Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-18
DAILY SHORT STORY
Quick Transition.
tOriginal.1

Albany there is n tunnel which forms
a link between two contrasting kinds
of scenery. Going northward the trav-
eler passes through fiat, embarrassing
country shut in by hills; then he darts
into tunnel. When he energies pan
Drama of the Hudson river bursts sud
denly upon his view. There before him
is the Tappan Zee, the broadcast 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 Il gentleman sit
ting opposite me the first time l wit
messed this transformation scene.
"Entrancingr' 1 replied.
Il have noticed your expression" he
added sympathetically, because the
tunnel Is of especial interest TO me- In
it came for me transformation as
marked as that between its south and
north ends"
l begged for the story, and he gave 1t
to me-
From our first meeting ii was appar-
ent to both of us that Della Pennington
and l We're made for each other. She
was the daughter of an aristocratic
New Yorker. and / was Il young army
officer without fortune. When asked
her father for her hand was not sur
prised to meet with n fiat refusal. De-
lia 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 he 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 trip to Europe.
Della was too young to openly refuse
to obey, and ii was evident that our
affair must be managed clandestinely.
1 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
1 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 n
marriage of convenience would be her
inevitable fate.
81 replied to her note both coldly and
despondently.
"'I go to my new post tomorrow !
wrote in conclusion, while L believe
you sail in day or two for Europe.
consider this note last farewell
1.-THE evening before my intended de-
parture l received q note from Della,
brought openly by one of her fathers
servants, saying that she would like to
send me a souvenir by which to re-
member her. 1t had not yet been sent
home, but If | would inform her by
what train l intended going she would
send it to the station. l gave the train
time verbally to the servant. Taking
her action to be submission to her IA
Tiers 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 little gold heart. 1t
gave me no satisfaction. Indeed, if
she had told me that she did not love
me l think l would have the more cas-
lily overcome my disappointment. l
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. l sat with folded
arms and head down, only occasionally
glancing out of the window. AS for
my fellow passengers, they did not I'm
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.
"The few moments we were passing
through it were the most gloomy have
ever known. 1 disliked tunnels and
never entered one without experiencing
something of their somberness. In that
dark passage it seemed to me was con-
centrated all the sadness of life-dis-
appointment, the consciousness that l
had been wrecked, blighted, imbittered,
left to live without that which would
have made life worth living.
'"Then there came few seconds of
dawning light, 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