Meado has assumed tho
blamo to snvo tho honor and famo of
his faUicr."
"You bcllovo that, Miss nilngworth?"
"I am suro of It."
"So am I." Bald Rodnoy quickly.
"Thank God," cried tho girl n llttlo
hysterically, surprised and almost
swept oft her feet by this prompt
avowal by ono who, though young, wns
already an nuthorlty in tho literature
of engineering. "Why do you say that?
What ovldcnco hnvo you?"
"Unfortunately," answered Rodney,
"I hnven't nny tnnglblo ovldcnco what
ever, but I know Bert Meado as few
pcoplo know him, Miss Ullngworth,
pcrhnps not even you," ho went on, In
splto of her unspoken, but vigorous
protest at that last statement, ns sho
shook her head and smiled nt him.
"And thero nro several llttlo circum
stances that raako mo feel that ho
could not lmvo been to blame. nave
you any grouud for your conviction?"
"Probnbly oven less than you have
and yet I, too, know him." Ilolen Jl
Hngworth looked Into tho plnln, home
ly, but strong, rellablo fnco of tho
man and dismissed nny thought of re
servo from her mind.
"Let us place," sho began, "tho llttlo
circumstances upon which our Intui
tions nro based, If Intuitions nro over
based on anything tangible, together.
Perhaps tho sua of them may yield
something."
"Tho suggestion Is admirable," as
serted Rodney, "and as I know him
first and longest I will begin. Perhaps
It would bo well, too, to tako notes so
that wo may couslder them nt leisure,
getting nn oyo view as well as an car
vlow of them."
"Now, In tho first place," ho began,
writing and speaking at tho same time,
"point ono Is Meado's absolutely un
bounded dovotlon to his father. Tho
old man was not always right. Tho
boy was as clear as a bell on most
things, but I rccnll that ho would main
tain his father's propositions tena
ciously, determinedly, long after every
body, perhaps even tho old man him
self, bad been couvlnced of their fal
lacy. Unglneerlng Ih In Monde's blood.
He is the fifth of his family to gradu
ate at Harvard and three of his far
bears were engineers, his grandfather
noted nnd his fnther world-famous. Ho
fairly Idolized his father. Tho affec
tion between them was delightful. Tho
king could do no wrong. Meade was
quick-tempered nnd not very receptlvo
to criticism, but lie would take tho se
verest stricture from the old mnu with
out n murmur."
"Hero wo hnve," said the woman,
who had listened with strnlncd ntten
tlon, "nn early dovotlon to a person
and an uubounded respect for his at
tainments. Go on."
"Tho next point Is, Mendo was In
ordinately proud of his family reputa
tion, especially In the cnglueertng
flold. Of the two of the lino who were
not engineers, ono was n soldier and n
distinguished one, but his career had
little Interest for Mende. I havo heard
him say that thcro had been u steady,
upward movement in his family, that
had reached Its culmination In his fn
ther. He hoped to be n good, useful
engineer, but ho never dreamed of go
Ing nny higher or even npproncblng
tho nltltudo of tho other man."
"It was a sort of fetish with him,
then, wnsn't it?" naked tho woman as
Rodney stopped agnln.
"You have lilt It exactly, nis lovo
for tho man, his ndmlrntion for tho
engineer, which sometimes blinded
him, and his prldo in his father's career
ns typifying his family, was un
bounded."
"Y6u "finvc established a motive for
any sacrifice ; love, respect, pride I"
"That's the way It presents Itself to
me, Miss Ullngworth. I know thor
oughly tho quixotic, impulsive, sclf-
sacrlflclng nature of tho man. I know
thnt ho would havo dono anything on
earth to save his father, even nt tho
sacrifice of his own career, and since I
lmvo seen you I can realize how pow
crful theso motives must have been."
Rodney said this quite simply, as if
It wero n matter of course, rather than
a compliment, nnd bluntly as ho might
have said it to a friend nnd comrade,
and Helen Ullngworth understood und
wns grateful.
"It has been n grief to mo thnt I
weighed so little in comparison," sho
said simply.
"I shouldn't put It thut way exact
ly," observed Rodney carefully. "You
seo even If It could bo shown that It
was the old man's fault entirely the
young one would still havo to sharo
somo of the blame."
"You mean ho should have foreseen
It and pointed It out?"
"I think ho did, but If ho did fore
sco It and point it out, ho should not
havo nllowcd the older man to overawe
him or force him to accept what ho be
lieved to bo structurally unsound.
don't know whether he reasoned it out,
I don't think ho hnd timo to arguo the
case, tho shock was so swift nnd sud
den, but ns soon ns he did seo tho situ
ation ho discovered thnt you wero lost
anyway, except of tho charity of your
affection, which ho could not accept,
and that ho could save his father. This
may all bo tho wildest speculation, but
this is the way it presents itself to
me."
"And to me," said Helen, "but beforo
wo go nny further, let mo say I should
rather bo his wife than enjoy nny other
fortune."
"That Is tho kind of affection his
qualities merit and would ovoko in
tho mind of a discerning woman."
"Thank you. Will you go on, now?'
"Of course you know that what wo
havo said is not evidence. It is all as
Bumptlon, perhaps presumption."
"It's as true as gospel," Bald tho girl
earnestly.
"To you nnd to me, yes. Well," ho
continued, "I remember that Meade
and I wero talking Just beforo ho went
to Burma three years ago about a new
book by a German named- Schmidt-,
Chemnitz, In which certain methods of
calculations wero proposed for the de
sign of lacings. You know 71 was tho
lacings of ono of tho compression
members of tho cantilever that gave
way."
"Well Meado and I got Into a hot dls
cusslon over somo of Schmldt-Chem
nltz'a formulas. I maintained that they
wero wrong. Ho took tho opposite
view, no wns right. He was so in
tcrcstcd In tho matter that after we
separated ho wroto mo a letter nbout
It, adding somo new arguments to re-
onforco his contention. Tho other day
I mado a careful search among my pa
pers and by hnppy chance I found tlio
letter. I wns half-convinced by his
reasoning then, although tho matter
was dropped. I am altogether con
vinced now. nis argument is very
clear. I havo examined slnco then the
plan nnd sketches for thnt bridge. Tho
calculations did not agreo with thoso
of Schmldt-Chetnnltz. His methods
wero not used. Meado could not have
forgotten tho matter. I am morally
certain that ho mado a protest to his
father, probably In writing, then nl
lowcd himself to bo persuaded by his
father's reasoning. As n matter of
fact, I supposo that Bertram Meade,
Sr., was n greater authority on steel
brldgo designing than even Schmidt
Chemnitz. Well, sometimes, tho small
er man Is right. We know now, nnd
Bertram Meade, Sr., would admit It If
ho wero alive, thnt Schmidt-Chemnitz
wns right, and we can mnko a good
guess that young Meado did not let it
pass without a protest."
"Mr. Rodney, Ifs wonderful."
"Well, that's not 11. Thero was not
a llttlo bit of hesitation In Meade's
assumption of tho blame, not a person
who heard It doubted It, apparently
Meade except his son and Shurtllff."
"Oh, Shurtllff l"
"We'll como to him presently. It
was obvious that tho older Meado had
been writing. I don't know whether
tho others noticed It, but It is my bnst
ness to tnko u vcu Inconsiderable dc-
tnlls. Tho pea was still between his
lingers. Ills luud wns constricted nnd
the pen had iA dropped out In fact,
I myself look it out and laid It on
the deslc."
"Ills Inst conscious net wns to write
something, therefore?"
'Yes : for confirmation I ascertained
that thero were lnk-stalns on his An
gers." "What did he write and to whom?"
"I don't know. I enn only guess."
"Whnt do you guess?"
"The assumption of entire responsi
bility and tho' exculpation of his son,
probably to some paper."
"From the samo motives mat
prompted Bert?"
"No. becauso It was true. But that
Is only nn assumption, nlthough not al
together without further evidence."
"And what Is that?" asked tho wom
an eagerly.
Sho had sat down opposite Rodney
nt tho table and was leaning toward
him. Her color camo and went, hel
breathing wns rnpld and strnlned un
der tho wild beating of her heart
"Tho blotter on the desk. I exam
ined it at my leisure. It had been
used somo time. I went over It with a
magnifying ginss. Meado, Sr., had evb
dently written n letter. I found th
words 'fnulHsjnlrie I hayp tliejblpt;
tor In my desk. Thevbrd 'fault' il
barely decipherable, 'Is' canJio mad
out with difficulty, but 'mlno' is qult
plain. I nm familiar with the oldei
Meade's handwriting, nnd though thhj
is weaker hnd feebler nnd more lrregu
lar than was his custom ordlnarllj
ho wroto a bold, freo hand this Is un
mlstakably his. Of courso no ono can
say that ho wroto any letter. This li
piling assumption upon assumption,
nnd, furthermore, thero is no evidence
of nny signature having been written
beneath It."
"Is that all?"
"Thero Is ono moro bit of evidence,
Tho sheet of paper on which tho do
sign computations for the compressios
chord members appear was not wltt
tho other plans and tracings of thi
bridge."
"How do you know?"
"Theso plans were taken over bj
tho Martlet company nfter Meado'l
death, and Mr. Curtlss and I examined
them. Wo found that sheet missing.
"It's wonderful I" cried the girl, hei
eyes shining. "I was convinced bo
fore, but, if I had not been, you would
have persuaded me beyond a doubt.'1
"i lmvo persuaded myself, too," said
Rodney. "But thero is not a slngli
thing here that would Justify any pub
llcity, even If wo wero prepared to g
against Meado's obvious desire. As 1
say, it is all assumption. No one could
provo It."
"You nro wrong," said the girl
"Shurtllff."
"I wondered If that would occur tc
you."
"Of course. You think that Meado
Sr., wroto a letter assuming tho blami
becauso It was his. I have no doubl
in the world now thnt Bertram Mead)
had mado his protest in writing. Pep
haps ho Indorsed it on the missing
sheet," continued tho woman, making
bold nnd brllllnnt guesses. "Or mayb
ho wroto a letter that was attached
to tho sheet that we lack, .and Mr,
Meade got It out of the safo ant
wrote his letter nnd attached it wlU
Bertram's protest to the missing draw
Ing nnd gave them to Shurtllff nnd told
him to take them to the papers. Yotj
know Shurtllff said that Meado do
clared he would assume tho blamo and
ho told the reporters so. Shurtllff has,
or ho knows who has, the missing pa
per."
"But what motive would tho Becro
tnry havo for such concealment?"
"Ho idolized the older Meade. Mr,
Curtlss told mo about him. A failure
The Woman Rose to Her Feet
himself when he wns a young man,
Mr. Meado had faith In him and of
fercd to promote his engineering ef
forts, but the man preferred to attach,
himself, personally, to Mr. Meado and
so ho became his private secretary.
By his own showing he had been with
tho dead man on that afternoon. He
has tho papers."
Tho woman roso to her feet as she
spoko with fine conviction.
Fate, It seems, nas mamed a
stranQo pathway for young
Meado to follow. Things begin
to happen around him at his
new Job. There are Interesting
developments In the next In-stallment
(TO BE CONTINUED.