The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-16


Six boys sat upon the edge Of the
little board wharf with their legs hanging
over the water. On one side the mario"
creek broadened out into wide bay. On
the other ground sloped up few hundred
feet to where the summer hotel stood.
1t was at this hotel that these boys were
staying.
saiboats were fastened along the edge
III the wharf. The tall masts of the SAL
boats shot far up over the boys heads,
and the nets. tin cans and other thinss
used in thel- Grabbing excursions were
scattered over the boards
'SpOse this is the last Grabbing Tor
the summer grumbled Wilbur lidstlnss,
looking admirably down al tie heap
OF crabs in the boat beside him.
"Yes!" Hall Gray threw himself Nat
on his back 10 stare up into the cloud
less sky. Nothing but horrible school
and Lessons. lessons. lessons to look
ahead to after tomorrow
school amt so bad, put n MliD ,d...
as if I'll like something regular to do
DO? There's, lots to do here SPOKE
"Yes. / know. But something like work.
] mean something was Obliged to do"
First time | ever heard OF ielio"
anxious to work." grunted Albert Rod
Nonsense, All"
live and learn. my boy. You'll know
We'll, i think s.. too" began the .., boy
is, / IKE school and ! think there !, 5
right. We have a tennis ciuo and base
ball club and a debating society at our
school, and there's something going on
every day"
Yes. that's so. assented De Witt. who
lived in the same town VIII did. 1--WE
have lots of sport at those clubs"
Wilbur looked interested
IL
something like that. But its stupid
studying with a tutor and only couple
of other fellows"
I'VE have girls at the clubs. too SAID
D sG Misr
ooh. yes. Not the baseball club. OF
course, but the tennis and the bicycle
unions and the debating soc,e'y.
1--WE had a good bicycle parade last
fall" went on VIII. THE girls and boys
rode alternately, and the bikes were
all dressed out with ribbons ana we had
races and evolutions and all kinds Of per
formances."
whats evolutons?"
"Oh tricks. Standing up on the bicycle,
and all kinds Of fancy riding 49,.
Then we had prizes" put in De Witt.
will, do you remember about that Cope
land girl and the big race-the girl that
was such "A rider you know
About how she broke down, or gave
up on purpose. We all thought, and how
Fred Archer won after all2 And how
he wanted to race over again.. saying
she didn't have a fair chance. but she
wouldn't? Yes. ii was queer"
DE Wit looked up and smiled In his
slow way.
81 know something about that / never
told" he said.
well. do tell us all you know" de-
manded Al. impatlently. Yourve told
so much. Now let's hear 1t all-the whole
story"
LET De Wit tell it, then" answered
VIII. IF he knows something about 1t
that don't it'll be new TO me, too"
De witt leaned back against one Of the
posts and looked at the other boys.
81 don't know that I'm much Of a
story-teller. but it was queer. And 1
always held my tongue because she asked
me to. And | always thought she was
a sort OF trumD-that girl"
shes fine bicycle rider" said VIII,
considerably.
"Oh, yes; she'd been riding several
years, you see, and II was her idea TO
start the club. | knew her father had
plenty Of money. and he helped several
fellows TO get bikes OF their own by
letting them pay for them a little al n
time. He was a nice man-Mr. Copeland
and Ada was a jolly sort of girl. /
never saw a girl so quick TO get her les
sons. and she'd give fellow a tip about
examples, or help one OF the little chaps
about a lesson any time at all"
she must have been different from
some girls / know commented wilbur.
scornfully.