St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-20
-. IN IN the neirhborhood. on his y

he had oyertaken the OBJECT OF his agltatlons,
and sprung to the ground beside her.
''Mr. Allerdyce?" she said, turning with
her own bright look to shake hands; show
like ghost you stole upon mel Oh, l see,
it was on a tricycle., and what beauty! Do
let me look at it, And Richard, nothing
loath began to display his new toy-a per-
feet thing in build and inish-the Aller
dyces' possessions always were the most per
feet of their kind.
He began to explain it to her, forgetting
all about the chemist uncle, but she inter
rupted him
Eyes, 1 know all about them, thanks. I
see, it is regular bit Of perfection. l
should so like to try it; may I?''
Once more Richard was dumb with sur
prise. A lady on tricycle. was as yet an un-
heard of thing in rustic ChelIowdean, and it
seemed an outrageous idea to him.
Il really don't think you could" he fall
tered. "My sisters never have done such a
thing.''
"Your sisters2 Oh, perhaps not" with a
little smile at the idea. ''But 1 am quite
used to tricycles. ride one whenever I
can get chance"
Further blow for Richard; but there was
no knowing how to refuse her, and he stood
"0iNS' 'ShC OOOh uCl pldCc IIhC OllC W NJ was
thoroughly used to tricycles, and he could
not but admit she adorned her position.
'What delicious hill to run ~ she
said with happy little laugh, as she placed
her dainty feet on the treadles. II really
must try it.''
''Pray, pray don't attempt itl'' was Richards
Mortified remonstrance, for the hill stretched
down even more abruptly than on the side
he had assembled, and near the bottom there
was a sudden sharp turn, with the railway
line running just below-the nastiest bit OF
road for miles around. Perhaps even Agatha
TraYers would have hesitated to hazard it
had it not been for the CONSERVATION in
Richards face.
''Mr. AlIerdyce, you are faint-hearted,"
she said gayly, as she started on her down
ward course--a little more rapidly than she
had at first intended, but Richards new tri-
cycle ran smoothly. His heart was in his
mouth, as the country folk say, as she began
to glide rapidly off. She turned her head,
and flashed back a merry defiance. ''My
uncle, the chemist at Rochester, used to say'
Then the wicked sparkle faded suddenly,
and she called quick and clear: "Can't you
stop me, please! The brake is stiff; | can't
make it work; it's running away.''
Poor Richard of the faint heart! 1t seemed
to die within him. The next second he
darted forward, but it was just one second
too late. The check she had been able to put
on the heavy machine with the treadles ceas-
ed to keep it back, and faster and faster it
tore down the perilous road.
In all his life to come Richard will never
know any minute so long as that next, while
the straight, slight figure flying through
space seemed to swim before his eyes, and
his knees knocked together as he stood
On, on-faster, faster! She managed
somehow to cling to the steering handle and
keep the machine in the middle of the road,
but the mad pace grew more desperate. She
could never turn that fatal corner by the
railway embankment; over it she must go.
And it was just then that Richard and she
both together saw the puff of snOw-white
smoke from the hillside, that told them the
evening express was out of the tunnel, and
laundering down that very bit of line.
1t all flashed over Agatha in one rush:
would the fall kill her, or would it be the
train? 1t must be one or the other; the next
second or two would settle that; and swift
prayer was on her lips, but what she never
quite knew, for even as she breathed it some
one or something in brown tweed knicker-
bOckers hurled itself over the roadside stiIe
before her, a stout stick darted into the fly
ing Wheel and with one quick swerve the
tricycle. crashed into the ditch, and lay there,
a confused mass of spinning spokes and
mutilated tires, while Agatha flew out from
its midst like a ball, and alighted on a grassy
bank yard or two away; and the express
rushed past with wild yell on the line Just
below, and vanished round sharp curve
that matched the road above it, - ra'
Then, and then alone, did Richards legs
regain their power of locomotion, and he set
off as fast as they could carry him to where
the little black figure lay. Somehow it took
longer to run down that hill than the last de-
scent would have led one to think, for when
Richard, painting and GREATNESS, reached the
scene of the accident the little black figure,
very much out of its usual trim neatness,
was seated on the grassy tangle that broke her
fall, busily binding up with her own small
handkerchief deep cash in the hand of the
knickerbockered person who knelt at her
side. 1t was very pale face that looked up
at Richards, with the sort of awe that any
human creature must wear who has Just
been face to face with death, but her great
gray eyes had wonderful shining light in
them.
''The poor tricycler' she said. 1T am so
sorry. Is it very badly hurtr' And, in the
fervor of his relief and gladness Richard could
find words for nothing but:
''Bother the tricycle!''
He was ready enough to say something,
however, presently, when he found himself
obliged to stop and see its remains decently
cared for, while Capt. Hardwicke took charge
Of Miss Travers' return to the rectorv She
said she was none the worse for her fall, but
perhaps she was little shaken; but Capt
Hardwicke kindly offered her his arm, and
she took it. Richard hurried after them be-
fore long, his whole heart aglow. That awful
minute this afternoon had taught him that
life without Agatha Travers would seem a
poor and worthless thing, were she a factory
girl. He hurried after them, therefore, and
came in sight of the rectory gate as two
hands, one very neatly bandaged, unclasped
over it and small dark head raised itself
swiftly from a brown tweed shoulder, where
it seemed to have been resting.
''Good gracious,n was all Richard could
utter, as Agatha vanished, and Capt. Hard
wicke, looking odiously radiant, sauntered
toward him.
''Ah, Allerdyce, old fellow, caught us,
have you? Then [ may as well tell you all
my tremendous good luck at once, and take
your congratulations. Perhaps you've
heard how Miss Travers' nursing saved my
life last year, and when, of course, fell in
love with her, as who wouldn't? She would
have it it was only gratitude, and refused
to let me make what she called mesalliance,
just because there's that brute of title
coming to me some day. l told her |
thought all that rubbish was obsolete, and
offered to drop the title altogether if she
liked; but nothing would do. and
we parted rather out of temper I heard she
was down here, and ran down to see my
uncle, hoping he would talk her over, but
began to think it was no use And, do you
know, was frantically jealous of you old
fellow 1 saw she liked you, and [ almost