msur crrv, rn.it.

CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY 'AUTHOR-/ "THC OiAUCC Of COUWCt" "TMt UUNO Of RKCHMAnOfC tTC,

AND

CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY JR

civil Btaruu*. CHAPTER I. Love of Woman.

i only lived up to their anUdpollonu, life would be a aucceoalon of atartllng cllmaxe*. It had been some mouths since Meade had seen Helen Illingworth. He had dreamed of meetlns her every day and had pictured the meeting differ' ntly and more rapturously after every letter. As a matter of fact the whole thing was casual and ordinary to the last degree^ It always Is. Doctor Reverence, a retired physician, who was vice president and financial man, and Curtiss, the chief engineer of the bridge company, were hard upon Miss Illingworth's heels as aha stepped down from the car to the station platform. He saw her. as It were, surrounded by prosaic men. The woman he loved got the same welcome and the same handshake as her father and the other two men. It was not until big Abbott, who had been belated by some sudden demand of work, came sweeping down the platform to engage the attention of the men that the anxious Meade had a moment with the girl

herself.

Now Helen Illingworth had also been seeing visions, so that she had been as disappointed as be. Hie only real satisfaction that either of them could take in the situation lav In the fact that the other was there. It was midsummer and the girt was dressed In some light, filmy fabric which well became her radiant beauty. Meade could look at a bit of structural steel work and tell yon .all about it All that he could have told you about the dress she wore was that It was exquisitely appropriate, but It never occurred to him that with a great price to a great artist Helen Illingworth had obtained that look of delightful simplicity. The gown was not wasted on Meade, she decided, as she caught his rapturous glance. She had never looked lovelier. She was not a fragile, ethereal woman; quite the reverse. That was one of ten thousand things Meade liked r.boot her. She could do all those athletic and practical things that modern young women can do and she could do them well. Meade was Intensely practical and efficient. He could do all of those things hlmseif and many more and he. liked to do them, and that Is one rea- i •on why be bad b'en attrn'-ted to her; j yet not for that alr-ne did he love her. ( On that soft summer afternoon she looked aa subtly delicate as every man \ would at one time or another have the woman he loves appear, a<’ as far removed from things strenuous as If in another world! He was wearing the rough clothes, flannel shirt, khaki trousers, heavy shoes and leggings which were his habitual use et work. Oontreeted with her filmy end delicately colored fabric his well-worn ollvedra* habiliments stood forth hideously. That U, he thought ao and the contrast sotn-how seemed typical of the difference between them as he consid-

ered her.

There was the careless insouciance of conscloni power In the bearing of the engineer which differentiated him from must of the men with whom she had been thrown In contact daring her life. The International Bridge was the biggest thing of the kind the Martlet company or any other American stnic tural plant had ever undertaken. It had been a constant topic of converx ation wherever her father was. She had heard all about it and although, strictly speaking, the bridge was the work, of Meade. Sr., yet she always Identified It with Meade, Jr. There w as a feeling In her mind that it was her bridge and that through him. she ccn> tuandod It. She was a supremely aa aured and entirely confident young lady, yet with the man by her aide she experienced a passing sense of uneatl-

ccrrmcnr or riDiws k nrvnx awwnr Re naa studied Us growth hour by , hour. As the great stuai web rose, h.’ 1 heart expanded with It He took pride In It even more when they began to push the suspended span across the river on the outer end of the completed cantilever, toward Its fellow rising on the other side. He lingered about It when the rest of the workaday world which was concerned with it had withdrawn to rest Frequently late In the night he bad arisen and had left the sheet-iron shack he occupied near the work (for the topography of the land and the course of the river had determined the locatl.n of the bridge far from any town), and In the moonlight he had gazed bewitched by the great web of steel, all Its mighty tracery delicately silvered, faintly outlined, laceUke, lofty, lifted high into the heavens. He tell Into a Uttle reverie for a brief moment from which she recalled

him.

“Welir she asked. “Tea. naturally." he found himself saying In a conventional tone of voice. *it means a great deal to me. My father—" “Oh. your father." she began Indifferently. although she knew and liked the great engineer. “It la his crowning work and“Yoar beginning." “It la not In me. or In any engineer, to begin where my father left off.’ said. “But this will count a great deal, because through father’s kindness I had some hand—" *T believe you did It all,” Interrupted the girl. He broke into sudden laughter, and his merriment had that boyish ling

the great, black, outre* ching, far■xtending arms of steel. The first sight : of It alwsys gave the beholder a little Shock. It was so huge, so massive, so | grandly majestic, and withal so airy, | possn seen against the Impressive background i of * of deep gorge and palisaded wall and far-off mountains. So ether-home was It In Us perfect proportion that even dull and stupid people—and none of theae were that—felt Its overpowering presence. Meade and the girt stopped too. After one glance at the bridge, she looked at him. And that was typ^ leak For the first time he was not at the moment aware of, or immediately responsive to. her glance. And that, too, was typical. She noted this with

a pang of jealousy.

“You love the bridge," she said

softly.

He straightened up and threw his torn, head back and looked at her. taint

CHAPTER II.

The Witness for the Oefenss. if the pleasant evidences of the of riches Is In the luxury Irate car. Although Colonel

ways more or lees of experimenting In the design of a new thing Uko this." “Yes," said the colon el, “but we don’t want our expolaiec: to fall In

this Instance.”

“They won’t," said the young man irth was personally a man of boldly.

tastes as became an old cam- He had long sines persuaded himself

!

form near the siding. At the end ot the platform, as they turned about the temporary station and storehouse, before them rose the bridge. The moon was rising over the high hills that ■prang up from the steep dlffUke bank of tbe other side of the vast river. They saw her round, red, full face

there was no appointment that he had been mU wrong and b\* P 1 " f ‘ u ‘; could devise 01 that monev father all rtrht an that he entered _ an Interlacing tracery of Steel

could devise ot that money father all right, so that he entered which was lacking to make upon his defense and the defense of ite car either more comfortable the bridge with enthusiasm. He was luxurious In Its napery. glass, ready to break a lance with anybody

silver, the dining Uble need- on its behalf."

apologize to any other any- “Well.” began the colonel, “we have le colonel was most pane- every confidence in your father and In dressing his part and Meade ..you. I don't mind telling you. Meade, were both scrubbed to It need not go any further, that when Inch of their lives, but. this bridge Is completed we shall be the bridge, their hands; prepared to make you personally a ■bed, roughened, stained and very advantageous offer for future refrom that, Meade was cer- 1st ions with the Martlet company If . presentable, and old Ah- you care to accept it. On the strength

“I thought so.” he said simply—“un- bott. 9T spite of bis Indifference to of your probable acceptance we are altil today, but now"—he stoppl'd again, su. U matters, looked the able and pow- ready planning to venture Into certain “But nowT" she asked. erful man he was. ' foreign fields which we have hitherto “I have Just learutd what love really Tll « conversation at dinner waa ot not felt It to our Interest to enter.” Is and the lesson has not been taught A r * t light and frivolous. “That Is most kind of you. Colonel me by a bridge." hennswered directly. "I'm lost.” began Abbott, “overpow- Illingworth," said the young man grateTct Bertram Meade, the younger, did cred with all this silver and glass and fully, “and it appeals to me very truly love the bridge which he had c * lln “-” strongly. I have been associated with seen grow from the placing of the first “Yes," laughed Meade, “we should father latterly. He wants to retire shoe—the great steel base on top of haTe brought along our granite ware with the completion of this bridge, and the pier which carries the whole bUtil- * nd lineups, then we would be free before I open any office of my own I ture—to the completion of the soaring trom tIle dreadful fear that we are go- should like the advantage of further cantilever reaching out to meet Its ,D £ ,0 dro P something or break some- experience. Such s connection as you companion on the other side—the great propose seems to me to be Meal, from International, which was to be tbe tie ‘‘ You c * n break anything you like." my point of view. No man could have that bound, with web of steel, two Mld ,h « colonel with heavy pleesan- any better backing than the Martlet

treat countries which lay breast to 07 • " so lon F the bridge stands." breast; already In touch save for tbe “ And ,hal ^ to be forever, Isn't mighty river that flowed between them. “• Mr - Mender asked Helen quickly. By no means would Meade the “ 1 d 00 '* tblok anything built by man younger, have been charged with the WlM """‘'■e quite that long." he angrent responsibilities of the bridge had • w,,r " d moch t0 her f aUM?r and ^ It not been for his exhaustive prepare- 0,h " n ' aa ,0 her ' “b nt th > a every tiou and wide experience. To a thor- P"" 1 ' 1 * ®f lasting Its time.” ough technical training at Harvard. In “ Ynn know." observed Curtiss, “there the Lawrence Scientific school, had aoni * question In my mind about been added a substantial record of tb.-x-big compression members. When achievement. A line bridge which he 1 Br " , "ladled your fzther s drawings, had erected In faraway Burma, trium 1 »'*o d '’red If he hud made the lad .g pbantly achieving the design despite ■ tron * •’Dough 1° hold the webs." all sorts of dlfficultlea, had attracted “ That matter was very thoroughly

tbe attention of old Colonel llllng- « on, ‘ ln, °-" • a,d Meade quickly. “It worth, the president of ibe Martlet wu, ‘tbe very point which 1 myself had Meade had not been the greatest sngl' Bridge company. questioned, but father Is absolutely oeer of his generation for nothing. InHe had kept the young man under coo0dent 011,1 we P rovlde d lattidng dependent and self-respecting, young his eye for a long time. When he com- "“'"“tb to take up all the stresses. 1 Meade could not be considered a formissioned his father, Bertram Meade, ,0 °ked Into thnt matter myself," he tunc hunter by anybody. He waa the Sr, to prepare the plans for the great weut 0,1 wlUl m”** emphasis. kind of man to whom a decent father International, the most-sought for and “* Fui-*" M’s all right." said Curtiss ! kes to Intrust his daughter. Old famous of bridges, he had noted with u Fbny. -I examined the webs and lac- Colonel Illingworth found himself gmzsatisfaction that the older man. who ,n,:s ^refnlly this afternoon. They Ing wonderingly at the two. stood first among bridge engineers on ®*^ ,n *° be aa right as possible." After dinner the men sat out on the the continent, had associated with him- “Those trusses." said Abbott emphat- observation platform with their cigars self his sou. Meade, Jr, had recently ,call - Vl “ wl " " lnnd forever. You need and coffee. For those that Uked It returned from South America, where not " orry “bout that.” there was something In tall fl *- he had again shown his mettle. Th<- .. “ A !T you F oln * t0 flnls b this Job on | which Ice tinkled when the

Bridge company.'

“Well, we shall look to you to lx* worthy of It,” said the colonel kindly. His glance vaguely comprehended his daughter as he spoke. Colooel Illingworth was a very rich man. The Martlet Bridge company was nearest his heart, bnt he had many other Interests. His only daughter would eventually be the mistress of a great fortune. Meade was not poor. Of course, his means were limited compared to Colonel Illingworth's great fortune, but what he had earned, saved, and Inveetrd was sufficient—yes, even for two. And he would Inherit mach more. Old

The lower port of the bridge was still In deep shadow. Indeed, the moon had Just cleared the hills of the opposite bank of the great gorge cut by the broad river flowing swiftly In Its darkness far below. At the farther end of the suspended arm extending far over the water the top of the traveler glistened. The cantilevtr on the opposite shore. Incomplete and sunk under « high rise of sand, was still In shadow

and not yet discernible.

Unwittingly the woman drew a little near the man. He became more conscious than before of the light touch of her hand upon his arm. It was very still where they stood. ' The shacks ot the workmen had been erected below the bridge about n quarter of a mile to tbe right along the banka of the little affluent of the main stream. They could hear faint but Indistinguishable noises thnt yet Indicated humanity coming from that direction. The fires In the machine house and In the engine* were banked. Lazy curls of smoke rose to be blown away In the limitless areas of the upper air. In the darkness all the unsightly evidences of construction work were hidden. “Oh.” said the woman, drawing a long breath, “I don’t wonder that you love It. Isn’t It beautiful, flung up In the air that way? One would think It wasn't steel but silver and gold and—" “lime was," said the man. “when I loved a thing like that above everything except my father, but now—" In spite of herself the woman looked

at him.

“But now?" she w hispered as he b< sItated. and then she turned her head half fearful of his answer. *T am almost afraid to say it,” ha said, lowering his voice to match her

own.

“A soldier of steel." she said, “and

afraid!"

"Well, then, all that wna the second now takes the third place. “And before your father cornea?” But abe did not give him time to answer. “Come.” she said, “let us go out

on tbe bridge.'

rough place for you. Those little slippers you wear—"

He looked down, and as If In obedience to his glance she outthrust her

1,1 foot from her gown. It was not the

ne nau again snown ms mettle. The »”—» *“ “■*“■ *“‘° uu*iru wm-n me glasses ..iMt two worked together In the preparation 0ni< - ? aa k«l ^veience. tbe vice presl- were agitated, but Meade declined all Sh lTnot of the designs for what waa to be the “ YoD *fow the financial end of three. Lri.2 It w£ t^S' uot at aS U crown and triumph of the older man's J* mIne ’ and “ ueB Spends upon the “With your permission, air," he said. , ugt rtJ . ht for h r ' hel _ ht n( . fl _. life, the most stupendous of all the «>•»* completion." “I am going to take Miss Illingworth ™ , Dd lU sLt* and !S. left no£ cantilever bridges lu the world. “Thnt depends upon you people at out on the bridge. The moon U rising 1 nr to be desired The great engineer bad a high Ides * hc d< J« or - “ T ou the stuff and-" “Never mind the allppera." she said; of his only son’s ability. He waa will- b ^*‘ ,De 111 * et ‘‘ 10 plac * ,n ‘T ha '« krard ao much about It" -they are stronger than they look. Ing to proclaim U. to maintain It, and ord " aMW " r «‘d Abbott. said the girt, standing by the door. <n»eyH serre.” defend It against all comers exc.. . _J U ‘ aren’t worrying about anything “1 want to see It when the workmen -a* tlle duunre between here and

“Dost 1” she exclaimed in dismay. “I don't mind rough walking, but

He Li ope red About IL she Uked. He seemed to think that was a sufficient answer to that statement. for he went on quickly. “How long shall you stay?" And In spite of himself be conld not keep his anxiety out of hta voice. “I think father’s going on to the dtj sometime tomorrow—probably In the

morning."

Meade's -ce telL “So soon as that?" “I will try to persuade him to stay longer. I've seen lots of bridges buUt but never one like the International, and I should enj-'.v standing by and watching you work." "I don’t do the work. Abbott does that, end the men, of course." “Your work Is the work that makes possible amt profitable the labor of tbe others." she answered. “You plan, you h-ud, the rest only follow. By the wsy. father told me to ask you and Mr. Abbott to dine with us tonight In

the car."

tirade's mood changed Into positive

. «KU U woe might conceive tbe ! , ’ butterfly would feel In tbe presence «* be "aid dejectedly. *0. a steam hammer , •'•reol any clothes, neither has AbTher w-r- b»tt. "r left our dress suits behind

-SZa X. ZS - "7." :rr.xx v ^ - -■ ^

other had not queened it among t* *oso'hat make? Come Just os you are. nicest girt. „fV land fee half b. * reUeL ! hka youth* way. many y.wre. And with thoagbu buM * llrvd ot ‘' lack • Bd ^

g advantage of her Incautious ail-

ing. passionate, and words Ingly torrential at hand t> give

utterance, they only spoke cum

pUces 1

"How la tbe bridge getting a) asked the girl, repeating her fal rords of a few miauls* befon these two fell behind the others !■« down the long platform, wUllt maid ate tiding by tbe private car tbe porter looked curiously after moving group and wondered ti gray -green, lung lagged young man the reason for tbe New York gown “It's (Mug splendidly," waa the the girl by hi*

tug the clothes," said the man. St once mure 7u that admission. t you will allow It. 1 wtil come can rake up. But you'll me which fork to use. 1 : forgotten out here lu the

“That depends upon you people at out

the shop, doctor. If you get the stuff and—'

here to me I'll get It In place In abort “I have heard ao much about It,' order." answered Abbott. raid the girt, standing by the door.

“We aren't worrying about anything “I want to see It when the workmen ^ himself. When the two will* dash'd, " d ' h .. 5 ' 0B • nd Meade on the Job. Ab- are all off and It Is all quiet. In the theTrid^T Is Inches d'e^Tn dusL' he recognized but one way. his own. ^ Rald til * Cwlon *'l genially. I moonlight." — -

The relations between the two were Ym - You “re, father.'' said the girl. “Very well. You had better change lovely but not Ideal. There was lead " Ev, ' r ’‘ lniv *b** International has been your dress. Helen, before you go." said erahlp not partnership, direction rethei ■ t “ r, ‘'d You have scarcely been able to the colonel, turning to Abbott and enthan co-operation. Tbe knowledge and * lve “ ,liou * ht '' vrn ? 0 lu ''- I'm tired gaging him in conversation on technl-

axperlence of the boy-for so be loved f ‘ , ' 1 * a ' e ,,ld lhlu * * lu aoon cal matters.

to call bun—were of course nothing ** fl“l'd>«*d. so that we can all go back “I'll wait for you at the front door compared to those of hla father. When 10 Bonn * 1 ‘M* aguln." of the car." raid the engineer, his heart in discussing moot points, the younger '' I ho P» a®* ,0 °" “"seated the colonel, tieatlng like a pneumatic riveter and man had been unconvinced by the cal “a 1 '' 1 1 ga*^" J°u are right. The fact sounding almost aa loud In his ears, dilations of the elder, be hud been *■ ‘h* bridge 1* n n obsession with us “I won't t>e long." she whispered as

laughed to scorn lu a good-natured all- II !■ the biggest Job the Martlet she left him.

way. His carefully set forth objee b “ a erer bandied. Indeed. It Is the Helen did not want to waste time t'.ouH, even In serious matter*, had beer, biggest thing In the world. It’s the a ny more than Meade did. So, Instead overborne generally, and by trium- I 00 *' - *! cantilever, the greatest span, of taking her father's advice, all she phant calculations of his own the fa I^e heaviest trusses, the—" did was to cover her beautiful shoutther had re-enlorced himself In hla con ‘‘I TP beard all about It," Interrupted dera with a light wrap and baateu to elusions; and the more strongly be- tb* P lr l. waving him Into silence, "ever the car door In the shortest possible osuae of the opposition. since you began It. Sometimes I think . time. Every moment they were aprrt.

Young Mende'u position was ratbei U ' a ‘"ginning to obsess me. too." anomalous. He bad no direct super “ Yoa don't look like It," whispered vision of the construction. He Wat Meade, under cover of the general there aa resident engineer representing Uuj:h ‘bat greeted her remark, bis father. He had welcomed the pe 1 "What do I look like?" she whlstion because It gave him an epportu P er ' H * back quickly. In return.

But Meade had no opportunity to

tell her.

"it Is not exactly a subject for din oOTSmtion." said the colonel with

nlty to see from th»- very beginning tbi erection of what was to be tbe greatest cantilever bridge the feet of tbi world had ever trod upon, the wheel*

1 In hla anna but did

dare touch the hem of her garux "ulc*. “It la the greatest bridge t w»» war erected." he said. "How you love It" ua d the gal. Did lirads love tbs hsMge?

of the world had ever rolled serosa, "ud.l.-o gravity, “but all of us here. He had followed with the utmost cvii you, my dear, must realize bow care, constantly reporting the prog- much that bridge means to us. I won't • reaa to his father, every step taken as to ray that Its failureunder tbe superintendence of Abbott, would ruin us. but It would be hard for a man ot great practical ability aa an us to survive." erector, but of moch less capacity at “11 ave you ever known anything that my father designed to fall?'' asked - Meade aotnewhul 'lotly. "No, and that In why we took his plans In aplte of—" "In spite of what, sir?" “In spite of Curtiss here and some i

othera."

“Mr. Curtiss." raid Meade, turning j to the chief engineer, 'if It will add anything to your jn-ace of mind, I will assume my full sh are of responsibility for tbe matter. You know the books by Schmidt 4'hemnitz. the greu; German bndgw efurti»-« r 1" Cnrtlaa nodded “At Drat 1—that I*. •» —thought that there might puralldy he weakness lu those C-Ulprea-I.il lueinbcnt, but I Checked them with the methods h

1 hey Saw Her Round, Red. Full Face.

“I never thought of that," admitted the man. 'The fact Is I have thought of nothing but you since 1 raw you, but now well have to go back 01^" “I shall not go back." she answered

firmly.

He stepped down off the platform, and before she knew what he would be at, he lifted her straight up lu hla arms. He did not carry her like a baby, he held her elect, crushed against his breast, and before she had time to utter a protest, or even to ray a word, he started through the 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 trying to think them up. they had crossed the little desert that Intervened between the ixirtal of the bridge and the end of the platform Then he set her

down gently.

“Thank you." she raid simply, “that as very nice of you. You are wonderfully strong." The moon, by this time, hud passed the floor level and the crura-braclng cast a network of shadows over them, upon track and floor (‘earns and strlngj era The silence of the half-light, the I mystery of It all oppressed them a j Uttle. It was with beating hearts that I they pressed ou. (To be cont'i ncl 1 I tils island, lu one of the takes

e ever held In Jury had sat disputing. At 1 expressed the don't tliInk he

to my fathe.

“Now." she said, coming cut of the t

iltted the figures door ot CBr and deacendlug the nd then he went through *epa tu ' ard hl,a - Wj* expectant. , mle calculation and applied co want ■ P*" for ^ ■wlfUm**"

is he felt to t«- safe." “A prize!" returned tbe man. "why. | willing to take your ftUher's > ou ' ve al,d > •ut In the matter rather than •“»*«'* «**•“ ‘hau*.-d your gown. You j ^ It-O.. louit*'. . r anybody raid CM “‘ l *" ‘ >u, l ‘ u • lll »I *"»“ „ - - . --nit has 1.,-, n his cu “ ud ,hl " e •dlpperm, tramping over dirty

tracks, piles of steel, rough wooden „ < tfcH! 1 —... wm Uw TOUlb.rs ; e'**** l-““

It Had Been a Fart of His Llfs.

Meade luid watched Its dally growth with tbe closest stteotlon. like every other man In sliaUar case, the wo.k had got Into hla blood. It had become a part of bhi Ufe. He lewd the bridge< {•C (wore ha toted Helen tiougwurlh.

"Cant ir' she said; “you Just -we.” “1 hate to are you spoil you • Ureaa," I be raid uncertain!) as she stopped. Krally what gown on earth wae worth half an hour of her society? At '.east that la the way be felt about It.

•w raid lNn> and evidently she felt the same way. ■ d beec. ioug “It >* settled, then." she said, allp-".«iu>iM-lng to ping her arm through hla aa they •at there Jg ah walked down the loaf treedec pin

t they vi

1 Meade t<