RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, OHIEF
t
WEB OF STEEL
By CYRUS. TOWNSEND BRADY father and son
BERT MEADE'S FRIENDS LOSE TRACK OF HIM WHEN HE
GOES WEST, CHANGES HIS IDENTITY AND GETS A o
. JOB, BUT THEY SET OUT TO PROVE HIM
BLAMELESS OF THE BRIDGE DISASTER
Bertram Monde, Sr., plans n International bridge for the Mnrtlet
Construction company. Ills Hon, Bertram Meade, Jr., resident engi
neer at the bridge site, nnd Helen llllngwortb, daughter of Colonel'
Illlngworth, head of the Martlet company, nre engaged to marry
when the bridge Is completed. Young Mcndo hud questioned his
futher's calculations but wus laughed nt. Tho bridge collapses with
ICO workmen. Meade, Sr drops dead ufter writing n letter for tho
public, taking all blame for the accident. This letter Is hidden by
Shurtlffc, a faithful old secretary. Young Meade tukes all blame to
protect Ids father's professional honor, breuks the engagement with
Helen and dlsuppeurs.
CHAPTER XI Continued.
Again the train was delayed and
held up for half an hour Just as It
reached the Mississippi river. He left
his scat In the dining car, his dinner
uneaten on tho table, to go out and In
epoct tho brldgo during the half-hour
that tho "limited" lay Idle. Tho next
day soino enormous Irrigation works
la western Nebraska so engrossed his
attention nnd nrouscd his Interest that
In eplto of himself he stopped over
between trains to sec them. And these
actions wcro typical.
Yet after every ono of theso excur
sions back Into his own field, his con
science smoto him. Wus he never to
get away from this engineering? Was
thcro nothing clso for him but brick
and stone, steel nnd concrete, designs
and plans nnd undertaking and accom
plishment In the world? Bccuuso It
was tho thing that ho must abandon
and put out of his mind, engineering
seemed tho only thing ho cared for.
Thcro would bo no engineering on that
ranch on tho slopes of tho rango. Ho
could scttlo tho question there.
Winters was glad to sco him. Ho and
Rodney and Mcndo hud been tho warm
,est of friends. Of course Meade could
not tell Rodney tho truth on account
'of his newspaper connections, but he
decided finally that ho could nnd would
tell Winters under assurance of abso
lute secrecy. For ono thing tho big
cattleman had bluntly refused to credit
his friend's first statements ; nnd, when
he at last heard the truth, ho blamed
him roundly while ho appreciated fully
,the nobleness of his self-sncrlflcc. The
clear-headed, practical Winters put It
this way: Meade was capable of do
ing Bplendld oervlco to humanity ns an
engineer and bado fair to bo even
greater than his father, yet for tho
sako of tho famo of n dead man, to
whom after all It would matter little,
ho had thrown away thut splendid op
portunity I
This was a new thought to Mcado
and a disturbing one. Unfortunately,
as even Winters was forced to ac
knowledge, tho suggestion camo too
lato. Tho courso had been entered up
on. It would bo cowardly to try to
chango It now. Indeed It would havo
been Impossible with tho disappear
anco of tho written protests nnd notes.
Even If Shurtllff had been willing, no
ono would havo believed a delayed re
traction nnd explanation, and Shurtllff
would not have been willing Mcado
well knew. Neither for thut mutter
was Meade himself. Ho was glad that
tho affair had been settled and would
not chango It even now though Win
ters rough-nud-rcady presentation of
tho situation disquieted htm.
Wluters, who saw how greatly over
wrought and unstrung his friend was,
contented himself with tho assertion.
Ho did not press tho point or argue It
with him. Ho rested quietly confident
that matters would right themselves
some way In tho long run. Ho treated
Meade exactly right. Ho left him to
his own dovlccs. He did not forco his
company upon him. Sometimes tho en
gineer would mount a horse and nil
at tho ranch were nt his disposal and
would ride away Into tho woods and
mountains with a camping outfit. Some
times ho would bo gono for several
days, coming back whlto and haggard
and exhausted but victor In somo hard
battlo fought out alone.
Ono day thcro camo to tho ranch a
lottor to Winters from Rodney, full of
friendly chat and pleasant remini
scence. "Moado has disappeared absolutely,"
wrote Rodney In closing. "Even Miss
Illlngworth, to whom ho was reported
engaged and upon whom I havo called
occasionally, says sho docs not know
his whereabouts. Of courso you saw
In tho papers his connection with tho
tragedy nnd failure of tho Internation
al?' Although his fiunk statement was
corroborated by thut of tho older
Heado'a private secretary, I havo never
been able to bcllovo it, neither docs
..Miss Illlngworth. I know Bert, and so
does she. Wo can't accept oven his
own testimony. Wo havo been work
ing togothcr to establish tho truth, but
with very faint prospects of success so
far. There's somo tremendous mystery
about It I havo thought that maybo
Meade might havo como to you. v If ho
Jta how him this latter and beg him
Copyright by Flemlnf II. Rrvell Co.
to tell us the exact truth nt any rate."
Winters pnssed tho letter over to
Mcndo without comment. Tho en
gineer rcud It with passionate eager
ness. Ho was hungry for any news of
Helen Illlngworth. .Rodney was call
lug upon her. A sharp pung of Jealousy
shot through him ut thut, although he
knew there wus no reason. Dear old
Rodney I Ho could sco his grave fnce,
his disapproving manner, his nir of un
belief, as he had taken down Meade's
words In Vo ofllce that tragic day.
Of course, Helen Illlngworth was not
a recluse ns he wus. Sho mingled In
society. Sho took up life with Its de
mands. Slro entered Into Its pleasures
and fulfilled Its duties. Ho was Jea
lous of everyone who might como in
contact with her, but ho know tho
names of uono except Rodney.
And they wero suspicious of his
avowal! That was balm to his soul.
Of courso Helen Illlngworth was sus
picious, but why should Rodney doubt
his assumption of tho blame? And
they were working to establish his In
nocence. Tho thought disquieted him
lest they should discover tho truth In
some way. And it gave him Joy also.
They would work despite any remons
trance from him. Ho thought of that
protest to his father always with un
cnslness. If ho could only have found
It and destroyed It himself he would
havo been happier. Could it bo In ex
istence somewhere? Would it turn up?
Would they unearth It? Well, ho had
lone Ills oust for his father, yet he was
glad those two disbelieved, nnd wero
working for him.
Mcnde had been tho most brilliant,
Winters tho most indifferent, Rodney
tho most persevering, of the trio at col
lege, no remembered that well. His
first thought was to forbid Rodney to
do anything further, although how far
his friend would respect his wishes he
could not tell. Anyway, he did not
have to decide that matter, because ho
could not say n word to him. To
havo allowed Winters tp write would
have betrayed his whereabouts. Ho
was llvlug with Winters under an as
sumed name of course, no had had
his hair cut differently and had grown
a beard and mustache. Ho thought It
would have tuken a keen eye indeed to
have recognized him with these
changes.
In tho cud ho handed tho letter back
to Winters, ouly charging him that if
ho wroto to Rodney ho must not betruy
tiio fact that Mcndo was with him. Ho
had plenty of tlmo to think over tho
situation, He decided finally that so
Winters Passed the Letter Over to
Meade Without Comment
long as ho had been born nn engineer
nnd trained and educated as an en
gineer ho would havo to bo until tho
cud of tho chapter, no would go out
and seek work, not such work as his
ability and experience, but under somo
assumed name he would begin at tho
very beginning, nt tho foot of tho lad
der ns a rodman, If ho could; and
then ho would work on quietly, faith
fully, obscurely, praying for his chanco.
If It camo ho would strlvo to bo equal
to tho opportunity; If It did not nt least
ho would bo engaged In honest work in
an honest way.
Jjl. - .
It was a very humble program, not
ut all promising or heroic or romantic,
Just a beginning. lie would work on
and wait. They wiy thnt nil things
como to him who wults. Thnt Is ouly
half true. Somo things como to him
who waits sometimes. Thnt Is more
nearly accurate. Well, he could think
of no better plan. So ho bnde Win
ters good-by, swearing him again to
secrecy until ho should lift tho ban
ngnlnst speech, and rodo nwny."When
ho got to tho little village on tho
Picket Wire below tho dam ho
stopped n long tlmo gnzlng nt tlto long
bridge, or viaduct, of steel that was re
placing tho old wooden trestle nnd
currying the railroad from tho hills
to the eastward over the river.
It was not such an undertaking ns
tho lost International, still It wus 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 people were
building this steel brldgo and they had
Just finished tho nrch up under the
mesa. A well-known construction com
pany was building tho great earth dam
across the Picket Wlro in tho vnlley.
Meade's engineering life had been
spent mainly out of the United States.
Ho had never been connected with tho
Martlet and Its employees until ho had
been associated with his father on tho
International. Ho could havo gone
among them with little danger of im
mediate discovery, since most of tho
men ho had known had gone down with
tho bridge, but ho decided not to do
so. Tho work on tho dam would be
simpler and ho would have less oppor
tunity to betray himself and it would
give him moro chanco to work up In a
plausible and rensonnblo way. Besides,
If Colonel Illlngworth came on to In
spect the bridge, ns ho would probably
do, Meado would havo to leave before
his .arrival. Tho dam would bo safer.
No ono would ever think of looking for
him there. And no ono would ever
rccognlzo In the rough-bearded work
man tho clear-cut, smooth-faced young
engineer of other days.
Tho dam was twenty miles up the
valley. Yes, he would be less apt to ho
observed working there than on tho
bridge. Yet as ho recalled that pri
vate car and that It might como there,
ho realized that sho might be on it
His heart leaped even as It had leaped
at the sight of tho viaduct then build
ing, as 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 was tho
uso? He would not daro trust himself
to look at her even from a distance.
No, It was tho dam that best suited his
purpose, so he turned away from tho
brldgo and rodo up tho vnlley. There
ho wns fortunate in falling Into a po
sition, as has been set forth.
CHAPTER XII.
Marshaling the Evidence.
For all her sweetness and light,
Helen Illlngworth was dowered with
intenso energy nnd n powerful will.
What sho began sho finished, nnd sho
was not deterred from beginning things
by fears of consequences. Sho wns con
vinced that Mcado had not told tho
truth In that famous declaration In his
father's ofllce. Sho 'respected him for
his dcslro to shield his futher's namo
and famo even at the expense of his
veracity, albeit sho would not havo
been a woman If she had not resented
tho fact thut In so doing ho had sacri
ficed her happiness as well as his own.
Tho question whether Meade, Jr.,
was tho more responsible or even re
sponsible at all was moro or less
academic to Colonel Illlngworth. He
would have had nothing further to do
with either of them If both wero living,
nnd certainly not with tho younger sur
vivor. Ho tried to bcllovo that If It
had como to a final cholco tho daugh
ter, in splto of tho fact that such Is
tho habit of women In tho cxperlcnco
of life, would not havo given up ago
and her father for youth and her lover.
Indeed sho was too genuinely devoted
to her father to do that except as a
last resort.
Sho cherished tho hope first, that
Meado could re-establish himself sho
had too sweeping a confldenco In his
character nnd capacity to doubt that
and second, that It could bo shown
thnt ho had not been responsible for
tho falluro of tho bridge. Sho wus
moro and moro convinced that his as
sumption of tho blnmo had been dlc
tntcd by tho highest of motives and
Instead of being a fit subject for ccn
suro and condemnation, he merited nd
miration and applause. Sho hoped with
her woman's wit to provo this event
ually, perhaps In splto of her lover,
and to this end sho applied herself as
siduously to solvo tho problem.
To her, at her request, camo Rod
ney. Now tho reporters had dealt very
gently with Helen Illlngworth. They
had' mado no announcement of tho en
gagement or of Its breaking nt ber fa
ther's earnest request Thcro was no
necessity of bringing her Into the
brldgo Btory, although It would havo
added a dramatic touch to their nar
ratives. Her Inclination had been to
avow It. But upon reflection she saw
It would have annoyed her fnther be
yond expression, It would not have
helped Meade any and It might ham
per her In her work. Sho realized
thnt sho had Rodney to thank for this
omission and after sho had time to col
lect herself she asked him to cull upon
her. He wns very glad to come.
"I sent for you, Mr. Rodney, on ac
count of Mr. Bertram Mcnde," she be
gun, after thnnking hlui for his cour
tesy towurd her tho dny tho older
Mcndo died and thereafter. "I want
you to help me."
"I Bhnll bo delighted to do so for
your own suko. I know how deeply
Interested you uro In Meade's rehabili
tation." "Mr. Rodney," returned tho woman,
(lushing n little, "you know of course
thnt wo were engaged. He considers
the engngement broken."
"I supposo so. Thnt would be like
him," suld Rodney gravely. "Indeed
as a man of honor ho could do no lest."
"You nre all alike," said tho worn-
4in a little bitterly. "Your notions nre
"The King Could Do No Wrong."
supreme. You may sacrifice love nnd
your best friend so long as you pre
serve tnoso notions or nonor intact."
"And vet If we weren't honorable
men you wouldn't care for us at nil."
"Xea, I suppose that's it. Well, I do
care very much, as you understand. I
may as well bo frank with you. My
father, of course, is bitterly antagonis
tic to Mr. Meade. Ho won t even al
low his name to bo mentioned."
"One can hurdlv blnmc him for Hint.
Miss nilngworth. Tho falluro of tho
brldgo seriously embarrassed thoMurt
let Bridge company, and It Is a greut
handicap for them to overcomo In seek
ing any further contracts."
"But I did not summon vou hero to
discuss tho affairs of the Martlet
Brldgo comnany." said Helen. "Inter-
estlng though they may be, but to seo
ii Dy wonting together there was not
somo wny by which we could provo
that Bertram Meade has assumed tho
blame to save the honor and famo of
Ills-father."
"You believe that, Miss Illlngworth?"
"I am sure of It"
"So am I." said Rodney quickly.
"Thank God." cried tho clrl n ilttlo
hysterically, surprised and almost
swept on: ner reet Dy this prompt
nvownl by Ono Who. thouch vnnnir wnn
already an authority In tho literature
01 engineering. "Why Uo you say that?
What evidence huvo you?"
"Unfortunately," answered Rodney,
"I haven't any tangible evidence what
ever, but I know Bert Meade as few
peoplo know him, Miss Illlngworth,
perhaps not even you," ho went on, In
splto of her unspoken, but vigorous
protest nt thnt lust Statement-, nn nlin
shook her hend nnd smiled at him.
"And there are several Ilttlo circum
stances thnt mako mo feel that ho
could not havo been to blamo. Havo
you any ground for your conviction?"
. "Probably even less thun you hnvo
nnd yet I, too, know him." nelen Il
llngworth looked Into the plnln, home
ly, but strong, rellnble face of tho
man and dismissed any thought of re
servo from her mind.
"Let us place," sho began, "tho Ilttlo
circumstances upon which our Intui
tions nro bused, If Intuitions nro over
based on anything tangible, together.
Perhaps tho sum of them may yield
something."
"Tho suggestion Is admirable," as
serted Rodney, "and ns I knew him
first nnd longest I will begin. Perhaps
It would bo well, too, to tako notes so
that wo may consider them nt leisure,
gottlng'nn eyo view as well as an ear
view of them."
"Now, In tho first place," ho began,
writing and speaking nt tho samo time,
"point cmo Is Mcndo's absolutely un
bounded devotion to his father. Tho
old man was not always right The
boy was as clear as a bell on most
things, but I recall that ho would main
tain his father's propositions tena
ciously, determinedly, long after every
body, nerhnns even tho old mnn Mm.
I self, bad been convinced of their fal
m
lacy. Engineering Is in Mcndo's blood.
Ho In tho fifth of his family to grndu
nto nt Harvard and threo of his for
bears wem engineers, his grandfather
noted and his father world-fnmous. Ho
fairly Idolized his futher. Tho affec
tion between them wus delightful. Tho
king could do no wrong. Meade wns
quick-tempered and not very receptive
to criticism, but he would take tho se
verest stricture from the old mnn with
out a murmur."
"Hero we hnvo," suld the woman,
who hnd listened with strained ntten
tlon, "un enrly devotion to u person
nnd nn unbounded respect for his at
tainments. Go on."
"Tho next point Is, Monde wus In
ordlnntely proud of his fumlly reputa
tion, especially In tho engineering
field. Of the two of the line who wero
not engineers, ono was a soldier nnd a
distinguished one, but his career had
little Interest for Mcndo. I have heard
him say thut thcro had been u steady,
upward movement In his family, that
hud renched its culmination In his fa
ther. Ho hoped to bo n good, useful
engineer, but be never dreumed of go
ing nny higher or even npproaclilug
tho ultltude.of tho other mun."
"It wns n sort of fetish with him,
then, wasn't It?" Asked the woman us
Rodney stopped ugnln.
"You hnve hit it exactly. Ills love
for the man, his admiration for tho
engineer, which sometimes blinded
him, and his pride In his father's curcer
as typifying his family, was un
bounded." "You huvo established a motlvo for
any sacrifice ; love, respect, prldo I"
"Thnt's the way It presents itself to
me, Miss Illlngworth. I know thor
oughly tho quixotic, Impulsive, sclf
sacrlficlng nuturc of tho mun. I know
that ho would huvc dono unythlng on
enrth to save his father, even at tho
sacrifice of his own curler, and since I
have seen you I cun realize how pow
erful theso motives must have been."
Rodney said this quite simply, ns If
It were a matter of course, rather than
n compliment, and bluntly as he might
have said it to a friend nnd comrade,
and Helen Illlngworth understood and
wns grateful.
"It has been a grief to me that I
weighed so little In comparison," she
said simply.
"I shouldn't put It that way exact
ly," observed Rodney carefully. "You
seo even If it could be shown that It
was tho old man's fault entirely tho
ydung one would still have to share
somo of the blame."
"You mean ho should hnve foreseen
It and pointed It out?"
"I think he did, but If he did fore
see It nnd point It out, he should not
have allowed the older man to overawe
him or force him to accept whut ho be
lieved to bo structurally unsound. I
don't know whether he reasoned It out
I don't think he bud tlmo to argue tho
case, the shock was so swift and sud
den, but as soon as ho did see the situ
ation he discovered that you were lost
anyway, except of tho churlty of your
affection, which he could not accept,
and thnt he could save his father. This
may all bo the wildest speculation, but
this Is tho way It presents Itself to
me."
"And to me," said Helen, "but before
wo go any further, let mo soy I should
rather bo his wife than enjoy any other
fortune."
"That Is tho kind of affection his
qualities merit and would evoke In
the mind of a discerning woman."
"Thank you. Will you go on, now?"
"Of courso you know that what we
have said Is not evidence. It Is all as
sumption, perhaps presumption."
"It's as true as gospel," said tho girl
earnestly.
"To you and to me, yes. Well," he
continued, "I remember thnt Meade
and I wero talking Just before he went
to Burma three years ago about a new
book by a German numed Schmidt
Chemnitz, In which certain methods of
calculations were proposed for the de
sign of lacings. You know It was the
lacings of ono of the compression
members of tho cantilever that gave
way."
"Well Meado and I got Into a hot dis
cussion over somo of Schmldt-Chem-
nltz's formulas. I maintained thnt they
wero wrong. He took the opposite
view. Ho wns right Ho wns so In
terested In tho matter that after we
separated ho wroto mo a letter about
It, adding somo new arguments to re
enforce his contention. The other day
I mado a careful search among my pa
pers and by happy chanco I found the
letter. I wns half-convinced by his
reasoning then, although the matter
was dropped. I am altogether con
vinced now. His argument Is very
clear. I have examined since then the
plnn nnd sketches for that bridge. The
calculations did not agrco with those
of Schmldt-Chemnltz. His methods
wero not used. Meado could not havo
forgotten tho matter. I am morally
certain that ho made a protest to his
father, probably In writing, then al
lowed himself to bo persuaded by his
father's reasoning. As a matter of
fact, I supposo that Bertram Mcado,
Sr wus a greuter authority on steel
brldgo designing than even Schmidt
Chemnitz. Well, sometimes, tho small
or man Is right. Wo know now, and
Bertram Meude, Sr., would admit It If
ho wero, alive, that Schmldt-Chemnltz
was right, and wo can mako a good
guess thnt young Mcado did not let It
pass without a protest."
"Mr. Rodney, It's wonderful."
"Well, thnt's not nlL Thero was not
a little bit of hesitation In Meade's
assumption of tho blame, not a person
who heard it doubted It apparently
But I was tho first man to seo tho older
Meado except his son and Shurtllff."
"Oh, Shurtllff I"
"We'll como to him presently. It
wsb obvious that the older Mcado had
been writing. I don't know whether
tho others noticed It but It is my bus
ness to take lnjoven inconsiderable do
talis. Tho pen was still between his
fingers. His hand wns constricted nnd
tho pen had not dropped out In fact,
I myself took It out and laid It on
tho desk."
"Ills lust conscious net wus to vrlto
something, therefore?"
"Yes; for confirmation I nsccrtnlued
thnt there were Ink-stains on his fin
gers." "Whnt did he write nnd to whom!"
"I don't know. I enn only guess."
"What do you guess?"
"Tho assumption of entire responsi
bility nnd the cxculputlonof his son,
prnbnbly to some paper."
"From tho sumo motives thnt
prompted Rert?"
"No, hpcmiso It wns true. But thnt
Is only an assumption, although not nl
together without further evidence."
"And whnt Is that?" asked the wom
an eagerly.
She had sat down opposite Rodney
nt tho table nnd wrifl leaning townrd
him. Her color enmo and went, her
breathing wns rapid and strained un
der tho wild beating of her heart.
"Tho blotter on the desk. I exam
ined It nt my leisure. It had been
used some time. I went over It with a
magnifying glass. Mcnde, Sr., had evi
dently written a letter. I found tho
words 'fault Is mine.' I hnve the blot
ter In my desk. Tho word 'fault' Is
barely decipherable, 'Is' enn bo mndo
out with difficulty, but 'inlno is qulto
plain. I nm familiar with tho older
Meade's handwriting, nnd though this
Is wenkcr nnd feebler nnd moro Irregu
lnr than wns his custom ordinarily
ho wrote a bold, free hnnd this Is un
mlstaknbly his. Of course no one can
say that he wroto any letter. This Is
piling assumption upon assumption,
and, furthermore, there Is no evidence
of nny signature having been written
beneath It."
"Is thnt nil?"
"There Is one moro bit of evidence.
The sheet of pnper on which tho do
sign computations for the compression
chord members nppear was not with
the other plans nnd tracings of the
bridge."
"How do you know?'
(
"These plans wero taken ovpr by
tho Martlet company after Mcndo's
death, and Mr. Curtiss and I examined
them. We found thnt sheet missing."
"It's wonderful I" cried tho girl, her
eyes shining. "I wns convinced be
fore, but, If I had not been, you would
have persuaded me beyond a doubt
"I havo persuaded myself, too," said
Rodney. "But there Is not a single
thing hero that would Justify any pub
licity, even If wo were prepared to go
against Meado's obvious desire. As I
say, It Is all assumption. No one could
prove It."
"You nro wrong," said the girt
"Shurtllff."
"I wondered If thnt would occur to
you."
"Of course. You think thnt Meade,
Sr., wrote a letter assuming tho blame
because It was his. I have no doubt
In tho world now that Bertram Meade
had made his protest In writing. Per
haps ho Indorsed It on tho missing
sheet," continued tho woman, making
bold and brilliant guesses. "Or maybo
he wroto a letter that was attached
to the sheet that we lack, and Mr.
Meado got It out of the safo and
wrote his letter and attached it with
Bertram's protest to the missing draw
lug and gave them to Shurtllff and told
hlra to take them to the pnpers. You
know Shurtllff suld thnt Mcado de
clared he would assume the blame and
ho told tho reporters so. Shurtllff has,
or ho knows who has, the missing pa
per." "But what motive would the secre
tary havo for such concealment?"
"He Idolized the older Meade. Mr.
Cjirtiss told me ubout him. A fatlure
Tho Woman Rose to Her Feet
himself when ho was a young man,
Mr. Meado had faith in him and of
fered to promoto his engineering ef
forts, but the mnn preferred to attach
himself, personally, to Mr. Meade and
so ho became his private secretary.
By his own showing ho had been with
tho dead man on thut afternoon. He
has tho pnpers."
Tho woman roso to her feet ns she
spoke with flno conviction.
Fate, It seems, nas marxed a
strange pathway for young
Meade to follow. Things 'begin
to happen around him at his
new Job. There are Interesting
developments In the next In
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