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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1917)
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. By CYRUS TGWMSEND BRADY Fatlner amid Son Here Is a Powerf ul Stoiry of Failure amid Sacrifice amid Love aed Courage amid Success Copyright by Fleming H. Revell Co. WEB OF 1 CHAPTER XVI. Continued. 10 Colonel Illlngworth had dismissed llcndo from his mind becauso ho tinted him. Helen Illlngworth refrained from talking about him to her father becauso Bho loved him. So they wcro never In each other's prcsenco without thinking of tho mnn. This was a source of great irritation to tho father. On occasion ho almost found himself tit tho point of shouting nt his daugh ter to talk about him. And that she so carefully avoided tho subject and as tho nvoldanco was so obviously In nc cordnnco with his own wish, tho re Btralnt Irritated hltn tho more. Tho fact that they both sought so carefully to maintain tho old relationship mado It moro Impossible. For relationships which nro primarily founded on lovo cannot bo maintained by constraint without tho weakening of tho grcnt forco upon which their tenure had pre viously depended. Thero Is nothing llko concealment to Impair and weak en a tlo unless It bo a banl Prohibi tions rarely prohibit Still there remained a deep and abid ing affection between father and daughter and they managed somehow to get along outwardly much as before Indeed Colonel Illlngworth was moro kind and considerate thnn over to his daughter, and alio repaid him with moro than usual caro and devotion. Tho very fact that sho seemed to hnvo Accepted tho situation and obeyed tho taw ho had laid down gavo him somo Compunctions of conscience. On thnt account, perhaps, ho bad been tho moro willing to ncccdo to her request to tako Shurtllff Into his employ. In no way was Shurtllff responsible for tho fall taro of tho brldgo or for any mistake In tho calculations of tho Meadcs, and Hhurtllff was an invaluable man, not paly for an engineer but for tho presl ient of tho Martlet Brldgo company. llo was familiar with tho subjects t&at Colonel Illlngworth discussed and wroto about lie was Intelligent and rellablo to tho last degree his reputa tion for steadiness and discretion un questioned, and ho was marvclously ef ficient in his subordlnato position. Tho colonel, hnvhig first tried him out, had advanced him rapidly aftor learning his worth. Ho was now hlB prlvato Secretary. Shurtllff being an old bach elor without kith or kin, and not orig inally fond of women, found himself suddenly In touch with ono of tho fewcetcst and kindest, as well as tho youngest and most beautiful of a sex about which ho knew nothing. Ills now position naturally brought him Into closo touch with tho colonel. The old man transacted a good deal Df his business in his own houso. Bhurtllff was frequently thero. Under other circumstances Holen Illlngworth would hnvo treated him with thnt flno and gracious courtesy which sho ex tended to ovoryono with whom sho camo In contact, but sho would not havo especially Interested herself In him. Sho would not hnvo mndo him tho object of tho dcllcato attention nnd given him tho enrcful consideration which would havo completely turned the head of a younger nnd moro bus fcopttblo man. Thero had been a projudlco In Shurt lift's mind against women In general, fend HuJon Illlngworth In particular, lie had yulckly rcnllzcd that sho nbovo fell persons had tho greatest Intorest In disproving Mcado's statement and Ma own and In laying tho blnmo for he failure of tho brldgo whero it bo onged, on tho shoulders of tho pntron to love whom had been tho habit of his life. Thereforo tho old secretary was Constantly on his guard lest ho bo trapped Into admissions or nctlous fcrhlch might bo used to discredit tho older Mendo and convict tho two con frplrators. Dnt Helen Illlngworth was far too Clever to allow any Inkling of such a design to appear. Not tho remotest hint of such u purposo did sho botray. ghe deliberately set about to win tho old man's regard nnd respect and per hap eventually his affection. Sho had Jh ordering of her father's household, course That was a matter In which Uie colonel concerned himself not at all so long as things went smoothly, as they always did. Ho was u little astonished at her treatment of Shurt Uff. but tho old socrotary wus at heart n gentloman, and Uiero was no reason why, If Ilolen chose to lncludo him among her friends and Invito htm to dinner and othcrwlso mako him wel como In tho house, she should not do to. And In his dry, precise way Shurt Kft was rather likable. Ho was touched and fluttered by her kindness, and In ftplto ef his suspicions, which gradu ally grow less, by tho way, ho exerted tdmsclf to Bhow his appreciation and te bear himself seemingly In his new Mfo. Colonel Illlngworth had no euspl dons whatsoever that thorp had been Ny conspiracy to suppress tho truth and shift tho blatno. Truo, his daugh ter hud protested on thnt fatal day liut sho did not bellovo Mcado and Shurtllff, but that was In tho excite- Meat of tho moment and understand bfele la view of her plighted troth Helen iud never discussed thnt with m : -vu the ry natno of tho engl nccr being banned, sho was silent Sho was wlso enough not to try to worry or bother her father with arguments on thnt point, to which, of course, ho would not hnvo listened In any event Accordingly the conferences with Rodney had never been brought to his notice. There Vus no uso stirring up trouble nnd strife. Thero wns no neces sity oven to discuss It with her father until she had found moro proof. So ho nt lenst had no suspicions as to her treatment of Shurtllff. Ho could not 8co any end to bo gained nnd therefore ho Jumpdd to tho conclusion thnt thero was none. In courso of time, as Miss Illlng worth never referred to Meade in tho secretary's presence, all his mistrust disappeared. Finally ho even brought The Old Man Got to Thinking of Her as a Daughter. up tho subject of Mcndo's whereabouts of his own motion. Although tho girl was fnlrly wild to tall: nnd ask ques tions sho had wit uud resolution enough to chnngo tho subject when It had been first broached and for many times thereafter. Helen Illlngworth wns fighting for tho reputation of tho mnn sho loved and for her own happiness, nnd sho was resolved to neglect no point In tho gumc. Sho partook In a largo measure of her father's capacity, but sho add ed to his somewhat blunt and mili tary way of doing things tho Infinite tact of woman, stimulated by a grow ing, overwhelming devotion to her ab sent lover. Sho cherished that feeling for him in any ovent and would havo dono so but tho wholo situation wns so charged with mystery nnd surcharged with romanco thnt It mndo tho most powerful nnd stimulating appeal to her. Sho lived to vlndlcato Mendo nnd sho bent every effort townrd thnt end. Sho did not overdo it, cither. Final ly, as ho himself continued to press the subject upon her, sho made no se cret to Shurtllff of her dovotlon to tho younger Meade, her sorrow that he had mndo such n declaration, nnd her de termination to wait for him. Sho was always careful to end every converBtt' tlon by saying that sho knew her out look wns perfqetly hopeless nnd that Bho could expect nothing except sor row until tho younger Mendo wns ro- habllltated. Sho so contrived matters, vhllo constantly nfllrmlng her feeling for Mcado, as to let Shurtllff Infer thnt sho was convinced thnt ho had been telling tho truth In what ho had said. After a tlnfo sho doftly appealed to him to know If ho could not help her discover tho truth Bho tactfully main talncd even in face of tho ovldcnco that Shurtllff had given. And sho did this In such nn adroit way that Shurtllff becamo convinced that sho did not con noct him with any willful deception, and that sho believed that ho was de luded himself and occupied tho posl tlon of an innocent abettor. And Shurt llff, In his strango, old, sclf-contnlncd wny, finally grew to llko Helen Illlng worth exceedingly. Indeed ho started In his work with natural antagonism to Colonel Illlngworth, and whon ho sensed, as ho very soon did, tho dif ference that hnd arisen botween father and daughter, he espoused tho causo of tho latter. Ho was tho kind of a man wno hnd to ucvoto himself to some body. Ho began to wonder If thero wns any way to sccuro tho girl's hap plncss without betraying tho elder Mcado. bho compassed tho secretary, who was, of courso, old enough to bo her father, with sweet observances and ho found it Increasingly hard to keep truo to his falsehood. Now sho wus cap nblo of fascinating bigger personalities than Shurtllff, although sho cared lit tle for that powor and rarely exercised It Tho old man actually got to think lng of her as n daughter. Sometimes when they had an hour together ho found himself seconding her arguments for tho lnnoccnco of tho younger Meade, for she had progressed that far by now, with llttlo details which his knowlcdgo and experience of tho two men could supply. Trifling In them selves as were these contributions, as Rodney pointed out when sho repeated them to him, they nevertheless added something to tho cumulative forco of. tho argument so laboriously built up by tho friend and woman. And they wcro decidedly indicative of a growing mental condition on tho part of Shurt llff from which much might bo hoped and expected. Rut Shurtllff could not bring him self to como out boldly nnd confess, nnd his failure to do that mado him moro and moro miserable. At first his conscience had been entirely clear. Ho had viewed his conduct In the light of a noble sacrlfico for thr great man. Now ho began to question: Was It right to blast tho futuro of the living for the sake of tiro famo of the dead? Probably ho would havo questioned that eventually without regard to Helen Illlngworth, but when he began to grow fond of the woman nnd when ho realized, as sbo unmistakably dis closed It to him, that her own happi ness was engaged and that he was not only ruining tho career of n man but wrecking tho llfo and crushing tho heart of an entirely Innocent womnn, ho hnd n constant battlo royal with himself to pursue his course and to keep silent Yet such Is tho character of a tem perament like thnt of Shurtllff, nnr rowed and contracted by a slnglo pas sion of llfo nnd lacking tho breadth which comes from Intercourse with men and women, thnt his compunctions of conscience only made him tho moro resolved. Tho lonely, henrt-broken old man swore that ho would never tell. The young mnn could go his own gnlt nnd work out his own salvation, or bo dnmncd, If ho must. Tho woman's heart might break, pitiful as that would bo, but ho would never tell. Ho was as unhnppy In thnt determination as any other mnn fighting against his conscience must lnovltably be. Sometimes looking at tho misery In tho old man's faco (for on his counte- nnnco his heart wroto his secret), nclen Illlngworth experienced com punctions of conscience of her own, which sho told to Rodney in default of other confessor. That flno young man appreciated fully tho woman's feelings and understood her keen sen sibilities, and his comprehension was a great comfort to her. Ho encouraged her to pcrsovero. Slnco It wns only through Shurtllff that tho truth could bo established, sho must not falter nor reject any fair and reasonable means to gain his wholo confidence and mnko him speak. It was, after all, simply a question of whether tho gamo was worth tho candle. How best could they exposo or fight a decelt7 And that tho deception was for n noblo purposo and to servo a laudnblo end In tho minds of tho deceivers did not alter that fact. "You aro doing nothing In tho lenst degree dishonorable, Miss Illlngworth," said Rodney, reassuringly. "Woman's wiles havo been her weapons slnco tho Stouo Age." "But I do feel compunctions of con science occasionally." "Personally I think you nro abunt nntly Justified," urged Rodney. "Yes, to establish tho truth, to glvo tho nian I love his good nnmo would Justify more thnn this," sho replied, "nnd yet" sho smiled faintly "my consclcnco does hurt mo a llttlo. Tho old man Is beginning to lovo. mo." "That's tho reason It hurts you," said Rodney. "When ho loves you enough ho will do anything you want, as I would" Tho young man stopped, looked long at her, and then turned away with a llt tlo gesturo of was It appeal or re nunclntlon? no was too loyul to his friend to speak, but ho could not con trol everything. Tho tono of his voice, tho look In his eyes, his quick nvold anco of her, told tho woman a llttlo story. They had been very closely as sociated, theso two. Rodney also had not had much ndvantago of woman's society, certainly not of a woman llko Helen Rlingworth. Sho hnd given him her full confldcnco In tho Intlmncy. Ho wns a man. Ho loved llko others. Sho was too fond of him, too great, too truo a womnn to pretend. "Mr. Rodney, snld tho girl, Inylng her hnnd on his arm as though to re strain him, "that way madness lies." "Mlssi Illlngworth," said Rodney, turning nnd fnclng her, his Hps firm ly compressed, his oyes shining. "I'm dovoted to Bert Mendo nnd to you" ho lifted her hand from his arm and kissed It "and I'm going to do every thing for your hnpplness." Bravo words and ho said them moro bravely. "I understand," said tho woman, "nnd I honor you for your loyalty to your friend and your dovotlon to me. Loyalty Is not always tho easiest thing on earth, I know." "You mnko it easy for mo becauso yon understand." So tho fall nnd winter wcro filled with Interest to Helen Illlngworth nnd thero wns In her days no lack of hope. Every Snturdny the flowers thnt Mendo had arranged for spoko words of love to her nnd bado her not forget, al though that was admonition sho did not need. That was tho only messago that sho received from her lover. Ho had dropped out of sight completely. They caused search to bo mado for him, sought tidings of him in every posslblo way, but In vnln. Her heart almost broke sometimes at tho separation. She hnd confidence enough In her power over him, nnd In her womnn's wit, to feel thnt if sho had only another op portunity she might learn tho truth, force it from him, constrain him to tell It, becuuso sho loved him I CHAPTER XVII. Onco More Unto the Work. Tho Martlet Bridge company had finally weathered tho storm, although It was, of course, not Intrusted with tho new International brldgo which was about to bo commenced. When Ber tram Mcado rend of the new undertak ing, It cut him to tho heart This time there would bo no mistake. In. tho necessity of recouping its fortunes, tho Martlet Brldgo company enteral upon an even wider career. The direc tors took contracts which tlioy had hitherto disdained becauso they were comparatively unimportant, nnd they bid on operations which they had hitherto left to competitors. They were building tho great steel viaduct by tho town of Coronado below tho dam, nnd they had already built tho splendid Bteel arch that spanned tho ravine, hero almost a gorge, in tho valley of tho Kicking Horso to tho eastward of tho big mesa. After Christmas, Colonel Rlingworth decided to muke another of his tours of Inspection, and as Helen was not look ing particularly well from tho strain under which she wns laboring, he of fered to tako her with him, especially as ho was going to tho far Southwest, whero tho weather would bo mild and pleasant, to inspect tho growing vln duct nnd tho completed arch. Sho gladly availed herself of tho permis sion. Thero was always a possibility, albeit a most remote one, that she might hear of Meade. That It might ho well to Invito a representative of The Engineering News, to wit, Rodney, to accompany them, so that the really splendid work tho Mrirtlet company wns doing might be mndo widely known. Tho pnrty consisted of, tho fnthcr and dnughter, Curtlss, tho chief engineer, Doctor Sevcrence, tho vice president and financial mnn, and Rod ney. Now Helen Rlingworth hnd not tho lenst reason In tho world to suspect thnt Bertram Meade was In any way connected with this engineering proj ect, but Rodney hnd pointed out nnd hnd imbued her with his own belief thnt sooner or later, when Mendo wns found, ho would bo found engaged In engineering In somo capacity. "It's In his blood," said Rodney, "ne enn no more keep away from it thnn ho enn stop brcnthlng. He enn't do anything else. Somewhere he's nt tho Helen Illlngworth Stood on the Steps of tho Private Car. old job. It might be In Americn, and it might bo out thero at Coronado, or It might bo In South America, Europe, Asia, or" "I wonder If wo can't find out nil tho engineering work thnt Is being dono In the world nnd send representatives to seek him," said Hclcu Illlngworth. Rodney laughed. "To hunt that wny would bo llko hunting a necdlo In a haystack. I can not bid you hopo that he Is there; In fnct, I think It Is most unlikely thnt ho would bo any plnco near whero tho Martlet people aro operating, but there's n, chnnco, oven If only tho fnlnt cst one." Well, women's hearts enn build n grout dcnl on a fnlnt chance. They aro calculated for tho forlorn hope. And so Helen Illlngworth stood on tho stops of tho private car as It rolled across tho mile-long temporary bridge nt Coro nado, and scanned tho workmen grouped on ono sldo of the track, their work suspended for a moment thnt tho train might pnss on tho wooden tres tllng, in hope that sho could seo In ono of them the man she loved nnd sought And Rodney stood by her Bide, equally Interested, searching the crowd with his glance, also. Thero was nothing In the town to at tract Helen out of tho car. She had visited West and Southwest many times. Coioncl Illlngworth, with Rod ney and Sevcrence, there left the train. Miss Illlngworth decided to go Into tho hills and get away from the arid and heated plains. A siding hnd been built nenr the steel nrch under the slope of tho hill from which tho huge mcsn nrosc, within two miles of tho dam, nnd the enr wns to bo plnced there. The men left behind would use the pri vate enr of tho division superintendent of tho rnilrond when they hnd ended their several tasks. It had been raining dismally during the afternoon, and when the car was detached and switched to tho siding and left up In the hills somo twenty miles from the town, It was too wet; and uncomfortable to leave It Dls-2 regarding tho downpour, however, Cur tlss, who hnd come up with It, made a very careful investigation of the completed bridge, which moro than surpassed his expectations In its ap pearance of sturdy grace, as well n3 in the evidences of careful workman ship In Its erection. That evening tho special engine pushed the other prlvato cur up from tho valley, bringing the people who had Inspected tho bridge. A few more weeks would complete the great via duct. Everything was proceeding In tho most satisfactory way and Colonel Illlngworth wns very much elnted over the situation. "Who would havo thought," ho said ns they snt down to dinner In the brightly lighted observation room, "that It would rain In this country nt this season of tho year?" "It will probably be over by tomor row morning," observed Rodney. "If It continued long enough and rained hard enough, that dam would have to be looked after. We'll go over and see It tomorrow," said tho colonel cheerfully. "What would happen If It gave way?" asked his dnughter. "It would flood tho vnlley, sweep nwny the town, nnd " he paused. "Well, fnthcr?" "Ruin tho bridge." "Wo enn't nfford to hnve another failure nftcr the International," said Sevcrence. Now thero wns n newcomer nt the tnble, n big rancher named Winters, whom Rodney hnd met In tho town and had introduced to Colonel Rling worth. Tho latter had Invited him to dinner nnd to stny tho night In the extra sleeper, nnd Winters, who hnd particular reasons for wanting to talk with Rodney and to meet Miss Illlng worth, had nccepted. "You enn count on Its stopping," he snld at last "My ranch Is a hundred miles to tho north of here. I heard Rodney was with your party, and as he was an old classmate of mine in fnct, my best friend nt Hnrvnrd along with Bert Mende" and the mention of tho forbidden name caused quick glances to bo passed around tho table, but rulscd no comment "tho chance of seeing him brought mo down here. I know tho weather along this wholo section of tho country; it's tho dryest place on earth, and I would almost of fer to swallow all the rnln that will fall after this storm spends Itself." "Well, thnt's good," snld Curtl3s, "be cnuso I've henrd thnt tho dam lacks very llttlo of completion, but that tho spillway has been delayed." "You'll And that tho storm has bro ken In the morning," said Winters con fidently. After dinner Colonel Rlingworth, de sirous of talking business, called tho men of the party, except Rodney nnd Winters, bnck Into tho observntlon room of the other car, leaving the two men with Helen. "Mr. Shurtllff," snld Helen, as the men stepped out on tho platform, tho secretary following, since his employer had Intimated his services might bo needed, "If you can, I wish you would como back here ns soon ns possible." "Certainly, Miss Rlingworth," said tho secretary, "immediately, If your father finds thnt ho does not need mo." "Rod," said Winters when they wero alone, "I'd go a long wny to see you, but I might ns well bo frank. I did not como down theso hundred miles, leaving my ranch In the dead of winter with all Its possibilities of mishap to tho cattle, simply to pso you, or even Miss Illlngworth here, although she Is worth It," ho went on with tho frank bluntness of a western man. "Of courso you didn't," said Rodney, smiling. "I know I'm not a sufficient attraction." "I came to talk about Meade." "Mr. Winters," snld Helen, clasping hor hands over her knees and lean ing forward, "'If you know anything nbout him, whero ho Is, what he Is doing, how ho fnros, is ho well, does ho think of I beg you to tell me." "Miss Illlngworth, thero Is nothing I would refuso to tell you If It rested with me." "I don't mind confessing to yon, you nro such old friends, you and Mr. Rod- ney, nnd so devoted to Bert, thnt I am worrying" "You need sny nothing more, Miss Rlingworth. I know nil about tho situ ation. Rodney wroto mo and" "Well, then, you understand my anx lety, my reason for asking?" "I do." "And you will tell us?" "I wish to heaven I could." "Can't you tell us anything?" "Well, yes, I can." "What?" "It may be a breach of confidence. "I'd take the risk," said the girl, her bosom heaving. Was sho at last about to hear from her lover? "Know where he Is, old man?" asked 1 Rodney. "I think so not sure, but" "Where?" from the woman, breath lessly. "I didn't agree to tell you that" 11111... V. "'! )MUl Ull'H 1 "All I con sny Is that after tho death of his father he turned up at my ranch one day some five months ago and told me nis story." "Whatl" exclaimed Rodney. "Did he tell you he wns Innocent?" "Not at first He told me he was guilty." "But you didn't believe mm, aia you?" asked the woman Impulsively. "I certainly did not." "Why not?" "Well, I don't know why. I Just didn't, that's nil. I know Mende. I know him well. I know his make-up. We get accustomed to sizing up a man's nctlons out West here, and it didn't take me longer thnn It took him to tell the story to know that It wasn't true." "Oh, thank you for that" said tho woman. "But our beliefs nre not evidence, Dick," Interposed Rodney. "Wo rnn't- nrnvA It ilnd Hint's tho point I told him," continued Winters, "tnat it was n aa uarneu lie i Deg vnnr nnrilon. Miss TIHntnvorth. I mean I told him thnt It wns not true nnd thnt he wns a fool for sticking to It, and er he admitted I er," floundered Winters, suddenly realizing that ho was on the eve of a breach of confi dence and checking himself Just In time. "In fnct, the subject was painful to him, apd I let him alone, which Is what we generally do to a mnn who doesn't wont his affairs Inquired Into too closely," Winters ended lamely, realizing how nenr he hnd come .to betraying his friend's confidence nnd telling of Meade's own admission that he had said what he had to save tho fame nnd honor of the fnther. "Well, what next?" asked Rodney, understanding as did Helen Rling worth herself the ranchman's hesita tion, nnd respecting It, although tho unavoidable Inference gave her great Joy. "He hung around the ranch for a month or six weeks to get his balance. Ho wns pretty badly broken up. I'm a bachelor myself nnd don't know much nbout those things, but I can sny thnt he loved you, Miss Rlingworth, more thnn life Itself." "But not more thnn the reputation of his fnther," sho snld with a little tlngo of bitterness. "Well, I tnke It he looked nt thnt ns a matter of honor. You know a man's got to keep his ideals of honor." "Even at the expense of a woman's heart?" said the girl. "It sounds hnrd, but I guess we've got to admit that But that's neither here nor there," he continued, gliding over tho subject, "the point Is I found thnt he hnd to flght It out himself, nnd I mnlnly let him nlone. I gave him a horse and gun and turned him loose In the wilds. Best plnce on enrth for a man In his condition, Miss Rlingworth. You can go out Into the wilderness and get nenrer to God thero than any place I know of. Ho came back finally, turned In his gun, borrowed the horse' bado me good-by, and said ho was go ing out to make a new start" "Where did he go? Which way?" "Ho was headed south when I saw him Inst, and all this lay In his way " "You menn ?" cried tho womnn. ' "IIo may be here?" sold Rodney. Winters nodded. "I hnve thought so. It's only n guess, of course, nnd probnbly a poor one. But when I read In tho papers thnt Colonel Illlngworth wns coming re Tan,d thnt you wero alne. and M as Illlngworth, I thought I'd Just tnke n run down here nnd seo what could bo done." "Oh, I'm so glad you havo come." BnldRodSS.1115 n th brIt" "How do you know, Rod?" none of them bears his name" 'He wouldn't work under his own name in the Mnrtlet Bridge company? said the woman. "CcrtalUy not. That was jnly my first step. I went around nmong So workmen, too, nnd I got a look at every 0t tlx,' Tm suro lle'8 not there." (TO nB CONTINUED.) Clock Struck One. ld1,Bo';0-"I rise by an alarm clock." Pretty Girl -I retire by one. There U goes now l" Judge,
