Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-10-22
Quick Transition


Of scenery. Going northward the trav-
eler passes through fat uninteresdng
country shut in by hills; then he darts
into a tunnel When he energies a pan
Drama Of the Hudson river bursts sud
denly upon his view. There before him
is the Tappan Zee, the broadest part Of
the river teeming with all manner Of
craft from a tiny skiff to an immense
steamer, while beyond and about tower
the highlands.
Delightful" said a gentleman sit
ting opposite me the first time / wit
messed this transformation scene.
"Entrancing.' | replied.
Il have noticed your expression he
added sympathetically, because the
tunnel IS of especial interest to me. In
1t came for me transformation as
marked as that between its south and
north ends"
begged for the story, and he gave 1t
to me.
( From our first meeting 1t was uppar-
ent to both Of us that Della Pennington
and | were made for each other. She
was the daughter of an aristocratiC
/ New Yorker, and I was a young army
I officer without fortune. When / asked
I her father for her hand l was not sur
prised to Meet with a Hat refusal De
! liza was not one of those willowy twigs
TO be bent at the option of the holder.
She had inherited an independence of
character and did not propose that our
lives should be wrecked by any one.
She informed her father that she IN
tended to marry me with or without
his consent, whereupon he directed her
to prepare for a trip to Europe
Della was too young to openly refuse
TO obey, and it was evident that our
affair must be managed Clandestnely.
l was stationed at the time at one OF
the forts in New York harbor, but was
ordered to report for duty on a certain
date at West Point. Before leaving
l was astonished at receiving word
from Della that she had concluded
to obey her father and go to Europe, to
be gone three years. Time would show
whether we were so attached that we
would be of the same mind on her re-
turn. For herself her heart would con
tinue as It was, but the pressure upon
her was so strong that she feared
marriage Of convenience would be her
inevitable fate.
81 replied to her note both coldly and
despondently.
az 90 to my new post tomorrow
wrote in conclusion, while l believe
you sail in a day or two for Europe
1 consider this note a last farewell
The evening before my intended de-
parture ! received a note from Della,
brought openly by one of her fathers
servants, saying that she would like to
send me souvenir by which TO re
member her. 1t had not yet been sent
home, but If l would inform her by
what train | intended going she would
send it to the station. | gave the train
time verbally TO the servant. Taking
her action to be submission to her IA
Tiers will, l had neither the heart nor
the complaCenCy to write another fare
well
I'm the morning at the station the
same servant appeared and handed me
q box containing little gold heart. 1t
gave me no satisfaction. Indeed, If
she had told me that she did not love
me I think l would have the more cas-
lily overcome my disappointment.
boarded the train, which pulled out Of
the station, and began journey over
the stretch of country we have just
passed 1t is needless to say that my
meditations were no more pleasing
than the scenery. I sat with folded
arms and head down, only occasionally
glanciug out Of the window As for
my fellow passengers. they did not In
the least interest me. Finally the low
hills on either side shut us in closer
and closer, and l began to think that
we must soon run either over or under
them. Then suddenly we struck the
tunnel.
1.-The few moments we We're passing
through ii were the most gloomy have
ever known. l dlsliked tunnels and
never entered one without experiencing
something of their somberness. In that
dark passage Il seemed to me was con
centrated all the sadness Of a life-dis-
appointment, the consciousness that
had been wrecked, blighted, imbittered,
left to live without that which would
have made life worth living.
Then there came a few seconds Of
dawning Hight, and this beautiful view
sprang into existence. For the moment
my attention was drawn from my be-
reavement and concentrated upon the
scene. But another matter Immediate
ly drew it aside. When we entered the
tunnel l had sat alone; now some one
was sitting beside me. turned and
looked into the face Of
'DeliaP'
How did you divine itr
mo other transition could have com
pared with entering and leaving the
tunnel. But go on; explain"
Della to dlsarm all suspicion showed
her father her letters to me. The ask
ing for my train was also a ruse to
know when | would 90. Disguised as
an old woman she had gone to the sta
ton, entered the same car as ! and rid
den behind me, waiting an Opportunit~
10 address me without attracting atte
ton. When we entered the tunnel il
occurred TO her to take advantage OF
the darkness to make herself known
TO me- and the temptation to throw off
her disguise was too strong to be re
sisted"
And the FassengersT
81 saw several Of them looking at US
suspiclously. but one by one they seem
ed to make up their minds that Il $
had been mistaken. In a short time We
were at West Point and before | re-
ported at headquarters had visited the
chaplain. aud Della and l were made
A NrIIInN-N IN II