Alexander's Bridge

Professor Lucius Wilson visits Boston and is invited to the home of Professor Bartley Alexander and his wife, Winifred. Wilson, an old acquaintance of Alexander's, finds himself increasingly intrigued by Winifred, noting her poise and beauty. He also reflects on Alexander's past, remembering him as a gifted but potentially volatile student. Winifred expresses a desire to understand her husband's past and asks Wilson for his insights. Alexander, a renowned bridge engineer, is depicted as a strong, charismatic figure. In a private conversation with Wilson, Alexander admits to feeling restless and constrained by his success and social obligations, yearning for the freedom and untapped potential of his youth. He expresses a fear of becoming stagnant and losing his true self amidst the demands of his profession and public life. Winifred, it is revealed, is a gifted pianist who practices diligently, suggesting a hidden depth and passion beneath her composed exterior. Wilson observes her with admiration, noting her self-sufficiency and a sense of an unquiet spirit. He also perceives a contrast between her controlled demeanor and Alexander's more volatile nature. The narrative then shifts to Alexander's business travels, specifically to London, where he reconnects with Hilda Burgoyne, an old flame from his youth. Their past romance is recalled, tinged with the recklessness of their youth and the poverty they experienced. Alexander grapples with his current life, feeling a disconnect between his professional success and his personal fulfillment. He contemplates his youthful self and the choices he has made, experiencing a deep sense of unease and regret. Alexander struggles with his dual life, feeling that his present existence, dedicated to his successful engineering career and his marriage to Winifred, is at odds with his past and a lingering connection to Hilda. This internal conflict intensifies, leading to a crisis in his relationship with Hilda. He ultimately decides he must sever ties with her to preserve his current life and reputation, but Hilda is unwilling to let go easily, leading to a deeply emotional confrontation. Upon returning to America, Alexander faces a critical failure in his latest engineering project, the Moorlock Bridge, which collapses due to design flaws. This disaster leads to the death of many workers. Alexander himself drowns in the river while trying to escape the collapsing structure. Winifred, his wife, arrives at the scene and exhibits remarkable stoicism and dignity in the face of tragedy, embodying a profound and unwavering grief. In the epilogue, years later, Professor Wilson visits Hilda Burgoyne again. They have developed a deep friendship, bonded by their shared memories of Alexander. Wilson reflects on Winifred's enduring sorrow and her complete devotion to Alexander's memory, while Hilda cherishes the echoes of Alexander's influence. The story concludes with a sense of lives irrevocably shaped by passion, ambition, and ultimately, by loss.