The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
ROMANCE OF A PAIR oE SKATES
Row . Fancy skassr Broke IN Arm ana
Won q 2rddA.

Row . Fancy skatsr Broke IN Arn and
Won Bride.
New York Times.
"There is a pretty romance connected
with those skates, said the manager of
an up town roller skating rink yester-
day, exhibiting neat little pair of sill
ver-mounted rollers. "They were the
means of bringing together the most
charming young couple that ever rolled
around this rink. They're married
now-the young people, not the skates
and are living in a prettily furnished
fiat in Fourteenth street. You can see
them on the floor here about every 9th
er evening in the week, and q more
graceful pair Of skaters never did credit
to the art.
The fortunate young fellow so pleas.
lntly concerned came here from down
East somewhere just before the holidays
and began an engagement as fancy
skater. He was od-looking. dressed
well, had pleasing address. and was in
his element on rollers. The ladies said
what a real nice young man. he was and
were never tired of making circuit of
the rink with him. As for him, he ap-
peared to think but little of the atten-
ton paid him; in fact, I believe he was
bored by it, but he was always gallant
and polite when he was trapped into a
double, no matter who caught him. He
was as quick as cat on skates and no one
could run him if they tried. He would
glide through q reckless crowd of
skaters without SO much as touching
them, and have known him to save
ladies from fall who stumbled fifty
feet away from him. He once told me
of certain light headed maiden who
pretended she was going to fall when
ever she came near him, only to bring
him to her assistance.
1.-The pretty girl who rolled into
fortune on these skates was a regular
patron who had the prevalent craze
for roller skating fully developed.
Her father is an employe in the Post
Office. She used to come here with
another girl about the same age.
Both of them lavislled their admira-
ton upon my fancy skater, and be-
fore they knew it, were little jealous
of another. Their GOODNESS was shortly
changed into open enmity when the
younger-the one who wore these
skates-laughed at header taken by
her companion. After that they
wouldn't speak to one another, and I
don't think L ever saw any one enjoy
the discontinue of another so much as
the older of those girls did when her ri
walls petticoat slipped an inch or two
below her dress and threatened even
worse. 1t was amusing to see the
charming manner in which those girls
exercised their skill to gain the greater
degree of favor with my skater. and
still he seemed to think no more of eli.
Their of them than of other fair admirers,
which was practically nothing at all.
"The incident, or, rather the acct
dent, which was destined to bring about
the present happy condition of affairs
occurred at one CT our Saturday ma
tinees. AS I said before, our heroine
was an excellent skater, dashing and
graceful, and always attracted the at
tention of spectators. On the after
noon of which 1 speak she was NOV
ing rapidly down the floor with
her course, and attention directt d
towards q friend who had lust
entered. Coming toward her on dag
onal and rapidly converging courses
were II couple Of big awkward fellows,
each exerting himself to be first to the
dressing room. They apparently did
not see her nor she them, and it soon
became evident that there was to he q
collision, and for frail girl to he upset
by two great lubhers as they were, is q
more serious matter than you NAV im-
agine. Our heroine saw her danger
just too late to save herself, and the
same instant caught glimpse of her
rivals face, as she told mo afterwerd,
which wore an expression of excited an
ticipation and delight. She said that
the terrors of the prospective accident
were lost entirely in her dismay over
the satisfaction her fall would he to
her, rival.
"At the critical moment my fancy
man took in the situation. He was
near them at the time, and quicker
than wink he was at the scene of
danger. Another moment and he cut
in at full speed between the girl and
the two men, coming in contact with
them with so much force that all three
crashed to the floor in heap. The
girl escaped the collision altogether,
but when my fancy skater got up he
was pale as death. The fellow
had broken his arm. I never
saw anyone who appeared to feel so
badly as that girl did when she saw
how seriously he was hurt. She
actually burst out crying. never sup
posed she was really in love with the
fellow till then. Well, Icould do moth
ing with him hut send him to his board
ing house-a gloomy, cramped up lit
tie place among strangers. My family
wasn't here then, and had no place of
my own to take him to.
"But as he had met with hard luck
in rescuing the girl her family natur-
n l1,- fool, n rrrofof,,1 ,o,4 &c 80 :.A.l