the like of me to be taking it from the hotel."

"Never mind that," said Tom. "Give me your address, borrow a screw
driver, and I'll see to it."

So he and his companions, having roughly repaired the rail, took the
bedstead to pieces, and, applauded by the visitors, carried it to the
street. A good-natured tram conductor allowed them to load their burden
on an end of his car. Soon they reached the woman's home, bore in the
bedstead, set it up in the humble room, raised the old man and his straw
mattress upon it from the floor, made him comfortable, and dowered with
all the blessings the old couple could invoke upon them, went away
happy.

III.

So much impressed was the firm with Tom's industry and capacity that,
soon after the time of his entering the Drawing Office in November,
1892, he was entrusted with the discharge of responsible duties. It is
on record that in February, 1893, he was given the supervision of
construction work on the _Mystic_; that in November of the same year he
represented the firm, to its entire satisfaction and his own credit, on
the trials of the White Star Liner _Gothic_; whilst, immediately
following the end of his apprenticeship in May, 1894, he helped the
Shipyard Manager to examine the _Coptic_, went to Liverpool and reported
on the damage done to the _Lycia_, and in November discussed with the
General Manager and Shipyard Manager the Notes in connection with the
renovation of the _Germanic_--that famous Liner, still capable after
twenty-five years on the Atlantic Service of making record passages, but
now crippled through being overladen with ice at New York.

In 1894 he was twenty-one years old: a man and well launched on his
great career.

It is not necessary, and scarcely possible, to follow Andrews with any
closeness as rapidly, step by step, he climbed the ladder already
scaled, with such amazing success, by Mr. Pirrie. The record of his
career is written in the wonderful story of the Queen's Island Yard
through all its developments onward from 1894, and in the story of the
many famous ships repaired and built during the period.

The remarkable engineering feat of lengthening the _Scot_ and the
_Augusta Victoria_, by dividing the vessels and inserting a section
amidships; the reconstruction of the _China_ after its disaster at Perim
and of the _Paris_ following its wreck on the Manacles: in these
operations, covering roughly the years 1896-1900, Andrews, first as an