Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-03-27

uOWuWaru cOuIse-a utIle mOIo Idpluly
than she had at first intended, but
Richards new tricycle. ran smoothly.
His heart was in his mouth, as the couu-
try folk say, as she began to glide rapid
ly off. She turned her head and flashed
back merry defiance. ''My uncle, the
chemist at Rochester, used to say
Then the wicked sparkle faded sudden
ly, and she called quick and clear, Scan
you stop me, pleasel The brake is stiff;
l can't make it work it's running
away"
Poor Richard of the faint hearti it
seemed to die within him. The next
second he had darted forward, but it was
just one second too late. The check she
had been able to put on the heavy ma
chine with the treadles ceased 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 be-
fore his eyes, and his knees knocked to-
gether as he stood.
On, on-faster, fasterl she managed
somehow to cling to the steering handle,
and kept 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 that the even
ing express was out of the tunnel, and
laundering down that very bit of line.
It all flashed over Agatha in one rush:
Would the fall kill her. or would it be
the train2 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 knickerbockers hurled
itself over the roadside stile before her,
stout stick darted into the flying 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 ball, and alghted
on grassy bank yard or two away !;
and the express rushed past with a wild
yell on the line just below, and vanished
round sharp curve that matched the
road above it.
Then, and then alone, did Richards
legs regain their power of motion; and
he set off as fast as they could carry hi m
to where the little black figure lay.
Somehow 1T took longer to run down
that hill than the last descent would
have led one to think; for when Richard,
painting and breathless, 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, busiIy 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
grey eyes had wonderful shining light
in them.
"The poor tricyclel" she said; "I am
so sorry. Is it very badly hurt2n And,
in the fervor Of his relief and gladness,
Richard could find words for nothing
but
Bother the tricyclel"
He was ready enough to say some
thing, however, presently. when he found
himself obliged to stop and see its re-
mains decently cared for, while Captain
Hardwicke took charge of Miss Travers'
return to the rectory. She said she was
none the worse for her fall, but pc. haps
she was a little shaken; but Captain
Hardwicke KIN lily offered her his arm,
and she took it. Richard hurried after
them before long, his whole heart aglow.
That awful minute this afternoon had
taught him that life without Agatha
Travers would seem poor and worth
lsls thing, were she 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 it.
self from brown tweed shoulder, where
it seemed to have been resting.
'Good graciousl'' was all Richard
could utter, as Agatha vanished. and
Captain Hardwicke, looking odiously ra-
diant, sauntered toward him.
"Ah, Allerdyce, old fellow, caught US,
have you3 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't2 She would have it, it was
only gratitude, and refused to let me
make what she called misalliance, just
because there's that brute of a title COM
ing to me some day. told her l thought
all that rubbish was obsolete, and Of
fered to drop the title altogether if she
liked; but nothing would do, and we
parted rather out Of temper. heard she
was down here, and ran down to see my
uncle, hoping bel would talk her over,
but began to think it was no use. And.