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■ .■I I ■ H I I —— ——

ntM emr, »c. a.

WeM Steel —BIB*

Bj Cynu ftmmmi Body "Tb CkmBet tf Ctmrmm t " "Tht ■ bimU tf Unntrmat*?'ac., *m4 Cym Townsend Brady, Jr. am x

rtm enu Too are eart^Uw and nr MB's vnatattoo.

CHAPTER VIII. For the Father.

!0d one-half hour* later

I repot tew. clusters «■ of the Uplift bnlldlnr. %

In the onfer offlce they beard Shnrtr the doctor on the e and aaklnr him to notify the

ponce.

•TMd he—" began one. hesitatingly. "He was too Mg a man to do himself any hart, I know." answered Meade I proudly, as he divined the que*

d Into life by the arrival of a ; ■' n,e cntopay will tell. But I am Out of It leaped Bertram ! U>* failure of the bridge

- | broken bis heurt."

“And we can't fix the resjvmribnity

CHAPTER I—Bertram Mead* la ^STiS^SfVtSS’S^ifS - s?sar.s3S^Ki.-s;!^ s ^rS£r«5iS. , £U'SS^

W%s£stswtrssii?r

HP®*

CHAPTER VI—Abbott son w °rk. laoorlng Meade's protMta. b

overruled HI. (ether now prepare* a -SPBiJKES.'S.SB. SIS.

staggering almost like a orunsen man. Shurtllff left hU place by the door, reached his thin band out and

lifted up the telephone. Its 1 log. It seemed. *Jth angry, persistence through the quirt “It's a telegram." he w .

"leg this i« Mr. Meade's private secretary. Oe on." be answered Into the

mondtplrct- of the telephone.

There was another moment of ghastly silence while he took the message. It wax typical of BhurtllfTa character that In rplte of the horrible agitation that filled him, he pat the Instrument down carefully on the desk, methodically hanging up the receiver before he turned to face the other man. He •poke deprecatlngly. No woman could «eeeC the tenderneaa he managed Infuse Into his ordinarily dry, emotion*

leda voice.

•Hie bridge la In the river, air." ' "Of court--r: any more.” "Abbott—and one hundred and fifty men with It"* “Oh. my God r said the old He staggered fo-trard. Shurtllff canght him and H «d him down Into the big chair before the desk. The hews had been discounted in his mind. a«U son» kind of hope had lingered there. Now it wax over. “We must wire Martlet" he gasped “The telegraph offlce bald the meeaage was addressed to yon and Manlet, se they have got the news, air." “It won't be tor late for the last editions of the evening papers, either." ■nld the old man. "Shurtllff. I was

iT asked

broke Into a questioning,

nodded. He recognlu speaker, their hands met This man of his own age named w . who had been Meade's classmate at Cambridge, his devoted friend thereof active practice, he

a writer on ad-

entlflc subjects and was there as representative of the Engineering News. There were sympathy and affection In his voice and look, and In

the graso of his hand.

“Have you seen my father. RodnayT Meade asked, quickly moving to the elevator, followed by all the men. “At the house they said he was not tbe/e. and here at the offlce we get

too answer."

As Meade turned he saw hla father’s secretary coming slowly through the entrance. "ShurUlff." he called out.

"My father?"

"I left him In the offlce two hour* ago. He told me to—to—go away and ive him alone. I have been wan-

dering about the streets."

Outside In the street the newsboys

were shrieking:

“Extry! Rxtry! All abont the collapse of th* International '.iridge. Two hundred i nglneers and workmen lost.'

now." said Rodney, who for his friend’s sake was glad of this consequence

the old man’s death.

“Yea. you can.” said the young men, He leaned forward and laid his right hand on hla dead father's shoulder. Helen Illingworth bad possessed herself of his left hand. She lifted It and held it to her heart. The engineer seemed unconscious of the action, and still it was the greatest thing he had ever experienced. Meade spoke slowly and with the moat weighty deliberation In an obvious endeavor to give hla statement such clear definiteness that no one could mistake It “Here In the presence of my dead father." he began. “I aolemnly declare that I alone am responsible for the design of the member that failed. My father was getting along In years. He left a great part of the work to me. He pointed out what be thought was a

In the trusses, but

hla objections. to blame. The Martlet Bridge company both. They said they wanted the benefit of my father's long my later training and

research."

“Do you realise, Meade." said Itodny. as the pencils of the reporters flew ucross their pads, “that in assuming this re'ponsiMUty which, your fa-

Sh^cTiiff" had <^of "the* Papeete tb !I J*®* be -" f Mead* tore It from him. 1 . L " , U ?', end .° f m >‘ <*•

Meade, forcing himself to

tore it from him.

"Win Ic Responsible?" stared at Mm

big red headlines.

“Gentlemen." sold Meade, swer that question"—he held up the Paper bo that all might see—“tha fault —the blame—la mine."

VH have to see Bert." said Rodney.

“He is in this building, we know, and bell never leave it without ning the gantlet of ns all," cried another amid a chorus of approval. Meade realised there was no el They all plied Into the elevator with him and Shurtllff. They followed him up the corridor. He stopped before the door of the office. “I forbid you to come In." be said. “This la my fnther’a private—* “Have no tear. Bert.” arid Rodney firmly. “We don't intend to break In. We understand how yon feel. We will wait here until yon say the word, and then all we ahall want will be a statement from your father.'

"Thank yon. old

llff," said Meade, turning hla key In in* lock. The two men entered and carefully closed tha door behind them. The door was scarcely abut when Helen Illingworth left the elevator and came rapidly up the corridor. She had called at the office before and had no need to ask the way. The reporters gathered a round the door moved to give her passage while they stared at her with deep If respectful curiosity. “Pardon me. gentlemen,” she began, “bat 1 am very anxious to see the

younger Bertram Meade."

“He haa Just gone Into the office," answer-Hi Rodney respectfully. The girl raised her hand to knock. “A moment, please: perhaps you bad better understand the situation. Tha

International bridge—”

The girl came to a sadden determination. She could not declare herself

> soon or too publicly.

“My name Is Illingworth." she said, and as the fasts of the surprised report-' era came off, she continued, “I am the j dang*;' - of the president or the Martk 11 ridge company, which was erect-

ing the International.”

“Yea Mlaa Illingworth.” answered Rodney, “and did you come here to

represent him?"

“1 am Mr. Bertram Meade. Jr.’a promised wife, and 1 am here because It la the place where 1 ought to ba. When the man 1 love la in trouble, I

must be with him."

She raised her hand again, but Rodney was too quick for her. He knocked lightl)’ on the door, and then struck It heavily several tinea. The sound

rang hollowly through the corridor, as . .. -I-.!. *«. -L,- ,b, door „! I "““'“’•i!

speak. "My father's reputation la dearet to me than anything on earth." "Ev« than I?" whispered the

“Oh. my Godl" burst out th<* man, Xl then he chocked himself and conused with the aama monotonous de-

and with even allow oo other great, to pre-

vent me from doing my fall duty to my

him, than to the reporter*. He could scarcely complete his sentence, and in the end sought to look away. “Bertram Meade." said the woman, putting both her bauds upon his shoulder, “look me In the face and tell me that yon hare spoken the truth and that the blame U yours." ! Meade trie?) hi* best to return her glance, but those blue eyes plunged through him like stool blades. He did not dream In their softness could be developed such fire. He was speechless. After a moment he looked away, his Ups firmly. He could not ber glance, but nothing could make him retract or unsay his words. “I have said It," he managed to get out hoarsely. “It's brave of you. It's splendid you," she said. “I won’t betray yon. I don’t have to." “What do you mean?" asked the But the woman had now turned to Shurtllff. In hla torn she also adzed him In her emotion and she shook him almost eagerly. “You. you know that It la not true.

Speak I"

But slip had not the power over tha older man that she had over the younger. The secretary forced himself to look at her. He cared nothing for Miss 11Utogworth. but be had a passion for the older Meade that matched hen for the younger. “He has told the truth.” be cried almost like a baited animal. “No oae is going to ruin the reputation of the man I have served and to whom I have given m> life without protest from me. If* bis fault, his, his. Ms!” he cr!e<t his voice rising with every repetition of the pronoun ns h. pointed at Meade. Helen Illingworth turned to ber lover again. She war quieter now. “I know that neither of you Is Idling the troth." she said. "Lying for a great cause, lying In splendid self sacrifice, Yon are ruining yourself ftot

your father's name' and he Is abetting. Why? It can't make any differ-nee to him now. But It makes a great differ^ ence to me. Have you thought of that? • I'm going to marry you anyway. Only ] the trutL. Bert. By our love I ask you. If you want me to keep your secret I’ll do It. But If you won't tt'J

: me I’U get that evidence, I will Hriiait hMm Vnii. rn.nl.. i otlt ,hp truth, and then I shall publish tact his old father's^fame’ bad tbe’fT U ,0 11,6 whole worlJ ““1 then-' ther survived the shock. The appeal „ , ,. you wpnl<! marr r me ' b “ r of the dead man was even more power- a “ w ‘ 8WC P t by this pro-

ful than If be had lived. Meade could foODd pIe * din < ; '

not glance down at that crushed. “ I W|U niBn 7 yoc now, Instantly, at

figure and fall to re- ,n * u,n *' " anaw.-red the girt. “Indeed

you need me. Utility or Innocent, I am

yours and yon are mine.”

“Listen." protested the englr “nothing will ever relieve me of ; even if It ! blame, of the shame, of the disgrace of this. But I am a man. 1 have youth How If It killed ttUl. and strength and Inspiration. Unnot think of that. He ^ 1 «»“ bold up my head among men nothing but of that In- 1 • m nothl-ig to you and you are free." ert body and its demand. There was a finality In his tone “Have yon no wltneoseo, no evidence w blcb the woman recognised. She substantiate your extraordinary

statement?" asked Rodney.

“I can substantiate It,” aald Shurtf. coming Into the room, bavl_g flnhed his telephoning. “The doctor and « police will be here Immediately, It before they come—” and b« oraw

up and faced the reporter* “Gentlemen. I can testify that

everything that Mr. Bertram Meade

to be here

when my dead friend and employer got the telegram announcing the failure of the bridge and. although he knew It was his son’s fault, he bravely offered to assume the responsibility and he told me to go to the new-papers and tell them that it was hla fault and that hla son had protested In vain against

It was Meade - “She goea with yon. I lore her and -she love* me. but I won’t drag her down In my ruin ” “I am glad to see honor ind decency are In yon still," aald the colonel, “even if yon are Incompetent.” “If yon say another word to him I wlU never go with yon as long as I live." flashed out Helen RUngwortn. “I deserve all that he can say. Tour duty Is with him. Good-by," aald Meade. “And I shall see yon again?" “Of course. Now yon must go with your father.” Helen IlllDgworth turned to the colonel. “I shall go w'lth yon because he bids

mt harn 1 n without throwing

“Whatever the reason." aald the old soldier, “yon go." Be paused a ment, looking from the dead mai the living one. “Meade," he exclaimed at last, “I am sorry for your father, I am sorry for you. Good-by. and I never want to see yon or hear of you again. Come, Helen." The woman stretched out her hand toward her lover as her father took her by the arm. Meade looked at her a moment and then turned away deliberately as If to mark the final severance. With bent head and beating heart, she followed her father out of the room. There he had to fight off the reporters. He denied that hla daughter was gotag to marry young Meade, "he strove to apeak and he strove to ace her to be quiet. In the end she *d ber way. “At Mr. Meade's own request." she

“Why didn’t yon do Itr asked ana

of tha reporters.

“I couldn't, sir," faltered the old man. “It wasn't true. The son there

was to blame."

He sank down In hla seat and covered Ms face with his hands and broke Into dry. horrible sob*. It wax not easy for him eli her, this shifting of responsi-

bility.

“Yon see," said young Meade. “I “ H * wi " Fo,nt Out Some Way—'*

*?•»««— ■■ •»>-

“Nothing." said Rodney at last, “not In this offlce at least. We must watt for the doctor, but we can do that out-

“Have you said enough?" roared the ilonel, losing all control of himself at last “No. I will not be questioned or Uttarrupted another minute. Gome." He almost dragged the girt from the

wm.

Within the private offlce the phyeUn aald that everything pointed to a heart leelon, but only an autopsy would

ot only in money, ! reputation. Od e out of tha str* than ever. The ter.

moot took*

amr classmate, at least 1

mitigate the c _ -— the quick and ready acknowtote of the error which might have I

ascribed to the dead man *

of coDtradicUon.

An effort was made by c and stock speculators to rt let Bridge company. By U

the gup their ; rivate f last dollar and by b

the part of their f:

saved the Martlet < Its losses were tremendous a

Insupportable, r In prestige and i Illingworth came <

older and grayer than e

combat had left him almost h s time, and his duugbter a was not possible even to n

ram Meade to him, then.

The funeral of the £reat eogb had been strictly private. Only confreres, men who stood high scientific circles, certain people whom be had made great —«d strap ful designs, a few others whoa# i were pereonM. bad been Invited to bouse for the servlet*. The Into"* was In the little Connecticut t Milford, In which the older 1 been born, and from which b forth as a boy to conquer tl

"Shurtllff." said the y after the mound had t and covered with sods flowers and the workn have left everything I

charge. You have a power of | ney to reedve and pay out all n_ to deposit, invest, and carry on g, then's estate. The offlce if to ba «l and The house la to be a _ In which 1 leave everything to 1 Ungworth. Is In your h ~ empowered to draw from tha t of the estate your present ■ long as you live. If anything h to me you will have the v _ and be governed accordingly.*

“Mr. Meade.” -

be somehow foui

the affection which he

been buried benea long mound before

he rid man, i bad thou2*M

absolutely determine It. Meanwhile the M«*de all his life and he began t law would have to take charge at the ,,,u, kc could not stop now. nor body temporarily. It was late at night he , «vlsh what he had to give u before Bertram Meade and old Shurt- on « rorm .nbrance. “Mr. Mea<k. llff were left alone. Carefully seeing w,ld - "where are you going and «

that no one wss present In the suite do >' ou intend to do?"

of office* Meade turned to BhurtUff. | “I don't know where I a “Get roe that memorandum I wrote w 11111 1 shall undertake < to my father. Yon know where he kept “•d the men. “I'm |_ w _ „ It" everything behind now and try U- g»

“Yea. sir. separate from the other : Utt,e rest “t first."

papers concerning the International, in | “ Au d you will keep me advise,

the third compartment.” He turned ? our whereabouts?"

the big safe door slowly. The third "Perhaps—I don’t know. On* h compartment was empty. “It's gone," injunction: you are not to tall aim

he aald. the truth."

Meade went to the safe, a —-*11 one, ^ "God forbid." said BhurtUff, ^ and examined It carefully and fruitless- -* la Ve Ued to preserve the honor a ly. His letter was not there with the f,mp ot Mm we loved who Ues banother papers, where It should have “Don’t render our perjuries of ac

been if it were In existence. It was

ere. I “I wlU not, sir. I haven't found tk told me he was going to de- pap€r - 1 fin*** It wus destroyed."

atroy it, bat I rather thought he was ' ig it to nave some fun with me the bridge was completed," he

said at last

“Yea, sir. that was his Intention.

•T presume so. And n . “Aren’t y ou coming with me?" " “1 want to stay hero a Uttla while

myself."

Shurtllff turned and i

fact. I know he did not destroy It at ' Vuen he cached the road, down whl first. He told me to file It with the he go. he stopped and faced aha plans. He must have destroyed It later. I haven’t looked In this compartment for weeks." forget the 11a yon told to back me up. BhurtUff. I can see you

is much as L"

will ever know the truth You saved your father's we had better search tha offlea now. I wouldn't have that neper come to life for the wosld." said Meade. Shurtllff was the moet orderly of men. The care of the old engineer 1 * papera and other arrangements had devolved upon him. The search was soon

“Oh. I most get i

CHAPTER IX.

_ um> wwu> V4 »u . .. . . olwl “i 1 - lwir ' the Iiiijk' that there U a Just God. aud

U t—1« »p«u Tber. , SLi‘' '‘“ ,1 “'»• “'* lb., b, ,. | U

- for a moment 6 thB wom * n 10 Ul ® room - aald the worn- ! . B * ft ’ “'d ,h> ‘ woman, laying her

hand on his shoulder, “why or how I

note, ksocb.J umln. ud tbu Urn, [“‘"l ” u ' t " 11 >“ tb. door ... „p«„d. bburttlff .„„d dblo, tbl. ter *>« i« tb, n. b.d b»t, wbit, .,d ’‘f'C,,. :. 1 ““*«• ~ .Uok,o Wte- . but DOW .0 umt.b.d ““ T “‘“" »“ k *'» ■- ia aud shocked was hi* appearance that tlT,. . .tetebod, .terrf. Sbonlltr Doan-te . ?! <l - “-Mtn te

himself, “to lead you to think that 1 suspected any weakness In the bridge?" The woman was watching him keenly and listening to him with every

the alert

“I guess he must hare destroyed It" ■aid the young man, “but to be aure I w1H examine his private papera at home. Good night You wlU be going

yourself?"

a stone wall with her naked fist She ” In * few “touts* sir." looked at him a long time. “Com* to me In the morning after “Very welt" she said at last, “unless : tbe • uto W »nd we will arrange for 1 shall l*o your wife 1 shaU be the wife ' ‘h*, toneral," aald the younger man as

man. 1 ahall wait confident t-> ' “ e ~“~

ijui _ not utter a to print toward the private office,

to give Hire* ilucuiuents to the “Perhaps I would better go flat" rhea tur g-i back, hut I want them raid Rodney, a* the secretary atopja-d pprar aluiultsneoj-Iy with the back and gave them paaaage. ri the fbllurv of the bridge. Helen Illingworth followed, and then He seised tike pen and signed the rtwL Young Meade waa standing awe to the brief lelttw of e&cul- erect by his father * cl'air. The great u - hulk of the rid englncwr wss - writing la the body of the the- down hi* body bent over, hla t »«• weak atiu feeble, the aigua- on the desk, taev Uj-rnward. strung and Udd. He ga'.iered great arm. hla left extended, apers up Ixgariy. ; straight ■ cm** t’» desk. Hit

L hi* right arm hung

Ths Unaccepted Renunciation. The durtor and the officers of tha

law entered the outer office. In spits of the brave words that had been spoken by the woman, the man could only see a long parting and an uncertain future, lie realized It the more when old Colonel Illingworth entered the room In the wake of the other*. After be had recovered himself he had hurried lo the station In time to catch

. the next train and had come to New —

her .^1"^ York ' "'• ll * 1 "K “* *"*«» where hi* «a* char. It waa recognised by every- . . ae,p '' tl '' 1 ,n ““ daughter mu*t have gone. I » ,n “- whose opinion was worth conoid

BhurtUff waited untU his footstep* died sway In the halL He watted untll ha beard the clang of the elevator gate. Even then he was not sure. He “d to his catlike way opened

* the offlce and

“I Want to Stay Hera a Uttla Whfl by Myself."

again. Meade was standing where h

hud be» n. The old man took off hi tbo halL It was empty. He stood In hat In reverent farewell.

watting, while tha

vator made several trips up and down ! without pausing at that floor. He sat down at the dead man's desk. From his pocket be drew forth a packet of pa-1 .

P«*.

• * • * • * • 1 There were no legal proceedings, al- ' 1 though thore were many Inquests at 1 ‘ the bridge. The cause of tbe failure ^

e of sharp alarm and anx- > If be might have aald *otne- ' ‘ could be used to di*crwllt

L “I went you to take

He v

■tUL

r ' Tt>« In words but In little „|,] , Iona," abe answered h a ,

quietly. ‘T cant put my hand on any k»... of them. 1 can hardly recall anyth!! g,

but tbe impression 1* there.*'

Meade mulled miserably at her and

her —arching eyes detected re-

Tbere |■cited. A sharp

"Mr. Meade, for Gad’s sake—" "Don’t to arvoe with me now. Xake a Uxl and get thara e# aiUgkir as

i hiuk uumlstakably

uileaa aspect. They *k What had hap- Ref In hla

- lamstton from the ; “I, u your affection that make, yon

wjurnui was the only eoued that broke my that.' he said, “and as you admit the MU-uce, as abe stepped to her lov- there la really nothing. What 1 said

.-rs ado. )u*t sow U true"

“Yon ran', question ini' tether now. it was much harder to ar—k thn griKhqoao," aald Maggy; “ft# 1# , Ue to this ctoarwyod woman, who ftfud

daughter must have gone.

"My father l» deed." aald Meade as ertn *- tost the d sa-ter had resulted the doctor and the officers of tbe law i fr " tu “ “datake which any ruglueei I the body of the old man. rou| d ^ve mad*. A* a matter of fact Bln hud eyes for no one out Uio ,,1WV '*** no expertecce to guide thr j -•dil»rx ft. “Tbe failure of the bridge i d ’*dgner*. There never had been such Mu. n has broken bio heart ; my failure. I'd * bridge before. Certain elements ol I nini better say." | empiricism had to enter Into their cal | “The ■i understand." aald Illingworth. “H« 1 «d*tloua. They had made the plan ( ,. la fot Mmate. 1 would rather have died j lft3r ll> 'lt best Judgment and it had I , _ ^ 1 than have seen any son of min* 1 tolled. They could be blamed, evet I** * cc '

tency

vrlmtual incompe- ! '""'lied as they were In tbe press, bull

that was the extent of their punish j

the girl with a rrso- ux * at ~

-« Klugultrly like his ' r,le totter wrigtit of censure fell eu r you aj-eak Ihla way. j Ur »'y "P 00 Bertram Meade. Hla ruin ! I as an engineer w s Immediate and ah I . , v i ■ r-.

h him or M. yon tomr ■ o,0,e - Hs was the acapesoet. No Ctfy. M-l >«4w*W4teWDll,l«,,,.„., KoO I Sotecr.U te, tte lip. S.,

WI.-V*'-WVOltaMlUstBUatetel'ti na-. MSP •« JSw,

. U*4 West )

v and Wu(