MAD electrical upgrade for 1973 Dart

I am getting ready to do the MAD upgrade. My dart has an MSD 6A ignition unit installed and everything was working fine until:

1. My Dart wouldn't start and the Key would not engage the Starter.
2 I left the key in Run and jumped the Starter Relay but the car would not start.
3. The Fusible link started smoking at the Firewall so I disconnected the Battery.
4. I now have a Short to ground somewhere possibly the ignition switch.
5. So confused and don't know where to start. I figure if I start by doing the MAD upgrade first and then diagnose the ignition switch.

Questions
#1: Do I even need the Red wire in the Mad diagram when bypassing the Amp meter? It seem redundant.
#2: Can I just go directly from the Alternator to the Lug on the Starter Relay or are there other important wires along the path of the original wire.
#3 Am I correct that it is all connected to the same lug on the Starte relay?
#4: Is the Ballast Resistor needed with the MSD 6a. It was always pretty hot.