Two years later, Belding and Elsie were returning from Chicago, where
the former had been purchasing machinery for the new company, of which
he was chief engineer. Time had done well for them and for St. Marys.
The six months' physical inactivity of the works were spent wisely, if
ruthlessly, in weeding out unfertile growths and concentrating
resources on those which were sound and promising. There was a sharp
distinction between this deliberate policy and the restless activity
that preceded it.
St. Marys, too, had caught its breath and taken on permanency. There
were no more surprises. The works became a factory, instead of a
Pandora's box, full of the unexpected. Property was stable, if lower
than the high water mark, while Filmer and the rest settled down to
steady business, somewhat forgetful of the man to whom were due the
first tendrils of the tree of progress.
But Belding, growing constantly in mental stature, could never forget.
His own position--his development--his authority, had come of the
abiding faith bestowed on him nine years ago by one whom he had then
seen but for ten minutes. And as often as he saw the works the
realization came over him. How many others, he wondered, felt as he
did?
They were approaching St. Marys, and, coming out of the dining car with
Elsie, he steadied her to their seat. Night was drawing on, but the
car remained unlighted, and simultaneously they noticed a man sitting
across the aisle, staring intently out of the window. Something
familiar in the figure caught their attention.
"It's Mr. Clark," he whispered to his wife.
She glanced across, and her fingers tightened on his arm.
"Don't speak to him, Jim."
"Why?"
"Look at him, can't you see?"
Belding looked, Clark was absolutely motionless, and had not changed a
fraction in two years. The train moved on, till it halted for a few
moments on the great bridge. The air was cool and full of the deep
roar of the rapids, and the car vibrated delicately with the huge steel
girders on which it rested. Two hundred feet away came the first,
smooth dip that Belding would always remember. Immediately beneath, he
had slid into the chaos further on.
The two young people did not stir, but watched the silent observer.
Against the window they caught the dominant nose, the clean cut,
powerful chin, the aggressive contour of head and shoulders. Clark was
leaning forward, his gaze exploring the well remembered scene.
"Don't disturb him," whispered Elsie again.
Her husband pressed her hand, and they waited, wondering what thoughts
were passing through that marvelous brain. He was staring at the
works. It was all his--this dream come true; this vision portrayed in
steel and stone. Out of nothing but water and wood and his own superb
faith he had created it, only to see this exemplification of himself
slip from his own hands into those of others, who had sponsored neither
its birth nor its magnificent development. What portion of his leader,
pondered the engineer, had been incorporated in those vast
foundations--and what had life left in store to replace them for him?
The train was moving on, when Clark, turning suddenly, smiled and held
out his hand.
"Glad to see you both, if only for a minute. I'm on my way back to
Russia, where I'm carrying out large improvements for the
government--been there for the last year. By the way, Belding, did you
notice that old, crooked birch beside the rapids? A big, fat
kingfisher used to live there--we knew each other well."