The tunnel thru the air

by William D. Gann

Robert felt very faint and weak because he was hungry. He had not eaten all day Sunday, and now realized that he must get something to eat, and strengthen himself for the ordeal to follow. He went to the dining-room and ordered a light breakfast but when the food was served, he found it hard to eat because he thought of the breakfast the Sunday morning before that he had intended to have eaten with Marie on the dining-car. Everything he saw reminded him of her. Her smile was in the glittering sunshine which played upon the windows in front of him or appeared in the clear crystal water in the glass and the sweet odor from the flowers on the table brought memories of sweet kisses and soft caresses which haunted him. Finally, Robert managed to eat a little, because he knew he must if he expected to keep up and have strength to fight on and find Marie.

When he had finished his breakfast, he returned to his room and decided to call the railroad office again and ascertain if they had any information for him. The general passenger agent was there, and was very courteous over the 'phone to Robert. He had taken a great interest in the case and they had received reports from every station along the line, but nowhere had any trace been found of Marie. He assured Robert that the railway company would use every effort to continue the search and report to him promptly any information that they received.

Robert decided to call Mr. Kennelworth on the long-distance 'phone at his office in Texarkana and soon got him on the wire. Mr. Kennelworth said that he had gone to see Marie's father, Mr. Stanton, soon after Robert's telephone message Sunday afternoon and had told Mr. Stanton of Robert's success since he had been with his firm; how hard Robert had studied and planned and how he had figured out the cotton and grain markets and the large amount of money that he had made on such a small capital. He confided to Mr. Stanton the secret of how Marie had saved up her money and how much money Robert had made on the $400.00 which he had invested for her. Mr. Stanton and his wife were much impressed with the story and felt that they had been wrong in opposing Marie's love for Robert and their marriage. They told Mr. Kennelworth that when Marie returned they would give her their consent to marry Robert then or any time later. They felt that they might be to blame for any harm that would come to Marie or for the sorrows that Robert was suffering. However, they were hopeful that Marie was either returning home or was on her way back to Sherman, Texas, to complete her education, and, therefore, were not greatly alarmed and intended to wait until Monday afternoon to find out if Marie had gone back to Sherman. Mr. Kennelworth stated that Mr. and Mrs. Stanton wished him to convey their sympathy to Robert and to tell him that they had great faith in him and wanted to help make him and Marie happy.

This message was great consolation to Robert because he felt that it was going to solve the problem, that no matter what had prompted Marie's decision to leave the train and not to go ahead and marry him when she found that her father and mother had changed their attitude, she would be only too glad to return to Robert. They could then be married and continue on to New York where he could take up his studies and complete the building of his airship as soon as he had made enough money to do so.

Mr. Kennelworth told Robert that he would call him on the 'phone about 8 o'clock that night and let him know if any word had been received from Marie or if news was received sooner, he would call immediately, but at any rate would call at 8 o'clock. Mr. Kennelworth praised Robert and told him not to lose hope but take a philosophical view of the matter. He felt sure that no harm had come to Marie, for had there been any accident it certainly would have been discovered by this time by the railway company. The fact that Marie's baggage had disappeared was convincing evidence to him that in some way, at some station during the night, she had left the train and had probably concealed herself and was waiting to return on another train, later. He believed before the day was over they would have some good news in regard to Marie, and advised Robert to get busy and go right ahead with his trading in the market and continue to make money, as he was sure that everything was going to come out all right.

After Robert received this telephone message he was more hopeful. He secured a morning newspaper and found the headlines filled with Lindbergh. Read about the preparations for Captain Lindbergh's return to Washington and New York and the plans for his reception. Of course, Robert had looked forward to being there at that time and have Marie with him as his wife. He had been looking forward to the day when his own dream would be realized and he would build one of the greatest airships of the age.

Returning to his room, he fell upon his knees and breathed a prayer; a prayer that only a man whose heart is filled with love for a good woman can pray. He prayed to the Universal Power that created the Universe, the master of land and sea, who rides on the winds and walks upon the water, to whom all power was given over heaven and earth. Prayed for strength and for guidance to do only that which was right and that the good God of the Universe would return Marie to him in safety. Prayed not only for himself, or the strength to come to him, but for Marie, for her happiness, for her safety. It was an unselfish prayer; the kind of a prayer that a mother prays when her child is lost, when she thinks nothing of herself but only of the child that she loves.

When Robert arose from the prayer he felt better; felt that some of the strength of that unseen guiding hand, which is ever a comfort and in great demand in time of trouble, had come to him. In God and his word alone he found comfort and consolation. He realized the significance of money and how little it meant; thought how quickly he had made money on a thousand dollars in the market and now how he would give every cent of it for just a message from Marie; just to know that she was alive. He had never tried to make the money for a selfish purpose, but thought of the things that it could buy to make Marie happy and give her comfort, and what he might be able to do for his country in time of war when they would need service and inventions which would protect them against the enemy.

After he had time to collect his thoughts, he decided to call his old pal, Walter Kennelworth, in New York on the long-distance telephone and tell him all that had happened in such a short time.

Robert had not informed Walter that he was coming to New York at this time. He intended to telegraph him from St. Louis on Sunday morning after he and Marie had been married, and, of course, he knew that Walter would be at the train to meet them on their arrival. After some delay he got Walter on the long-distance 'phone and told him as quickly as possible all that had happened. Walter was more amused than shocked at the news and said: "Robert, Marie is just a little devil and full of fun. She is only testing your love. There is nothing to worry about. I know her ways better than you do." He was sure that everything would be all right. But Robert felt that too much time had already elapsed for it to be a joke and that Marie was not waiting around St. Louis or hiding somewhere playing a joke that long. It was too serious a matter for Robert to feel that Marie would punish him in this way so long. Walter begged Robert to come right on to New York, but Robert told him he would never leave St. Louis until he had some definite news, one way or the other, as to what had happened to Marie.