The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, March 22, 1917, Image 6
LOU NEBRASKA, OHIE K OF STEEL By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY and CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY, Jr. Autnor nna cierayman Civil Entflnccr This Is a Thrilling Story of American Life as Strong, Courageous Men Live It Copyright by Fleming II. Revell Co. YOUNG BERTRAM MEADE LEARNS IN A FRIGHTFUL EX PERIENCE JUST HOW MUCH HELEN ILLING WORTH MEANS TO HIM 1LI The Martlet Construction Company Is building Krcut Interna tional bridge planned by Bertram Meade, Sr., a famous engineer. Ills Hon, Rortrum Meade, Jr., resident engineer nt the bridge, Is In lovo with Helen Illlngwortli, daughter of Colonel Illlngworth, president of the company. Young Meado questioned his father's Judgment on tho strength of certain Important steel beams In tho gigantic structure but was laughed to scorn. Ho still has prlvato doubts, though out wardly agreeing with his elder. CHAPTER II Continued. 2 In spite of herself the woman looked ht him. "Hut now?" she whispered ns ho hes itated, anil then she turned her head half fearful of his answer. "I am almost afndd to say It." ho said, lowering his voice to match her own. "A soldier of steel," sho said, "and afraid I" "Well, then, all that wns tho second now takes the third place." "And before, your father comes?" Hut she did not give him tlmo to an swer. "Lome," sue sum, "ici us go out on the bridge." "It's a rough plnce for you. Those little slippers you wear" He looked down, and ns If In obedi ence to his glance sho outthrust her foot from her gown. It was not the smnllest foot that ever upbore a wom an. Quite the contrary. Which Is not saying It was too large, not at all. It was Just right for her height and fig tire, and Its shape and shoo left noth ing to bo desired. "Never mind the slippers," sho said; "they are stronger than they look. They'll serve." "Hut the distanco between hero and the bridge Is Inches deep In dust." "Dust I" she exclaimed In dismay. I don't mind rough walking, but dust" "I never thought of that," admitted the man. "The fact Is I have thought of nothing but you since I saw you, but now we'll have to go back or " "I shall not go back," she answered flrmly. lie stepped down off tho platform, and before she knew what ho would be at, ho lifted her straight up In his arms. He did not carry her like a baby, he held her erect, crushed against his breast, and before sho had time to litter a protest, or even to say a word, ho started through tho dusty roadway toward the bridgehead. It was a strange position. She knew she ought to protest, but the words would not come. Whilst she was try ing to think them up, they had crossed tho little desert that Intervened be tween tho portal of the bridge and the end of the platform. Then he set her down gently. "Thank you," sho said simply, "that was very nice of you. You are wou derfully strong." The moon, by this time, had passed tho floor level nnd the cross-bracing cast a network of shadows over them, upon track and lloor beams nnd string ers. The silence of tho half-light, the mystery of It all oppressed them a little. It was with beating hearts that they pressed on. I CHAPTER III. Fall and Revelation. "It's rather confused In here," said tho man, "but wo will soon got out toward tho end nnd then the view Is tuagultlcent. You can see up and down the river for miles and tho night boat will be along In a few minutes." "Isn't that It?" asked tho woman, pointing up tho river to where a clus ter of lights rounded n huge bend not far away, and swung out In midstream. "Yes," said tho man, "If wo listen I think wo can hear her." They both stopped and, suro enough, faintly across tho water enmo tho noise of clanking paddles of the big river steamer. With that sound also mingled the song of the night wind, for a wonder comparatively gentle, making strange, weird harmonies as It sifted through the taut and rigid bars of steel. She listened enchanted with the sound. Tho big lloor beams extended from one Bide to tho other of the bridge, between the trusses at intervals of fifty feet. At right angles to them and Glx feet apart, the stringers ran length wuyB parallel to tho trusses. Here and there pieces of timber falsework had been thrown across tho stringers for tho convenience of tho workmen, but as these two slowly moved toward mid st ream at last these pieces became fewer, and finally there was nothing to be seen hut the heavy lloor beams end tho lighter stringers. After they passed the top of the pier and got beyond the small space of river bank on which the pier was set, there was nothing between them and tho wnter, now moonlit and quivering, except these cross-girders of steel on either hand beyond the planking In the trucks:, "Have you a cleur head?" asked the man. "I mean does It affect you to bo on high elevations? Do you get dizzy?" "I never have," was the answer, "but" "I think I'll hold you," was tho reply. Ho grasped her llrmly by the arm. Tho loose wrap sho was wearing over her shoulders did not cover her arms, and It was u bure arm that ho took In his hand. "I beg your pardon," ho said quick ly, "but" "It doesn't matter. I understand. You would better hold me, I might slip." There was something electric and compelling In tho pressure of his strong hand upon the firm flesh of her round arm. She shrank closer to him, again unthinkingly, by a natural Im pulse. Tho moon was now well clear of the brow of tho highest hill. Its yellow wns turning to silver and In Its cold and beautiful Illumination tho whole river flowed bright beneath them. Ev ery Inch of tho bridge was now clearly revealed In tho white, passionless light. Fifty feet away it ended In tho air. They were now almost directly be neath tho traveler, near the end of the suspended span. Its huge legs sprawled out like those of a gigantic nnlmnl on tho extreme edges of the brldgo on ei ther side above their heads. Tho wood en platform on tho truck ran out half tho distanco to the bridge end. Slowly tho two walked nlonir It until but a few feet were left between them and tho naked floor beams and tho string ers carrying tho ties to which tho rails were bolted and the planks laid. Uy tho side of tho track on tho top of the stringers had been placed a pile of material surmounted by a lnrge flat plate of steel, which lay level upon It. It was triangular In shape, the blunt point Inward. The base which waB about six feet wide paralleled tne courso of the river. Tho plato on tho top of tho pile was raised about three feet above the level of tho truck. They stopped ubreast of It. "Can't wo go any further?" asked tho girl In low tones, still closo to tho young man, who still lightly clasped her arm. "I'm nfruld It wouldn't bo Bafo to go nny farther," he said. "I want to see the steamer. It will pass directly under tho bridge." "They have no business to pass un der the bridge," said Meade. "They'vo been warned hundreds of times nnd or ders have been Issued. Thero is al ways danger that something might fall." "Why can't I stand up thero?" "On that gusset plate?" "Is that what you call It?" "Yes, It bears the same relation to structural steel that a gusset does to a woman's dress. "Exactly. Hut can't I stand on It?" "Walt," he answered. IIo climbed to tho center of It, lifted himself up and down on bis feet to test It, and found It solid apparently. "I think so, but I shall have to put you up," ho said at last as ho lifted her up and set her down on her feet In the middle of the plate of steel. "Oh, thero comes tho steamer," sho cried. "I can see It beautifully from here." "Ho careful. You must not move. Stand perfectly steady. I am not so sure of that plate." lie reached over from where ho stood on tho track be low her and by her side and gathered the material of her dress In an Iron grasp. "I do not think that Is necessary," she said. "This plate seems as solid as the rest of the bridge ami oh, there's the steamer ! She's right under us." Tho big river craft was tilled with light and laughter. The wind fortu nately blew the smoko away from tho bridge so that they hail a clear and perfect view of her. There was a band playing aboard her. They heard tho music above the beat of the whirling puddles, the song of tho rising wind. The passengers were congregated about the rails on tho tipper decks staring upward. Tho bridge wns as fascinating to them us It wus to tho people ashore evidently. "How Interesting," said tho delight ed girl. "Why don't you como up here yourself, you can see so much better?" The man had dropped her gown, lift ed his right foot to tho pllo on tho stringers to follow her suggestion. Thoughtlessly she stepped toward tho gctful of his caution. Heforo ho could complete his step or warn her of tho danger, It now bent forward. It tilted distinctly. In spite of herself, Helen Illlngworth was carried still farther forward ns sho sought to reguln her balance. Tho piece of steel began to slip downwnrd, grating on tho pllo of beams ns It moved; another second and It would be off and on Its way Ir revocably. Meado throw himself nt tho girl, no lunged out and caught her Just ns sho was slipping downward with tho plato now almost perpendicular. To catch her he had to step to the very edge of tho planking beyond which tho rails ran naked on tho ties. With n tremendous effort ho caught her by tho waist, swung her up and In, nnd stood fast on the brink quivering, heaving himself desperately buckward as he sought to maintain his balance and take tho backwurd step that meant safety. A wild shout roso from the steamer as tho huge plato dropped, like tho blade of n mighty guillotine, straight down through the air. If it had struck tho boat, It would have cut through like n knife. Fortunately It cleared tho gangway by Inches. In n second It had disappeared. Screams, shouts, arose from the boat which promptly sheered off into midstream. Ilelen Illlngworth'a back had been toward Meade us he seized her. She hud seen ns ho hud everything that happened. Recovering himself at last, he stepped back slowly, almost drug ging her, until they were a safo dis tance from tho edge. His face wns ghastly white In tho 'moonlight Sweat covered his forehead. He was shaking like n wind-blown leaf. "Tho whole world went blnck when I saw you go," ho said slowly. "Do you caro that much?" asked tho girl, trembling herself. Thero wns no necessity for maidenly reticence now. "Caro?" said tho man. "Care?" "I'm nil right now." "You arc more fortunato than I. I stood to lose you. you stood to lose only life. Don't you see? Cun't you understand?" Suddenly ho swept her to his breast as this tlmo she faced him. Sho was very near him and sho did not make the slightest resistance. She had wait ed for this hour nnd sho wns glad. They had faced death too nearly for uny hesitation now. Sho knew ho loved her, and knew that ho had saved her at tho Imminent risk of his own life. Thero had been swift yet eternal moments when It seemed that both of them, trembling on tho brink, would follow the downward rush of tho gUBset plnte. Now as ho strained her to him, she lifted her fnco to hlra, glad that sho was tall enough for him to kiss her with so slight n uena or the head. There, under the great trusses of steel, nmld tho huge, gaunt, mnsslvo evidences of tho power of tho might, of tho mastery of man, two hearts spoke to each other In tho silence, and told tho story that was old beforo tho flrst smelter had ever turned the first oro Into tho flrst bit of Iron, beforo Tubal Cnln ever smoto the anvil; tho story of love that began with creation, that will outlast nil tho Iron In all the hills of tho earth that Is as eternal ns It Is divine I After Mint wild embrace, that flrst rapturous meeting of lips, he released maSSSmSk MSira He Lunged Out and Caught Her. her slightly, though ho still held her closely and she was qalto content. "I'm qulto culm now," he began, "that Is, I am as composed as any man could be who Is holding you In his urms. Hut if It had not been for me, you would never have been In danger. It was my fault. 1 should have made sure. I shall never forgive myself." "Hut If I had not been In danger I might not now bo hero In your arms. And If I were not here," sho went on 1 swiftly, too happy In her lovo to lie mindful of nn thing else, "I certulnly outer end to a u hint room, quite for- would not be doing this." And of her own motion she kissed him In the moonlight. "And if you were not doing this," snld he, making the proper return, "I might not have hud the courugo to tell you." "You haven't told mo anything In words," sho answered, fain to hear from his lips what she well knew from the beating of his heurt. "It's not too Into then to tell you Mint I love you, that I am yours. To give myself to you seems to bo tho highest possibility In life, If you will only take me." "And do you lovo mo inoro than tho bridge?" "More thun nil tho bridges In tho world, pnBt, present nnd to come ; more than anything or anybody. I tell you I never knew what lovo was or what llfo was until I saw you Blldlng to your denth. If I had not succeeded I should have followed you." "I felt that, too," she answered dreamily. "We must go back, dearest," he said nt last, "I am bo fearful for you even now that I am almost unwilling to try It. Every tlmo I glunce down through these Interspaces between tho string ers my blood runs cold." "You supported mo beforo; I will support you now," laughed the woman, woman. "No," suld tho man, "'wo will go to gether." They turned toward Mio shore, ne took her hand and slipped his other arm about her Just ns simply nnd nat urally as If they had been nny humble lover and his lass In tho countryside. Hy and by they got to tho end of tho bridge. Far down the platform they could seo tho lights of the cur. "Listen," sho said as they walked slowly nlong. "You must not tell fa ther anything about this little acci dent" "I obey, but why not?" "It would only worry him, and It was my fault." "No, mine." "I will not hear you say It" "Rut I must speuk to your father about " "And tho sooner tho better; he Is In good humor with you nnd tho bridge now. I hnvo heard him speak well of you. I believe ho will bo glad to glvo mo to you." "And If not?" "I should hate to grlevo my father, but" Sho turned and looked at him In tho moonlight, her glorious golden head, her neck, her shoulders, her urms baro nnd beautiful In tho celestial Illumi nation. He seized her hand nnd lifted It to his lips as a devotee, and she un derstood tho renson for tho little touch of old-world formality nnd reserve, when naught but his will prevented hlra from taking her to his heart and making her lips, her eyes, her faco, his own. "Now may God deal with mo as I deal with you," ho said fervently, "If I ever fall at least to try with all my heart and soul and strength to measure up to your sweetness and light" "My prayer for myself, too," she whispered. "You need It not." "You must wait here," sho said, deeply touched, ns they hnd now reached tho steps of tho car, "until I hnvo changed my dress; father would notice anybody would that tear. When I have finished I will como back fo you and then we will seek him nud tell hlmi,r Accordingly Monde stood obediently waiting outside tho car In the shadow It cast There wus no one about Tho servants hud gono to bed. Tho porter of tho car wus nodding In his quarters, waiting for the tlmo to turn out the lights. Tho engineer hnd tho long platform all to himself. After a tlmo ho chose to walk quietly up and down, thinking. The future looked very fair to him. "Hert," a sweet voice enmo to him out of tho dnrkness. Ho turned to dis cover her standing In the door of tho cur dressed ns sho should have been for such an excursion had she at Hrst followed her father's wise suggestion. Ills heart thrilled to tho use of tho fa miliar name. "Hert, I'm coming down to you." Hand In hand they wulked to tho renr of the cur, where tho observation platform wus still brightly lighted. Ab bott had gone nnd the other threo men were on their feet. They were about to sepurnto for the night, although It wus still rnthor early. "Father," said his daughter out of the darkness. "Oh, you'ro there," answered tne colonel. "I wondered when you were coming buck. I was Just thinking of coins to fetch you. Is Mr. Meade?" "I'm here, sir." "Good night, gentlemen," said tho colonel ns tho others turned away, leaving him nlono on tho platform. Ho camo to tho edgo and leaned over tho brass railing. "Are you two going to mnko a night of It?" ho asked Jocosely. "Colonel Illlngworth," began Meade. "Father," said his daughter at tho same time, "we huvo sumethiug to say j to you." Colonel Illlngworth opened the gate, lifted tho platform, und descended the steps. "Here I am," he said ns he stopped by the two. His daughter took him by the nrm nnd they wulked down the platform so ns to be out of any possible hearing from the car. "Now," she Paid to Meade, who fol lowed her. Ills heart wns bcntlng almost as rap idly as It hud on the bridge, und for exactly the sumo reason fear of los ing her. He tried to sponk. "Well, young man?" sold Illlng worth, flicking the ushes from his clgur und wishing to get It over, "you suld you hud something to say to me." "It's n very hard thing to sny, sir." He looked helplessly nt the girl, but she wus speechless. It wns his task. If she were not worth asking for, she wns not worth having, she might have said. "Well, sir," he began desperate ly, "I love your daughter, Ilelen. I want to marry lior." "Umph," said the colonel, "I sup posed as much. How long have you and Helen known each other?" "Over a year, sir, but I loved her from the very moment I saw her. 1 lid tint ibirn bono. I didn't dream, I never imagined, und strange ns It muy seem, sir, she seems to love me." "Of course I do," said Helen, realiz ing that It was now high time for her to come to the rescue of her lover, "und so would any other woman." "You know, of course, that whllo I nm not rich, I nni not poor, und I can support my wife In every comfort, sir," urged the man, greatly relieved by the woman's prompt avowul. "She'll need a few luxuries besides, I'm thinking." "Yes, of course, sir, I'll seo Mint she cots them. This bridge Is going to make us all famous, and I shall huve my father's Influence nnd" "When the bridge Is finished," said tho colonel decisively, "come to me nnd you shall hnvo my daughter." "Oh, father, the bridge won't be nn lshed for" begun the girl. "I understand, sir," answered the en gineer, too huppy at her father's con sent to mnke uny difficulties over nny reasonable conditions ho might Impose. "Yes, Helen, it's all right ; your father Is right. This Job's got to be done bo- fore I" "Oh, don't say beforo you tackle an other," protested the girl, hnlf disap pointed, nnd yet seeing tho reasonable ness of both men, while the colonel laughed grimly. "That's about tho size of It," Bald tne old mun, "no matter how you put It One thing nt a time. Meade, I don't know anybody on earth I would rather have for my son-in-law Minn a clean, hniiosr. nblo American with n record like yours. A man who can look me In the eyo and grasp me by the hand, like this." He put out his hnnd ns he spoke. Meade's own palm met It and the two mnn Riinnk hands unemotionally but flrmly, after tho manner of Mie self restrained, practical American, who is always fearful of a sceno und does not wear his heart upon his sleeve. The colonel threw nwoy his cigar, slipped his arm around his daughter's wulst, kissed her softly on tho forehead. "I hate to lose you. Helen. I hate to give you up to anyone. We have been very happy together since your mother died, leaving you n little girl to me; but It had to come, I suppose, nud per haps I shall be glad In tho end. Good night, Meade. You will bo coming In presently, Ilelen?" He turned and walked awny ns they answered him. They watched him go slowly with bended head. They watched him climb, rather heavily, up the steps to the car that he wns an old mnn seemed rather suddenly borno In upon them. Ho stood for a moment In tho light, smiling, remembering, nnd then turned und mnrched within the car. He switched the light out as he passed down tho corridor. "Wasn't ho splendid?" said nelen, when she had tlmo to breathe and free dom to speuk. "Ono of the finest old men on enrth. IIo nnd father would mnko a great team." "I was Interested In tho brldgo, bo fore," said tho woman, "but think how 1 shall watch It now. You must write mo every day and tell me every Inch that you have gained." "Trust me, I'll measure It In milli meters." "And now, sweet love, good night," sho whispered. And sho laughed ns sho looked back at him through the door. N.iw, nttei n week's conll .uent lu lils cabin, he felt strong enough to ven ture out again and to attack hts prob lem They wero personnl problems now, much moro Intimate Minn before, for he wub building not only the brldgo but weaving lu Us web of steel his own future happiness. Of course he bad been able to get out on the rough porch of his galvan ized Iron shuck where he hud tho bridge In full view, and the day beforo he hud even wnlked unsteadily down to the river bank, where he hnd been equally surprised und delighted nt tho progress that had been made. Abbott wns a driver after bis own heart ltcni ly tilings seemed to have gone on Just ns well without him ns if he hnd been on the Job. He hnd not been lonely In his Illness, for till of the chief men con nected with the construction had dono their best to beguile the tedium of hts hours by visiting him whenever they could spare the time. Abbott had been especially kind la his somewhat rough-and-ready way. The big construction superintendent was fond of Mende, although he un dervalued him. He regarded him moro as n Mieoretlcal than a practical man and the lnevltablo antagonism between the theorist und the practical man, when they are not combined In one per sonullty, wns Intent In Abbott's heart Nightly, he brought to Meade details of the progress of the work. That eve ning, Just before leaving, he remarked In the moBt casual manner In tho worla, ' as If It were a matter of little or no lm portnnce, that C-10-It was a trifle out of line. Now C-10-R wns the biggest member of the grent right-hand truss on tho north side of the river. It consisted of four parallel composite webs, each f v 7 II "When the Bridge Is Finished." formed of several plates of steel riv eted together. Those webs were con nected across their upper and lower edges by diagonal latticing mnde of steel angle bars. C-IO-U nnd Its parallel companion member, C-10-L, In the lef t hnnd truss, carried Mie entire weight of tho cantilever span to the shoo rest ing on the pier. These members were sixty feet long nnd flvo feet wide. Tho Uivebs were over four feet deep and In size and responsibility the grent struts were the most Important of the whole structure. To say that C-10-R wns out of lino meant that it had buckled, or bent or wns springing, nnd hnd departed from that rigid rectangularlty and pnrullel Ism which wns absolutely necessary to maintain the stability and Immobility of the truss nnd the strengMi of the bridge. To the theorist nothing on earth could be more terribly por tentous than such a statement If It were true. To the prac tical man, who, to do him Justice, had never dealt with such vast structures and ho wns not singular In that bo- cause the brldgo wus unique on' count of Its size the deflection noted meant little or nothing. "Good God!" exclaimed Meade, aflnme on tho lnstnnt with anxious np prehenslon. The night wns warm aud he wus dressed in his pnjnmns and had been lying on tho bed. As If he had been shocked Into action he sat up, for getful of his weakness. "Deflection t" ho fairly shouted at Abbott, who re garded him with half-amused astonish ment, "a camber In O-IO-R? Why didn't you tell mo?" Hy this time Meado had got his feet Into his slippers und was standing erect "It Isn't enough to mnke any differ once," answered Abbott quickly, per haps a little disdainfully. "It makes nil tho difference on enrth," cried Mende. "It means tho ruin of tho bridge." He reached for his Jacket, hanging nt tho foot of the bed, and dragged It on him. "Don't worry about It youngster." snld Abbott rather contemptuously, al though ho meant to be soothing. "I'm going to Jack it Into lino nnd here," ho cried ns Mendo bolted out of Mio door, "you'd better not excite your tunc wuy. Como nncu to nod, ranic nnd" CHAPTER IV. The Deflection In the Member. Threo days after the departure of tho Illlngworth party the young en gineer fell HI with follicular toiisllltls, which Is about tho meanest small thing Mint can lay a strong man low. Ho fretted over his enforced absence from tho work und In the end had to pay for that very fretting, for ho got up too soon and went nut too quickly, and was promptly forced to bed again ns a con sequent of his Impatience. iniJS How young Meade faces a great crisis and what he does In trying to avert serious trouble Is told in a thrilling chapter In the next Installment. (TO HE CONTINUED.) Mu6t Do Able to Overlook. Two persons will not bo Mends long if they cannot forglvo each other I'ttio fallings. La Uruyuru, i 7 ri