Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-30
MADE FOR TWO.

hand and foot To her chariot wheel or per-
haps il would be modern 20 say, now that
she has taken 10 cycling, that he was
bound 10 her bicycle wheel. She had tiout-
ed him and Scorned him for upward of two
years and in despair Jack set himself at
undong his bonds IL was slow and
painful process, and the bonds had a habit
of slipping again into hard knots when he
caught a glimpse of CisSie. and Jack had
almost made up his mind 10 emigrate TO
some outlandish country, for he feared he
would never he his own man again unless
very broad aud extensive ocean rolled be-
tween them. No matter how stern his res
olutiors were, they faded away TO nothing
ness when ne met Cissie in a new, pretty
and stylish dress for every costume she
adopted seemed 10 be even more fetching
than the last. Clothes have 80 much 10 do
with the appearance Of a pretty girl. The
trouble with Jack was that he had too
much respect for women in general, and
they all knew that and consequently de-
spised him, Cissie being the leader in
heaping contumely on poor Hinkston,
who, after all, was a very nice fellow, who
did not realize that girls as a rule are
somewhat silly and more apt TO take up
with "a shadow Drained, cOnceted rascal
lion than with fellow Of genuine worth
like Jack Hinkston.
Jack had heard that Cissie had taken 20
the bicycle, but he had never seen the
young lady o. machine For the past
week or two Jack had avoided CisSie, and
his resolutions Of abandonment had so
strengthened themselves that he felt he
would be IA free man if he could keep away
from her; but, on the other hand, he real
ICED that the next time he saw her she
would have on new dress and would look
more like an angel than ever, and he trem-
bled for the result
In the matter Of the new dress Jack was
perfectly right and he saw the girl under
circumstances that nearly resulted in his
downfall, but not the kind Of downfall he
had looked for. He had taken out his BIZ
cycle and had gone for "a long wheel into
the peaceful country where be would have
no comrades but the trees and the green
fields and the hedges that bordcred the
lanes. As he cycled along a narrow coun-
try thoroughfare wheeling ~ lcisurely
pace for rapid cycling doesn't lend itself
TO somber meditation, he heard behind
him the sharp ring Of a bicycle bell.
Something in its imperative clang, or else
the fact that he was on lonely road
caused him 20 look over his shoulder. and
he nearly tumblcd of his machine with
amaZcment and surprise. There was Cis,ie
on the top of silver plated machine with
the very newest and most natty cut OF an
advanced womans bicycle costume clip
ping over the distance at a tremendous
rate of speed. She passed him with a
whir giving him saucy nod and "A salu
tation "a she went by. Jack gasped and
said under his breath, well, he would be
somethinged-a phrase that would not
look pretty on these pages, but II must not
be taken Us typical of Jack : conversation.
He was Knocked all of heap by the as
tonishing sight Of Cissie in the very latest
lady's bicycling costume. The next in
slant he put his muscles 10 the wheel and
sped after her, shouting;
stop minute, Cissiel want to tell
you sOmethingI
But the young woman never paid the
slightest attention. She bent over the
handle bars and raced down that lane in a
way to make pedestrians heads swim.
Jack shouted Intellectually two or three
times, then pulled up and said 20 himself.
"Well, let her 90 She will find out all
/ wanted 10 tell her.
Cissic disappeared round "a corner and
when Jack came 10 1t she was not 70 be
seen down the long avenue, on which the
sunshine fickered through the entwining
branches of the trees overhead. Jack went
on leisurely for "a mile or two; then he
jumped lightly off his machine and trun
died IL along beside him. He was now
miles away from civilization, deep in the
midst of the country. The road had sud
denly become very bad, and Jack, who
knew the peculiaritics of every lane within
miles around thought it safer TO wheel the
bicycle along by hand rather than risk
puncture Of his pneumatic tires on the
sharp flint stones scattered with such pro-
fusion along the way. Near "a little rustic
bridge over a clear stream at the bottom
Of dell he found what he expected 10 find
"a very pretty girl with most wocbc-
gone, disconSolate look on her face sitting
on the grassy bank looking forlornly at
bicycle that lay on the road with the tire
Of the hind wheel collapsed
"Hello, Cissie" said Jack breezily.
Had a tumblcY'
ono, " snapped CiSsie. Il am not in the
habit of tumbling.
"Ah, " said Jack. Il see what is the
matter. The tire is punctured knew
that would happen. 1 shouted after you TO
tell you of this bit of road, but you would
not listen.
Il did not hear you, " said CiSsie. at
which assertion Jack raised his eyebrows
with incredulity, which made Cissie all
the more angry, especially as she knew she
was telling "a thing which was not true.
well, don't want any help from you, ="
she said CURLY.
why, of course not, >" returned Jack,
sitting down on the opposite bank and
leaning his bicycle against the hedge "a
person who comes out on "a wheel and
doesn't know how 20 mend anything that
goes wrong Is simply "a silly fool One can
see you understand all about cycling be
cause you have left your machine lying on
the ground and the oil is running out of
your lamp"
Cissie looked at the young man in
amaZement.
1T isn't your lamp" she said at last,
land can surely do what like with my
own don't see what right you have TO
interfere
Bless You, Cissie," said Jack 81 am
not interfering. l am not even Offering
advice. l have never yet had the pleasure
Of seeing "A woman take of pneumatic
tire and mend the inner tube. This of