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Paul Bradt and David Bradt

Science and Engineering Projects Using

the Arduino and Raspberry Pi
Explore STEM Concepts with Microcomputers
Paul Bradt
Houston, TX, USA

David Bradt
Houston, USA

Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the

author in this book is available to readers on GitHub via the book’s
product page, located at www.​apress.​com/​978-1-4842-5810-1. For
more detailed information, please visit http://​www.​apress.​com/​
source-code.

ISBN 978-1-4842-5810-1 e-ISBN 978-1-4842-5811-8

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5811-8

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© Paul Bradt and David Bradt 2020

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the

Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned,
specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other
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methodology now known or hereafter developed.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks,

service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the
relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general
use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the
advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate
at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
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The authors dedicate this book to all of the Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math (STEM) teachers who guide and shape the paths of
many young minds (including ours) to question, learn, and utilize new
technology to solve problems. Without these unsung heroes, the world
would not have powerful cell phones, highly reliable cars, the Internet,
and many other amazing things we routinely take for granted.
Introduction
The authors’ journey developing this book started in 2013 when they
discovered the Arduino microcontroller. It is interesting how something
big really starts with one step as they found the Arduino incredibly
powerful. Users are able to program it with computer code, and then it
executes its instructions for as long as it has power. The authors started
evaluating various applications of the Arduino around the house and in
their hobby endeavors. In 2017, they started experimenting with the
Raspberry Pi minicomputer which enables users to take projects to a
whole new level with a low-cost computer that interfaces with sensors.
Since a Raspberry Pi is very affordable, a real computer can now be
dedicated to operating a system permanently. While requiring some
technical steps to set up, both of these tools can be used to gather data,
automate tasks, and provide a lot of fun. The authors found it very
satisfying to watch a device do several tasks, especially when they set it
up. This book chronicles some science and engineering projects the
authors developed over the past few years and provides helpful hints,
along with a few things to avoid.
There are two primary areas of focus or goals of this book. The first
goal is to help the reader explore the Arduino and Raspberry Pi. The
second goal is exploring science and engineering in interesting and fun
ways.
The projects and concepts in this book are meant to accomplish the
first goal by providing information to get an Arduino or Raspberry Pi
system set up, running, and ready to capture data. The text provides
enough detail for users with average assembly or electrical skills to
complete them. Additionally, the goals of learning are to gain
knowledge and skills. When the reader engages in a project that
requires them to try new things, it reinforces how they learn and gain
confidence and encourages them to try even more complex tools and
techniques.
The second goal is exploring concepts of STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and working through examples
to demonstrate basic scientific and engineering concepts. Finally, the
authors provide some detail on the mathematics needed to understand
and explain the science demonstrated.
 Science and engineering provide critical skill sets for the modern
world that can be used in everyday life. People use these skills to
develop the technology that the modern world relies on. This book can
establish these skill sets for a fruitful and rewarding career.
The authors hope this book inspires the reader to expand and
explore their own STEM projects by including a wide range from
beginner to advanced. From these examples, the reader can learn many
techniques, tools, and technologies and apply them beyond the ones
listed here; but first, the authors introduce STEM.

What Is STEM?
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is a program
based on educating students in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics in an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to learning.
School systems today strive to improve education in STEM. This goal
is an area where educators can use outside help developing and
improving students’ knowledge when they actively contribute, design,
and build hands-on projects. In many ways, the young mind is excited
and motivated building projects. They develop an in-depth
understanding of what is required and how it works. The authors
believe this is the best way to learn and remember these concepts,
which results in a solid STEM foundation for students.
A question not often understood is how the scientific method is
different from an engineering approach. Understanding the difference
between science and engineering can be seen in the original Star Trek
series. Mr. Spock was the science officer, and Montgomery Scott (Scotty)
was the chief engineer. Their jobs and how they approached new
scenarios or problems really provide a great explanation about the
differences and similarities between science and engineering. Let’s
examine some examples.
Mr. Spock used the term fascinating when describing a new event or
phenomenon. The role of science is to expand knowledge and
investigate new events. This fascination with new and unique areas is
key for a scientist. Scotty, the engineer, on the other hand always had to
fix the warp engines, the transporter, or some other critical system. The
normal role of an engineer is to develop and implement solutions to
problems. In one of the episodes, Scotty indicated he would rather read
his engineering journals to learn about how others solved problems
than go on shore leave!

Science
Researchers use the scientific method as a tool to understand questions
in their area of interest. Based on the information they have initially,
they develop a hypothesis and then methods to test the validity of the
hypothesis. When sufficient test data are gathered and analyzed, the
researcher either accepts or rejects the hypothesis. In many cases,
positive or negative results point to the next step or direction of
exploration and contribute to the general body of scientific and
engineering knowledge.

Engineering
The primary goal of engineering is to evaluate alternatives and choose
the optimal solution to minimize or eliminate specific problems or
issues. Solutions are not necessarily new, but may be repurposed
concepts applied to different problem areas. Other aspects of
engineering include planning the work, selecting components to meet
requirements, and following through on managing and completing a
project. Often projects or systems fail because the planning, scheduling,
and logistics of activities are not adequately engineered for an optimum
solution. These skills are important and necessary in any job.
Science and engineering use many of the same tools and techniques,
but it is important to understand the distinction between scientific
experimentation and the engineering process of developing optimal
solutions. For one thing, they both use the language of mathematics to
describe percentages, results, probability, and other physical
parameters. However, science’s goal is to expand knowledge which is
different than engineering’s goal of selecting an optimum solution and
proceeding with solving the problem. One other difference is a scientific
test often gains new knowledge, whereas an engineering test often
demonstrates how a system performs a function. In many ways, they
are synergistic as science often provides new tools and ideas for
engineers to use to solve problems.
In the authors’ minds, the roots of some key technological
advancements that exist now can be traced back 50 years to the
original Star Trek TV show. For example, in the show, they used
tricorders to gather data about aliens, equipment failures, medical
problems, and a host of other out of this world challenges. They had
communicators that allowed them to contact crewmembers all over
alien worlds. Finally, they had the replicators that allowed them to
produce any type of food they desired. Today we don’t have tricorders,
but we do have some examples that 50 years ago would have been
amazing. Today there are personal computers, cell phones, 3D printing,
and incredible sensors based on the early transistors of the 1960s. The
Arduino and the Raspberry Pi, two examples of new technology, can be
built into devices similar to the incredibly versatile Star Trek tricorders.
Both Mr. Spock and Scotty realized they needed each other (science
and engineering) to accomplish the goals of exploration and keep the
Enterprise flying safely through space. In today’s complex world,
integrating science and engineering is key to researching problems and
developing solutions.
In the following chapters, the authors will demonstrate all of the
components of STEM needed to research scientific questions, use new
technology (Arduino and Raspberry Pi), employ engineering
techniques, and use mathematics to quantify the scientific data. As Star
Trek boldly went forth to explore new worlds, the authors hope the
students of today do the same!
Acknowledgments
This book would not be possible without the authors’ gaining early
technical insight regarding the Raspberry Pi and Arduino from others.
Jared Brank and Dennis Pate provided a lot of basic information, key
insights, and Arduino hardware early in the process. The authors thank
the following individuals who listened to them on many occasions and
provided help, insight, and inspiration with their own experiences with
the Raspberry Pi and other projects: Jeff Dunehew, Todd Franke, and
Fitz Walker. Additionally, significant assistance with 3D printing was
provided by Mitch Long and David Thoerig.
Producing this book would not have been possible without the
excellent help and guidance regarding scope and early editorial reviews
by Joanna Opaskar and Ed Weisblatt. The authors also utilized many
ideas from Andrew Bradt and Laura Brank’s science fair experience.
Most important was the support and advice from Andrea Bradt.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​Key Technology Tools
Arduino Basics
Arduino Setup
Ports and Interfaces
Lessons Learned About the Arduino
Raspberry Pi Basics
Raspberry Pi Setup
Lessons Learned About the Raspberry Pi
Basic Electronics Definitions
Summary
Chapter 2:​Data Logging Basics
Data Logging with the Arduino
Data Logging with the Raspberry Pi
Summary
Chapter 3:​Physics and Mathematics Basics
Temperature
Force
Pressure
Basic Concept of Algebra
Statistical Concepts
Direct Compared to Inferred Measurements
Summary
Chapter 4:​Simple Science and Engineering Projects
Buoyancy of Air
Arduino Buoyancy of Air Version
 Raspberry Pi Buoyancy of Air Version
Buoyancy Recap
Demonstrating Pressure
Pressure/​Force Recap
Capturing Counts
Counts Recap
Summary
Chapter 5:​Advanced Physics and Mathematics for Science and
Engineering
Basics Terms of Calculus
How Heat Transfer Works
Conduction Heat Transfer
Convection Heat Transfer
Radiation Heat Transfer
All Three Heat Transfer Mechanisms Work Together!
Mass
Velocity and Acceleration
Inertia
Momentum
Friction
More Advanced Aspects of Calculus
Summary
Chapter 6:​Time/​Condition-Dependent Projects
Conduction Heat Transfer Through an Aluminum Rod
Ensure Consistency in Temperature Sensor Readings
Aluminum Rod Conduction Heat Transfer Recap
 Conduction Heat Transfer Through a Window
Window Conduction Heat Transfer Recap
Convection Heat Transfer
Convection Heat Transfer Recap
Zero Gravity Demonstration
Zero Gravity Recap
Measuring Frictional Force Projects
Arduino Frictional Force Project
Operational Schematic
Arduino Frictional Force Recap
Raspberry Pi Frictional Force Project
Raspberry Pi Frictional Force Recap
Acceleration Projects
Acceleration Direct to Computer
Acceleration with Computer Recap
Acceleration Measurement Without a Computer
Acceleration Without Computer Recap
Summary
Chapter 7:​Light and Imaging Projects
Radiation Heat Transfer
Analysis of Heat Transfer
Radiation Heat Transfer Recap
Astrophotography​with the Raspberry Pi Camera
Assembling the Meade ETX-60AT and Raspberry Pi
Astrophotography​Meade ETX-60AT Setup Recap
Assembling the 4 1/​2-Inch Reflector Telescope and the
Raspberry Pi
Components Needed to Assemble the Raspberry Pi 3
Mounting System to the 4 1/​2-Inch Telescope
Reflector Telescope Setup Recap
Basic Raspistill Previewing an Image with the Terminal
Command Line
Using Raspistill to Capture an Image
More Advanced Raspistill Input Without a Keyboard
Raspistill Image Capture Recap
Astrophotography​Raspberry Pi Python GUI
Initiating the GUI
PI_​SN003 Raspberry PI GUI Recap
Assembling the Raspberry Pi and Touchscreen in the Case
Raspberry Pi, Touchscreen, and Case
Modification of the Case and Assembly
Components and Assembly of the Raspberry Pi Case Recap
Camera Modifications, Camera Case, and Power Cables
Camera Modifications
Building the Camera Case
Final Assembly of the Camera in the Case
Power Cord Combination
Camera, Camera Case, and Power Cord Assembly Recap
Building the Shelf for the Meade ETX-60AT
Shelf Components and Assembly Recap
Helpful Hints Using the Telescope and Raspberry Pi
Lessons Learned Recap
 Example Images and Enhancing Them Using a Video Capture
GUI
Example Images Taken with the Upgraded Meade ETX-60AT
Astrophotography​System
Recap of Example Images and Enhancement Techniques
Summary
Appendix:​Reference Material
Soldering Safety
General Shop Safety
Manufacturing Techniques
Soldering
Basic Arduino and Raspberry Pi Python Commands
3D Printing
Computer-Aided Design Options
Project Management for Engineering
Decision Analysis for Engineering
Thermal Conductivity Coefficients
Coefficients of Friction
Astronomy Terms
Specifications of the Meade ETX-60AT
Setup, Updates, and Repairs
Helpful Books
Index
About the Authors
Paul Bradt
has a BS in Computer Science from the
University of Houston–Clear Lake. He
currently owns a small business and
writes books, develops code, and does IT
support work. He has experimented with
the Arduino and Raspberry Pi system
and believes them to be excellent tools
for developing an understanding of
electronic components and hardware
interaction in integrated systems. He
believes they are very useful as a
teaching aid in learning computer
programming, science, and engineering.
He likes to perform sophisticated
troubleshooting of computer problems
and has found that online resources can be a great help for novice users
to get their experiments operating quickly and effectively.

David Bradt
has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University
with many years of experience in the aerospace industry and in the
petrochemical industry. He enjoys building and designing devices to
measure and control systems. He has found the Arduino and Raspberry
Pi to be incredibly powerful little devices that with a little bit of work
can do many different tasks. He is a big fan of Star Trek: The Original
Series and astronomy.
About the Technical Reviewer
Sri Manikanta Palakollu
is an undergraduate student pursuing his bachelor’s degree in
Computer Science and Engineering at SICET under JNTUH. He is a
founder of the OpenStack Developer Community in his college. He
started his journey as a competitive programmer. He always loves to
solve problems that are related to the data science field. His interests
include data science, app development, web development,
cybersecurity, and technical writing. He has published many articles on
data science, machine learning, programming, and cybersecurity in
publications like Hacker Noon, freeCodeCamp, Noteworthy, and DDI
through the Medium platform.
© Paul Bradt and David Bradt 2020
P. Bradt, D. Bradt, Science and Engineering Projects Using the Arduino and Raspberry Pi
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5811-8_1

1. Key Technology Tools

Paul Bradt1 and David Bradt2
(1) Houston, TX, USA
(2) Houston, USA

This chapter will highlight some of the basics about the Arduino and
the Raspberry Pi. It will help the reader get started if they are
unfamiliar with these powerful devices. It is amazing what these
devices can do and this chapter provides some basic aspects for getting
them set up to run.

Arduino Basics
The Arduino is a powerful microcontroller that is ready to program and
acts as an intermediary device between a personal computer and
various sensors. It is relatively new technology that is a great tool for
gaining insight into physical properties and other scientific parameters.
The Arduino board was first developed in Italy in 2004 as a tool to
help train students in programming. It is an open source tool and as
such has developed a large base of helpful web sites and user groups. It
represents a breakthrough as an easy-to-use, relatively inexpensive,
programmable interface between a computer and various sensors. The
software development package and all of the online resources help
make this an ideal data logging tool for science fair/college projects.
The Arduino, Adafruit, SparkFun, Hacktronics, and other web sites
are great places to start. There are also several introductory books to
help the researcher get started using this device. Getting started with
Arduino by Banzi is a very good beginner’s book on Arduino.
 Other sources of information for the Arduino novice are maker
faires and user group activities.
There are several versions and sizes, but for the projects in this
book, the Arduino Uno and the Integrated Development Environment
(IDE) version 1.89 were utilized. Figure 1-1 shows an example of the
Arduino Uno. The authors recommend for the person unfamiliar with
Arduinos to use an official version and not a clone. The authors have
never experienced a problem with an official Arduino, but there are
many clones, and the authors have experienced problems with one of
them.

Figure 1-1 Arduino Uno

Arduino Setup
Setting up an Arduino is relatively straightforward; the reader should
follow these basic steps to get the device running:
1. The Arduino is connected to a computer via a USB connection to the
input port (see Figure 1-3).

2. Load code using the IDE (see Figure 1-2).

3. Open the serial monitor to get data.

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 These steps sound basic, and after the reader completes these steps
a few times, they will see how easy it is to connect and run an Arduino.
In many cases, the challenges occur with the code. If the reader is
copying code from a source, it is important to type it in exactly as it
looks. Even then there could be errors, but that is part of the adventure,
and it’s very rewarding when the code runs.

Figure 1-2 Arduino IDE

Ports and Interfaces

Figure 1-3 shows the main ports of the Arduino Uno.
Figure 1-3 Arduino Ports
There are five primary port groupings that are used to connect to
the Arduino:
Computer port: This is the primary port that is directly connected to
the computer. It is a micro-USB port that powers and enables the
user to upload the sketches or programs to the Arduino.
Battery power port: This port allows an Arduino to be unplugged
from a computer and use battery power to operate. A standard wall
power supply that provides 9–12 V DC can also be used.
Sensor power ports: These plug connections provide 3.3 V and 5 V
DC power. There is also a reset connection and input voltage
connection.
Analog device ports: These connections are for analog inputs.
Digital device ports: These are for digital inputs and outputs.
IDE (Integrated Development Environment): The IDE is the
program that is used to develop the code. It is the programming tool
that runs on a computer and has features to help the developer write
code. The IDE tool must be downloaded from the Arduino web site.
Sketch: The code that runs on an Arduino is called a sketch. Once the
code is developed in the IDE, it is uploaded to the Arduino.
 Libraries: These are code modules that are installed on the Arduino
and called up by the program when needed. Libraries add a lot of
functionality and do not require any additional coding.
There are other components and hardware that can be used with
the Arduino:
Shields/breakout boards: These are add-on boards that are either
inserted into the standard Arduino board ports or connected via
wires.
Sensors: A sensor is a device that senses some type of data. It can be
used to directly measure a physical aspect, or it can be used with
some mathematics to infer a physical measurement.
Effectors: An effector imparts some change in the physical world
when activated. Motors, solenoids, and servos are some examples.
LCDs: Liquid Crystal Display can be used to show data.
LEDs: Light-Emitting Diodes or other incandescent lights can also
indicate an event has occurred.

Lessons Learned About the Arduino

The Arduino is relatively easy to use, but the authors found there are a
few key points that will help when using this powerful device:
Each Arduino attaches to a specific com port. The port may have to
be changed or selected in the tools tab under “port” to get the IDE to
recognize the Arduino.
If the code is being pasted into the IDE, do not copy from Microsoft
Word or another word processor. First, put it in a text editor such as
Notepad, Notepad++, or some other C/C++ IDE editor and then copy
it from there. Important note: Notepad and Notepad++ are not
development tools like the IDE. One other very important item of
note is when the code was transcribed into the book format some of
the code text that must be on one line may show up on two lines in
this book. The authors have tried their best to highlight the code that
should be on one line in the IDE by bolding it in the Listing. Please
contact the authors if there are questions at
contact@pdanalytic.com.
It is a good idea to test the devices with a basic program to be sure
they work, before moving to a more complex program.
If the final code is complex, get each piece of code working before
adding more modules. This way, it is easier to find the module where
the problem is located.
The authors recommend for long timing events or complex programs
to not use the “delay command,” because it locks the Arduino and
prevents it from doing anything else. Instead, use the “milli
command” that tracks time intervals between events and still allows
other actions to occur. The milli code might be a little more complex,
but it allows the Arduino to perform other functions simultaneously.
Using the delay command for short events or simple programs like
the ones in this book, such as a switch debounce, is recommended.
A feature built into the Arduino IDE is the “auto-format command.” It
can be found under the tools tab or using “Alt+T.” This command
helps identify missing items and also helps organize the code for
improved readability.
One more key aspect of Arduino coding is the “loop command.” There
are a few different types, but common ones such as “void loop” and
the “for command” perform several operations and then repeat them.
Check the wiring twice before applying power. It can be difficult to
see which port a wire is plugged into when there are several wires.
It is hard to know what code is on an Arduino. One easy way that
helps determine what is loaded on an Arduino is saving code with a
descriptive name, date, and even time information. This helps
programmers who may need to go back to a previous code version.
One other very helpful trick is to put the descriptive name of the code
on a piece of tape and stick it on top of the computer port. This helps
when working on, or programing, several different Arduinos.
One of the advantages of the Arduino is that once it is programmed, it
remembers the code. When a power source is plugged into the
battery power port, it will operate the Arduino. According to the
Arduino web site, any power source that can supply 9–12 V DC, 250
mA, or more will work. The plug must be 2.1 mm with the center pin
providing positive voltage and the exterior of the plug the negative
terminal. Some power supplies do not deliver enough current or do
not provide stable power. If an Arduino is behaving strangely, try a
different power supply.
 Some programs need special ways to use and communicate with the
Arduino. To do this, the reader should understand these special
connection ports on the Arduino Uno: analog A5 is the SCL (Clock
port) and A4 is the SDA (Data port).

Raspberry Pi Basics
The Raspberry Pi 3 is a powerful minicomputer. This piece of
technology comes with a lot of features like any other modern
computer. It is an experimental/hobbyist device developed around
2011 in the United Kingdom to teach programming. For its low cost, it
has many capabilities and allows the user to configure it in many ways.
There are several models on the market. For this book, the authors
choose the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B V1.2 (Figures 1-4 and 1-5). There is
a new Raspberry Pi 4 that was recently released that has more features.
The authors researched the setup and use of the Raspberry Pi 4, and it
appears to be the same as the Raspberry Pi 3. We believe these projects
will work the same if you have a Raspberry Pi 4.

Figure 1-4 Raspberry Pi

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 CHAPTER XXIV.
MR. BIRON’S REPENTANCE.

Then Bram went upstairs also, and knocked at Mr. Biron’s door.
“I’m going for the doctor now, Mr. Biron,” he called out without
entering. “I’ve come up to ask if there’s anything I can get for you
before I go.”
“Come in, Elshaw, come in!” cried Theodore, in a voice full of
tremulous eagerness. “I want to speak to you.”
Bram obeyed the summons, and found himself for the first time in
Mr. Biron’s bedroom, which was the most luxurious room in the
house. A bright fire burned in the grate, this being a luxury Theodore
always indulged in during the winter; the bed and the windows were
hung with handsome tapestry, and there were book-shelves, tables,
arm-chairs, everything that a profound study of the art of making
oneself comfortable could suggest to the fastidious Theodore.
He himself was sitting, wrapped in a cozy dressing-gown, with his
feet on a hassock by the fire. But he looked even more wretched
than he had done in his drenched clothes downstairs. There was an
unhealthy flush in his face, a feverish glitter in his eyes.
Bram saw something in his face which he had never seen there
before, something which suggested that the man had discovered a
conscience, and that it was giving him uneasiness.
“Sit down,” said he, pointing to a seat on the other side of the
fireplace. Bram wanted to go for the doctor, but the little man was so
peremptory that he thought it best to obey. “Elshaw, I think I’m going
to die.”
He uttered the words, as was natural in such a man, as if the whole
world must be struck into awe by the news. Bram inclined his head in
respectful attention, clasping his hands and looking at the fire. He
could not make light of this presentiment, which, indeed, he saw
reason to think was a well-founded one. Mr. Biron’s never robust
frame had been shaken sorely by his own excesses in the first place,
by erysipelas and consequent complications, and it was evident that
the experiences of this night had tried him very severely. He was still
shivering in a sort of ague: his eyes were glassy, his skin was dry. He
stood as much in need of a doctor’s aid as did his daughter.
But still Bram waited, struck by the man’s manner, and feeling that at
such a moment there was something portentous in his wish to
speak. Mr. Biron had something on his mind, on his conscience, of
which he wanted to unburden himself.
“Elshaw,” he went on after a long pause, “I’ve been to blame over
this—this matter of Claire and—and her cousin Chris.” He stared into
Bram’s face as if the young man had been his confessor, and rubbed
his little white hands quickly the one over the other while he spoke. “I
did it for the best, as I’m sure you will believe; I thought he was an
honorable man, who would marry her and make her happy. You
believe that, don’t you?”
Up to this moment Bram had believed this of Theodore; now for the
first time it flashed through his mind that it was not true. However, he
made a vague motion of the head which Theodore took for assent,
and the latter went on. He seemed to have become suddenly
possessed by a spirit of self-abasement, to feel the need of opening
his heart.
“There was no harm in my sending her to meet him—until—last
night,” pursued the conscience-stricken man. “I know I did wrong in
letting her go then!”
Bram sat up in his chair with horror in his eyes.
“You sent her? Begging, of course, as usual?”
The words were harsh enough, brutal, perhaps, in the
circumstances. But Bram’s feeling was too strong for him to be able
to choose the expression of it. That this father, knowing what he did
know, suspecting what he did suspect, should have sent his
daughter to ask Christian for money was so shocking to his feelings
that he was perforce frank to the utmost.
“What could I do? How could I help it? One has got to live, Claire as
well as I!” muttered Theodore, avoiding Bram’s eyes, and looking at
the fire. “Besides, we don’t know anything. We may be doing her
wrong in suspecting—what—what we did suspect,” said he
earnestly, persuasively. “She never told me that she went away with
him, never! I believe it’s a libel to say she did, the mere malicious
invention of evilly-disposed persons to harm my child.”
Bram was silent. These words chimed in so well with the hopes he
would fain have cherished that, even from the lips of Mr. Biron, they
pleased him in spite of his own judgment. Encouraged by the attitude
which he was acute enough to perceive in his companion, Theodore
went on—
“No, you may blame me as much as you like. You have more to
blame me for than you know. I’m going to tell you all about it—yes,
all about it.” And he began to play nervously with his handkerchief,
and to dart at Bram a succession of quick, restless glances. “But I
will hear nothing against my child. It’s not her fault that she’s the
daughter of her father, is it? But she’s not a chip of the old block, as
you know, Elshaw.”
Bram, who was getting anxious about leaving Claire so long without
medical attention, got up from his chair. He did not feel inclined to
encourage the evident desire of Mr. Biron for the luxury of
confession, of self-abasement. Like most vain persons, Theodore
was almost as willing to excite attention by the record of his
misdeeds as by any other way. And in the same way, when he felt
inclined to write himself down a sinner, nothing would content him
but to be the greatest sinner of them all. So he put up an imploring
hand to detain Bram.
“Wait,” he said petulantly. “Didn’t I say I had something to tell you?
It’s something that concerns Claire, too.”
At the mention of this name Bram, who had moved towards the door,
stopped, although he was inclined to think that all this was a mere
excuse on the part of Theodore to detain him, and put off the
moment when he should be left by himself.
“You remember that a box was sent to you—a chest, by the man at
East Grindley who left you his money?”
Bram nodded. His attention was altogether arrested now. Even
before Mr. Biron uttered his next words it was clear that he had a real
confession to make this time, that he was not merely filling up the
time with idle self-accusations.
“I went to your lodging the day it came, just to see that it was safe.
Your landlady had sent to ask me if I could take care of it for you, as
it was something of value. But I preferred to leave the responsibility
with her. In—in fact, Claire thought it best too.”
Bram read between the lines here, knowing what strong reasons
poor Claire would have for taking this view. Mr. Biron went on—
“There was a key sent with it.”
Bram looked up. He had found no key, and had been obliged to force
the padlock.
“The key was in a piece of paper. I found it on the mantelpiece. I—I
—well, of course, I had no right to do it; but I thought it would be
better for me to look over the contents of the chest to make sure they
were not tampered with in your absence.”
Bram was attentive enough now.
“So I unlocked the box, and I just glanced through the things it
contained. You know what I found; with the exception of this, that
there was some loose cash——”
Bram’s face grew red with sudden perception. But he made no
remark.
“I forget exactly what it was, something between two and three
hundred pounds. Now, I know that in strict propriety,” went on Mr.
Biron, in whom the instinct of confession became suddenly tempered
with a desire to prove himself to have acted well in the matter, “I
ought to have left the money alone. But it was strongly borne in upon
me at the moment that my dear daughter was worried because of
unpaid bills; and—and that, in short, it would be just what you would
wish me to do if you had been here, for me to borrow the loose
sovereigns, and apply them to our pressing necessities. I argued
with myself that you would even prefer, in your delicacy, that I should
not have to ask for them. And—in short, I may have been wrong, but
I—borrowed them.”
A strange light had broken on Bram’s face.
“Did Miss Claire know?” he asked suddenly in a ringing voice.
“Well—er—yes, in point of fact she did. She came to look for me,
and she, well, she saw me take them. She—in fact—wished me to
put them back; and I could not convince her that I was doing what
you would have wished.”
Bram’s brain was bursting. His heart was beating fast. He came
quickly towards Mr. Biron, and seized him by the wrist. There was no
anger in his eyes, nothing but a fierce, hungry hope. For he could not
despise Theodore more than he had done before, while the fact of
Claire’s shame on meeting himself might now bear a less awful
significance then it had seemed to do.
“She knew you had taken it? And you forced her to say nothing?”
cried he in passionate eagerness.
Mr. Biron was disconcerted.
“Well, er—I thought that—that perhaps, until I could see my way to
paying it back, it would be better——”
But Bram did not wait for more explanations. Indeed, he needed no
more. He saw in a flash what the shame was which he had seen in
Claire’s eyes when she met him after his return. It was the
knowledge that her father was a thief, that he had robbed Bram
himself, and that she could neither make restitution nor confession
for him.
And with this knowledge there flashed upon him the question—Was
this the only shame she had to conceal? He was ready, passionately
anxious, to believe that it was.
Mr. Biron was quick to take advantage of this disposition in Bram.
His mood of self-abasement seemed to have passed away as rapidly
as it had come. Not attempting to draw his hand away from Bram’s
grasp, he said buoyantly—
“But I could not let the matter rest. I felt that you might suspect her,
my child, of what her father, from mistaken motives perhaps, had
done——”
Bram cut him short.
“Oh, no, I shouldn’t have done that, Mr. Biron,” he said rather dryly.
“But you were very welcome to the money. And I am glad to think
you enjoyed yourself while it lasted.”
This thrust, caused by a sudden remembrance of the hunter and the
new clothes in which Theodore had been so smart at his expense,
was all the vengeance Bram took. He tore himself away as speedily
as possible, and ran off for the doctor with a lighter heart than he had
borne for many a day. Might not miracles happen? Might they not?
Bram asked himself something like this as he ran through the rain
over the sodden ground.
When he returned to the farmhouse with the doctor, Bram received a
great shock. For, on entering the kitchen, he found Mr. Cornthwaite
himself pacing up and down the room, while Joan watched him with
anxious eyes from the scullery doorway.
Josiah stopped short in his walk when the two men entered. He
nodded to Bram, and wished the doctor good-evening as the latter
passed through, and went upstairs, followed by Joan.
“Will you come through, sir?” said Bram. “There’s a fire in the
drawing-room.”
Mr. Cornthwaite, over whom there had passed some great change,
followed him with only a curt assent. Bram supposed that even he
had been touched to learn that the woman of whom he had come in
search was so ill as to be past understanding that her persecution
had already begun. He stood in front of the fire, with his hat in one
hand and his umbrella in the other, with his back to Bram, in dead
silence for some minutes.
Then he turned abruptly, and asked in a stern, cold voice, without
looking up from the floor, on which he was following the pattern of
the carpet with the point of his umbrella—
“Did that scoundrel Biron get back home all right?”
“He’s got home, sir, but he’s very ill. He’s caught cold, I think.”
“He was not molested, attacked again, by the woman, the woman
Tyzack, who threw the vitriol over him before?”
“No, sir. She followed him, but he lost sight of her before he got
here.”
Mr. Cornthwaite nodded, and was again silent for some time. Bram
was much puzzled. Instead of the fierce resentment, the savage
anger which had possessed the bereaved father immediately after
the loss of his son there now hung over him a gloomy sadness
tempered by an uneasiness and irresolution, which were new
attributes in the business-like, strong-natured man.
The silence had lasted some minutes again, when he spoke as
sharply as before.
“I came to see the daughter, Claire Biron. But I’m told—the woman
tells me—that she is ill, and can’t see any one. Is that true?”
“Yes, sir. She is delirious.”
Mr. Cornthwaite turned away impatiently, and again there was a
pause. At last he said in the same sharp tone—
“You brought her back home, I suppose?”
“Yes. At least I followed her, and when she grew too tired to walk
alone I caught her up, and helped her along.”
Mr. Cornthwaite looked at him curiously. The little room was ill-
lighted, by two candles only and the red glow of the fire. He could
see Bram’s face pretty well, but the young man could not see his.
“Still infatuated, I see?” said Josiah in a hard, ironical voice.
Bram made no answer.
“You intend to marry her, I suppose?” went on Mr. Cornthwaite in a
harder tone than ever.
Bram stared. But he could see nothing of Mr. Cornthwaite’s features,
only the black outline of his figure against the dim candle-light.
“No, sir,” said he steadily. “I only hope to be able to save her life.”
“And how do you propose to do that?”
“Sir, you know best.”
His voice shook, and he stopped. There was silence between them
till they heard the footsteps of the doctor and Joan coming down the
stairs. Mr. Cornthwaite opened the door.
“Well, Doctor,” said he, “what of the patients?”
There was more impatience than solicitude in his tone.
“They’re both very ill,” answered the doctor. “They ought each to
have a nurse, really.”
“Very well. Can you engage them, Doctor? I’ll undertake to pay all
the expenses of their illness.”
The doctor was impressed by this generosity; so was Bram, but in a
different way. What was the reason of this sudden consideration, this
unexpected liberality to the poor relations whom he detested, and to
whom he imputed the death of his son?
“What’s the matter with them?” went on Mr. Cornthwaite in the same
hard, perfunctory, if not slightly suspicious tone.
“Pneumonia in Mr. Biron’s case, brought on by exposure to wet and
cold, no doubt. He has just had a severe shivering fit, and his pulse
is up to a hundred and four. We must do the best we can, but he’s a
bad subject for pneumonia, very.”
“And the daughter?”
“Acute congestion of the brain. She’s delirious.”
“Ah!”
Mr. Cornthwaite seemed satisfied now that he had the doctor’s
assurance that the illness was genuine. He made no more inquiries,
but he followed the medical man into the hall and to the front door.
The doctor perceived that it was locked and bolted at the top and
bottom.
“All right,” said he, “I’ll go through the other way.”
And he made his way to the kitchen, followed by Mr. Cornthwaite
and Bram.
As he opened the door which led into the kitchen, the wind blew
strongly in his face from the outer door, which was wide open. The
rain was sweeping in, and the tablecloth was blown off into his face
as he entered. At the same moment Joan, who had gone into the
back kitchen to prepare something the doctor had ordered, made her
appearance at the door between the two rooms.
“I shouldn’t leave this door open,” said the doctor as he crossed the
room to shut it. “The wind blows through the whole house.”
Joan stared.
“Ah didn’t leave it open, sir,” said she. “Ah’ve only just coom through
here, and it were shut then. Some one’s been and opened it.”
Bram gave a glance round the room, and then opened the door
through which he and the others had just come to examine the hall.
“What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Cornthwaite sharply. He had bidden
the doctor a hasty good-bye, afraid of the condolences which he saw
were on the tip of his tongue.
Bram, with a candle in his hand, was peering into the dark corners.
“I was just thinking, sir, that perhaps Meg Tyzack had got in while we
were talking in the drawing-room,” said he. “Mr. Biron made me bolt
the doors to keep her from getting in. He seemed to be afraid she
would follow him into the house.”
The words were hardly uttered, when from the floor above there
came a piercing scream, a woman’s scream.
“Claire!” shouted Bram, springing on the stairs.
But before he could mount half a dozen steps a wild figure came out
of Claire’s room, and rushed to the head of the staircase in answer
to his call. But it was not Claire. It was, as Bram had feared, Meg
Tyzack, recognizable only by her deep voice, by her loud, hoarse
laugh, for the figure itself looked scarcely human.
Standing at the top of the stairs, with her arms outstretched as if to
prevent any one’s passing her on the way up, the gaunt creature
seemed to be of gigantic height, and looked, with her loose,
disordered hair and the rags which hung down from her arms instead
of sleeves, like a witch in the throes of prophecy.
“Stand back! Stand back! Leave her alone!” she cried furiously, as
Bram rushed up the stairs, and struggled to get past her. She flung
her arms round him, laughing discordantly, and clinging so tightly
that without hurting her he would have found it impossible to
disengage himself.
“What has she done? What has she done?” asked Mr. Cornthwaite
in a loud, hard, angry voice as he came to Bram’s assistance.
At the first sound of Mr. Cornthwaite’s voice, Meg’s rage seemed
suddenly to disappear, to give place to a fit of strange gloom, quite
as wild, and still more terrible to see. Releasing Bram, who ran past
her, she leaned over the banisters, and looked straight into Mr.
Cornthwaite’s haggard face.
“What has she done? What have I done?” said she in a horrible
whisper. “Why, I’ve done the best night’s work that’s ever been done
on this earth, that’s what I’ve done. I’ve sent the man and the woman
I hated both to——. Ha! ha! ha!”
With a shrieking laugh she leapt past him to the bottom of the stairs.
 CHAPTER XXV.
MEG.

Bram Elshaw heard Meg’s wild words as he rushed along the

corridor towards the room out of which she had just come—Claire’s
room, as he guessed, with a sob of terror rising in his throat.
The door was open. On the floor, just inside, lay what Bram at first
thought to be Claire’s lifeless body. Meg had dragged her off the bed,
and flung her down in an ecstasy of mad rage.
But even as he raised her in his arms, before the frightened Joan
had run up to his aid, Bram was reassured. The girl was
unconscious, but she was still breathing. Joan wanted to send him
away.
“Leave her to me, sir, leave her to me. You can goa and fetch t’
doctor back,” cried she, as she tried jealously to take Claire out of his
arms.
But Bram did not seem to hear her. He was staring into the
unconscious face as if this was his last look on earth. He hung over
her with all the agony of his long, faithful, unhappy love softening his
own rugged face, and shining in his gray eyes.
“Oh, Claire, Claire, my little Claire, my darling, are you going away?
Are you going to die?”
The words broke from his lips, hoarse, low, forced up from his heart.
He did not know that he had uttered them; did not know that he was
not alone with the sick girl. Joan, whose tears were running down
her own face, suddenly broke into a loud sob, and shook him roughly
by the shoulder.
“Put her down; do ee put her down,” she said peremptorily. “Do ye
go for to think as your calling to her will do her any good? Goa ee for
t’ doctor. And God forgive me for speaking harsh to ye, sir.”
“Oh Claire, Claire, my little Claire, are you going to die?”—Page
200.
And the good woman, seeing the strange alteration which came over
Bram’s face as he raised his eyes from the girl’s face to hers as if he
had come back from another world, changed her rough touch to a
gentle pat of his shoulder, and turned away sobbing.
Bram lifted Claire from the floor with the easy strength of which his
spare, lean frame gave no promise, and placed her tenderly on the
bed. Then he held one of her hands for a moment, leaned over her,
and kissed her forehead with the lingering but calm tenderness of a
mother to her babe.
“A’ reght,” muttered he to Joan, falling once more into the broad
Yorkshire he had dropped for so long, “Ah’m going.”
At the foot of the stairs he was brought suddenly to full remembrance
of the hard, matter-of-fact world of every day. Mr. Cornthwaite was
standing, cold and grave, buttoning up his coat, ready to go.
“Where are you going?” asked he shortly.
“For the doctor again, sir. Meg has nearly done for her, for Miss
Claire.”
Mr. Cornthwaite uttered a short exclamation, which might have been
meant to express compassion, but which was more like indifference,
or even satisfaction. So Bram felt, in a sudden transport of anger.
“And the old man—Mr. Biron, what did she do to him?”
Bram was silent. He remembered Meg’s ferocious words, her
triumphant cry that she had killed both the woman and the man she
hated; and as the remembrance came back he turned quickly, and
went in the direction of Theodore’s room. But Mr. Biron was lying
quietly in bed, apparently unaware that anything extraordinary had
happened. For when he saw Bram he only asked if he were going to
stay with him. Bram excused himself, and left the room.
“Mr. Biron’s all right, sir,” he said to Mr. Cornthwaite, who had by this
time reached the door, impatient to get away.
The only answer he got was a nod as Mr. Cornthwaite went out of
the house.
Bram had not to go far before he found some one to run his errand
for him, so that he was able to return to the house. His mind was full
of a strange new thought, one so startling that it took time to
assimilate it. He sat for a long time by the kitchen fire, turning the
idea over in his mind, until the doctor returned, and went away again,
after reporting that Claire was not so much injured by the woman’s
violence as might have been feared.
It was very late when a nurse, the only one to be got on the spur of
the moment, arrived at the farmhouse. Bram was still sitting by the
kitchen fire. When she had been installed upstairs Joan came down
for a little while.
“What, you here still, Mr. Elshaw?” cried she.
“Well, you might have known I should be,” he answered with a faint
smile. “I’m here till I’m turned out, day and night now!”
“Why, sir, ye’d best goa whoam,” said Joan kindly. “Ye can do no
good, and Ah won’t leave her, ye may be sure. Ah’ve sent word
whoam as they mun do wi’out me till t’ mornin’.”
“Ah, but I’ve something to say to you, Joan. Look here; doesn’t it
seem very strange that Mr. Cornthwaite when he is half-mad with
grief at his son’s death, should come all the way out here to see his
niece? And that he should say nothing more about—about the death
of his son? And that he should give orders for a nurse to come, and
undertake to pay all the expenses of her illness? Doesn’t it look as if
——”
Joan interrupted him with a profound nod.
“Lawk-a-murcy, ay, sir. Ah’ve thowt o’ that too,” said she in an eager
whisper. “And don’t ye think, sir, as it’s a deal more likely that that
poor, wild body Meg killed Master Christian wi’ her strong arms and
her mad freaks than that our poor little lass oop yonder did it?”
Bram sprang up.
“Joan, that’s what I’ve been thinking myself ever since the woman
rushed out from here. She said she’d sent to h—— the woman and
the man she hated, didn’t she? Well, if Claire was the woman, surely
Mr. Christian must have been the man!”
They stared each into the face of the other, full of strong excitement,
each deriving fresh hope from the hope each saw in the wide eyes of
the other. At last Joan seized his hand, and wrung it in her own
strong fingers with a pressure which brought the water to his eyes.
“You’ve got it, Mr. Bram, you’ve got it, Ah believe!” cried she in a
tumult of feeling. “Oh, for sure that’s reght; and our poor little lass is
as innocent of it as t’ new-born babe!”
Full of this idea, Bram conceived the thought of making inquiries at
Meg’s own home, and he started at once with this object.
It was now very late, past eleven o’clock; but his uneasiness was too
great to allow him to leave the matter till the morning. So, at the risk
of reaching the farmhouse, where Meg’s parents lived, when
everybody was in bed, he took a short cut across the wet, muddy
fields, and arrived at his destination within an hour.
The rain had ceased by this time, and the moon peeped out from
time to time, and from behind a mass of straggling clouds. The little
farm lay in a nook between two hills, and as Bram drew near he saw
that a light was still burning within. In getting over a gate he made a
little noise, and the next moment he saw a woman’s figure come
quickly out of the farmhouse.
“Meg, is that you, Meg?” asked a woman’s voice anxiously.
“No,” said Bram, “it isn’t Meg, ma’am. It’s me, from Hessel, come to
ask if she’d got safe home.”
She came nearer, and peered into his face.
“And who be you?”
“My name’s Bram Elshaw. I’m a friend of the Birons at Duke’s Farm.”
“Ah!”
There was a world of sorrow, of significance, in the exclamation.
After a pause, she said, not angrily, but despondently—
“Then maybe you know all about it? Maybe you can tell me more
than I know myself? Have you seen anything of Meg—she’s my
daughter—this evening?”
Bram hesitated. The woman went on—
“Oh, don’t be afraid to speak out, sir, if it’s bad news. We’ve been
used to that of late; ever since our girl took up with t’ gentleman that
has treated her so bad. It’s no use for to try to hide it; t’ poor lass
herself has spread t’ news about. She’s gone right out of her mind, I
do believe, sir. She wanders about, so I often have to sit up half t’
night for her, and she never gives me a hand now with t’ farm work.
And as neat a hand in t’ dairy as she used to be! Well, sir, what is it?
Has she made away with herself?”
“She came to Duke’s Farm to-night, and attacked Miss Biron,” said
Bram.
“Well, she was jealous,” said Meg’s mother, who seemed to be less
afflicted with sentiment concerning her daughter than with vexation
at the loss of her services. “The lass found it hard she should lose
her character, and then t’ young gentleman care more for his cousin
all t’ time. Not but what Meg was to blame. She used to meet him
when she knew he was going to Duke’s Farm, up in t’ ruined
cottages on top of t’ hill at Hessel. So I’ve learnt since. Folks tell you
these things when it’s too late to stop them!”
Bram remembered the night on which he had heard the voices in the
dismantled cottages, and he remembered also with shame that he
had conceived the idea that Christian’s companion might be his
cousin.
“Did she tell you where she was going when she went out to-night?”
asked Bram.
“She hasn’t been home since this afternoon,” replied Meg’s mother.
“She went out before tea, muttering in her usual way threats against
him and her,—always him and her. She never says any different. I’ve
got used to her ravings; I don’t think she’d do any real harm unless
to herself, poor lass!”
“I’m afraid she has this time,” said Bram gravely. “I don’t know
anything more than I’ve told you; but I’m afraid you must be prepared
for worse news in the morning.”
Startled, the woman pressed for an explanation. Bram, having really
nothing but suspicion to go upon, could tell her nothing definite. But
his suspicion was so strong that he felt no diffidence about preparing
Meg’s mother for a dreadful shock. On the other hand, he was able
to assure her that, whatever she might have done, her manifestly
disordered state of mind would be considered in the view taken of
her actions.
Then he returned to Hessel, tried the door of Duke’s Farm, and
found it locked for the night. He went round to the front, looked up at
the dim light burning in Claire’s room with a fervent prayer on his
lips, and then climbed the hill to his own lodging.
On inquiry at the farm next morning on his way to his work Bram
learnt from the nurse, who was the only person he could see, that
while Mr. Biron had had a very bad night, Claire was as well as could
be expected. No decided improvement could be reported as yet, nor
could it indeed be expected. But she was quieter, and her
temperature had gone down, temporarily at least.
He went on his way feeling a little more hopeful, after impressing
upon the nurse to keep the doors locked for fear of any further
incursions from poor, crazy Meg Tyzack.
On arriving at the works, he saw, as was to be expected after the
tragedy of the preceding evening, an unusual stir among the
workmen, who were standing about the entrance, talking in eager
and excited tones. One of the workmen saluted Bram, and asked
him if he had “heard t’ fresh news.”
“What’s that?” asked Bram.
“Coom this weay, sir; Ah’ll show ye.”
Bram, with a sick terror at his heart, asking himself what new horror
he should be called upon to witness, followed the man through the
works. The rain had come on again, a drizzling, light rain, which was
already turning the morning’s dust into a thick, black paste. They
passed across the yards and through the sheds, until again they
reached the spot where the railway divided the works into two parts.
An exclamation broke from Bram’s lips.
“Not another—accident—here?”
For there was quite a large throng of workmen scattered over the
lines on the opposite side, and culminating in one dense group not
far from the spot where he had found Christian on the previous night.
“Ay, sir, it’s a woman this time.” And his voice suddenly fell to a
hoarse whisper. “T’ woman as killed Mr. Christian! T’ poor creature
was crazed, for sure! She got in here, nobody knows how, this
morning; an’ she must ha’ throwed herself down on t’ line pretty nigh
t’ place where she throwed him down last neght. She must ha’
waited for t’ mornin’ oop train. Anyway, we fahnd her lyin’ there this
mornin’, poor lass!”
Bram had reached the group. He forced his way through, and looked
down at the burden the men were carrying towards the very shed
under the roof of which Chris had died.
The mutilated body, which had been decapitated by the heavy
wheels of the train, was only recognizable by the torn and stained
clothing as that of Meg Tyzack.
Bram staggered away, with his hand over his eyes.