Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-13
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
Something Ridiculous
rOricinaI.l


The members of the fIrlough class
at West Point were preparing for de-
parture. Cadet Tucker was packing a
big square trunk when Cadet After
bury of the next class above came in
with n bit OF paper in his hand.
Listen 10 this" said Atterbury, read
ing:
Dear Jlm-Lucy is coming up to larry
town this afternoon TO bid US Eoodby be-
fore her departure for Europe. She goes
to New York by the 1870 a. IN. train 10
sail the next day and will be abroad two
years. Can't you get a leave to spend the
day with US? Now. don't do anything
ridiculous. Come with permission or not
at all. Your loving sister.
"AiAEGARET.'
at see what you want" said his
friend. "You want me to tell you how
TO do something ridiculous. To kiss
your fiancee goodby you are willing TO
risk running Your career"
you've hit the bullseye at the first
shot
VERY well. It's within a few min
utes of inspection Go TO your room to
be present when Mivers comes round.
Then come in here, get into that trunk,
and I'll check you to Tarrytown. From
there I'll send you up to the house, and
you can be rcchecked by train in the
morning small hours, reaching here be-
fore gun fire"
by Jove. the plans a screamer! VIII
you really CO, itEp ~.
no IF yop are a fFh qs., enough to insist
n'Doner' ~
"Tn help you with that trunk" said
Cadet Tucker a little later. "Look out!
There's glass in it! That'll do. Now,
drive on. Don't touch it till get to the
station"
All went we'll till the baggage was
put on the train, on the opposite side
of the river. Then while Cadet Tucker
was buying n ticket Il baggage smash
er tumbled Cadet Atterbury on the
car head down. Nothing but a pair
OF strong young arms prevented his
neck from being broken. The trunk
was left in this position. and the occu-
pant OF it was about to give up and cry
out when Tucker came along, and At
terbury heard him shout: Put that
trunk on it's bottom! Do you want to-
be responsible for $500 worth of broken
glass?"
The trunk was righted, the train
started and in a few minutes stopped
at Tarrytown. Ten minutes later an
express wagon drove up to the summer
residence of the Atterburys and depOs-
tied n trunk in the hail. the express
man producing the key.
whats this?'' asked Mr.. Atterbury
senior, who. Followed by his family
and guests. had come into the hall.
wondering at the unexpected arrival of
baggage.
Il think it's cheenay, sor. was tould
to handle it careful" said the express
man.
Cadet Atterbury. who was by this
time so cramped and so near snothered
that he could endure it no longer, be-
gan to hammer on the lid.
The trunk was unlocked, and, bruised
and battered, his clothes torn, his nose
bleeding, Cadet Jim looked out at the
assembled parry.
There was Il burstof laughter.
Now, there are certain occasions
when laughter is uncomfortable. Cadet !
Jim, sitting in the trunk gasping for
breath, torn, worn and bleeding, seeing |
n party of friends in the midst of innu |
merable comforts laughing at him in
his misfortune and having his eye fixed |
especially on Lucy Atwater, To meet |
whom for Il two years farewell he had |
endured it all, lost his temper.
what do you stand there for like q |
jabbering set of idiots?"
This salutation was met by another |
burst of laughter.
"I say" he continued, looking at Miss |
Atwater. do you suppose I've risked |
dismissal. been stood on my head and |
had my nose broken to come down here |
for the express .purposeNOf telling you
goodby to be laughed at?"
The shout that followed, led by Miss |
Atwater herself, was louder than be- |
fore.
Cadet Atterbury gave a bound. light |
ed on his feet on the floor. made for |
the front door and banged it behind |
him. Never stopping till he reached the |
station, he inquired the time of the |
next train for West Point, to be in
formed that there was none before
morning a freight train was due which
would go sufficiently slow for him to
jump. The train came along, and he
boarded 1t and was whisked away just
in time to see from the caboose plat
form the party from home coming aft
er him. He could have got Off the train.
but was still too incensed to do so. In
stead he turned on his heel and enter
ed the caboose.
When lie reached Garrisons. opposite
West Point the train was moving rap
idly, and. jumping. he turned n somer
sault on the station platform. breaking
his collar bone. Then he found that the
ferry did not run till morning. and he
was unable to get any one to take him
across. After daylight he found skiff.
which he appropriated, and rowed him
self to the West Point dock just in time
TO hear the boom of gun fire and dis
cover that he was too late to- avoid de-
lection.
The next evening while the battalion