The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-09

anger:
what business is it of yours" sho
cried chow l am dressed? You are moth
ing TO me, and l am sure don't care u
penny for your opinion one way or an
other"
II don't suppose you 90, said Jack
striking ~ match and lighting his pipe
II used to bc under the impression that
you knew how to dress L am not any
longer. used to thinl, that you could
not put Gil anything that would he unbc-
coming. Now hold no such opinion.
oncc had an idea that nothing you put on
would make Il guy of you, but now, Cissil.
that idea has fled. Still must say that
admire your bravery in coming out in tho
daylight where people can see YOU in such
Il rig. 1t is utterly futile for you to- pull
together the skirts of that coat. The hard
things you have said to me when you had
on u pretty lawn tennis costume, for in
stance, do not affect me bit when they
are said by one who merely looks like 4.
saucy, impudcnt boy. You see, Cissie,
look down upon you as you once looked
down upon me"
How dare you say you hook down upon
me?' said Cissic.
Because it's true, answered the young
man calmly. This bank is ever SO much
higher THAN the one you are sitting ON, or
rather were sitting on for now you are
trying to crouch out Of sight, ard don
wonder ct it. take bnck all those numer-
Gus offers of marriage made to you
You wretch" she cried, springing 70
her feet. You take them buck, do yor,
when you Know very well they were all re
jected and Scorncd:''
"Oh, Cissie!' cried the young man.
turning away his head. Sit down again.
DO sit down. Tho costume doesn't look
so bad on bicycle but it is simply awful
when u girl stands up"
When he looked around again, Cissio
had sat down and had drawn her bicycle
UP on its wheels, crouching in "a measure
behind it, as if with its spindly tires it
could hide the awfulncss of the costume.
Well Cissic, - cried jack. when are
you going to get at mendins that tire"
"l-l-I cont know anything about
tires" sobbcd Cissic
All, - said the young man, with long
breath, II thought that was the case \
woman never knows how to do ANYTHING
well except scold Most things in this
world n man can DO better than u woman.
ana that fact never becomes so apparent as
when awoman tricks herself out rs a man
Then her general futility becomes nppar-
cnt, even to an infatuated fool like my
SELF
Cissie had bent her head upon her hands,
which rested on tho saddle of her cycle. Ii
was quito evident that she was in tears,
and jack, waiting for reply, smoked OF,
in silence.
AT last he said in Gcntlcr voice:
Look here, Cissic, if you ask me very
nicely. will take off that pneumatic tire
and mend it in five minutes by the watch "
Cissic looked up again with something
like her former indignation in her eyes.
IN throw the machine into the
stream, she said, before will ask ycu
to mend it,
Just as you please, Cissic," replied
Jack, clasping his hands behind his head
and leaning back i'll luxurious enjoyment
of his pipe. Just as you please The day
Is my own, and I suppose you will wait
here till night before You venture back
home again. Out of the kindness of my
heart will stay here with you, not to look
at you, for shall gaze at the tops of the
trees as much as possible, and not to talk
to you, for If there is anything in this
world abhor it is an impudcnt, cheeky
boy But this lane Is a great place for
tramps and gypSics, and it becomes very
dark at night, because of the ovcrhanging
trees. 1t is grcwsomc thoroughfarc and
nasty place in which TO meet n villain
after the sun hos gone down"
II have already met villain and n
brute, sobbcd Cissic, who had now let the
bicycle go and had buried her face in her
HANDS.
" If YOU refer to me- Cissic, said Jack,
this is simply like most Of the things
you have said-not true. am only too
pleased to be Of any assistance to anybody;
l,,tt lei.
not have thought it by my former conduct,
am too proud 10 offer any assistance I'M
asked"
Jack smoked on, gazing up, as he had
promised, at the tree tops. The silence
WAS broken only by the sweet singing If
the birds and now and then by quick
catch of the breath OH the part of Cissie
Five minutes elapsed and then ten
Jack" said Cissie, without raising her
head
"Did you speak," inquired the young
man.
Jack" she said, II am perfectly help
less, and think you have been very hor-
rid to me-
'.All right, said the young man, rising
to his feet. II will go away But do try
to get out of this lane before darkness
comes on"
Don't go away" cried Cissic please
forgive what 1 said, and won't you be so
kind ms to mend my tirc:'
Jack picked up the bicycle, took off the
dripping lamp, turned tho machine quick
~ wrong side up, took the materials out
OF his own cycle pouch, had tho tire off
and on again and pumped full in an in
crcdibly short space of time Fighting the
machine and putting the lamp on onco
more, he held out his hand
Cissic reluctantly got on her feet
There, he said, you see how quickly
thing is fixed when tho time is not vast
ed in foolish conversation. Least said,
soonest mcndcd. Are you going any far
thor CisSin2 IL Xn,