The phantom of the bridge

the long version

<i>Who is the mysterious phantom of the bridge? Who appears out of the fog to forestall a hysterical girl's attempt at suicide? Why can't a veteran reporter track down this strange figure who haunts the bridge at night?</i> Tommy Murname lives in a tenement near a great suspension bridge. The majestic bridge has fascinated Tommy ever since he watched the first steps in its construction. When his mother dies and his father gets into trouble with the law, it is the bridge --- stretching heroically into the sky --- that brings him inspiration and comfort. Tommy wants to be an engineer --- but it may be that the Welfare Bureau will want to take him under their jurisdiction because of his father's disappearance. If this happens, he is afraid, he will not be able to finish his education, nor go on to college and study engineering, as he dreams of doing, nor build such wonderful things as "his" bridge. He needs to find a solution so that he can go on with his schoolwork in independence, continue selling his newspapers for an income, and make plans for his future. His solution is what makes this story --- his solution to the immediate problem, and the answer that comes to his hopes for the future. This exciting book is the story of a determined, ingenious boy who knows what he wants in life, and takes an unusual but honorable way to go about getting it. You will not feel sorry for Tommy Murname, but you will hold your breath for him . . . and you won't easily forget his story.