The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-26
Quick Transition
tOriginal.

Albany tnere is Il tunnel (Which forms
n link between two contrasting kinds
Of scenery. Going northward the tray
eler passes through fiat, unintcrcsting
country shut in by hills; then he darts
into Il tunnel. When he energies IL pau
Drama of the Hudson river bursts sud
denly upon his view. There before him
is the Tnppan Zee, the broadcast part Of
the river, teeming with all manner of
craft, from II tiny skin to an immense
steamer, while beyond and about tower
the highlands.
"Delightful" said II gentleman sit
ting opposite me the first time | wit
messed this transformation scene.
~"Entrancing!" | replied.
81 have noticed your eXpression," he
added sympathetically, "becausc the
tunnel IS OF especial interest to me. In
1T came for me a transformation as
marked as that between it's south and
north ends"
L begged for the story, and he gave it
to me.
"From our first meeting 1t was appar-
ent to both of us that Della Pennington
n L were made for each other. She
NHo bit huuSilltI VI ul uIlSlOtfntlc
New Yorker. and l was n young army
officer without fortune. When l asked
her father for her hand | was not sur
priscd to meet with n flat refusal. Do
liz 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 proposc 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. whcrcupon he directed her
to prepare for Il trip to Europe.
"Dclin was too young to openly refuse
TO obey, and it was evident that our
affair must be managed clandcStincly.
L was stationed at the time at one OF
the forts In New York hurbor, but was
ordered 10 report for duty on q certain
date at West Point. Before leaving
1 was astonishcd ut 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 OH her re-
turn. For herself her heart would con-
tlnue as 1t was, but the pressure upon
her was so strong that she feared a
marriage of convenience would be her
inevitable fate.
II replied to her note both coldly and
de%spondently.
II go to my new post tomorrow 1
wrote In conclusion, while L believe
you sail in a day or two for Europe.
I consider this note a last farewell
1.-THE evening before my intended de-
parture l received a note from Della,
brought openly by one of her fathers
servants, saying that she would like to
send me n souvenir by which to re-
member her. 1t had not yet been sent
home, but if 1 would inform her by
what train I 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 fn-
theirs will, 1 had neither the heart nor
the complacency to write another fare
well.
"In the morning at the station the
same servant appeared and handed me
a box containing n little gold heart. 1t
gave me no satisfaction. Indeed, If
she had told me that she did not love
me L think 1 would have the more cas-
lily overcome my disappointment. L
boarded the train, which pulled out Of
the station, and l began n 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. / sat with folded
arms and head down, only occasionally
glanclng Out of the window. AS for
my fellow passengers, they did not in
the least interest me. Finally the low
hills OH either side shut us in closer
and closer, and I began to think that
we must soon run either over or under
them. Then suddenly we struck the
tunnel.
1.-THE few moments we were passing
through 1t were the most gloomy 1 have
ever known. l dislikcd tunnels and
never entered II without experiencing
something of their somberness. In that
dark passage 1t seemed to me was con
centrated all the sadness of n 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 q few seconds OF
dawning light, and this beautiful view
sprang into existence. Fol the moment
my attention was drawn from my be-
reayement and concentrated upon the
scene But another matter Immediate
ly drew 1t aside. When we entered the
tunnel I had sat alone; now some one
was sitting beside me. 1 turned and
looked into the face off,
"Deliaf"
"How did you divine it2"
N 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 I would go. Disguised as
an old woman she had gone to the sta
ton, entered the same car as I and rid
den behind me, waiting an opportunity
to address me without attracting atten-
tlon. When we entered the tunnel 1t
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 p~assengers?"
II saw several of them looking at us
suspiciously, but one by one they seem
ed to make mp their minds that they
had been mistaken. In n short time we
were ut West Point and before / re-
ported at headquarters had visited the
chaplain, and Della and / were made