The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-19

R@>-ef>>~
anger:
"what business Is It Of yours" sho
cried, chow am dressedf You are moth
ing to mo, and ]. am sure don't care n
penny for your opinion one way or an
other.p
~ don't suppose you do," said Jack,
striking q match and lighting his pipe.
1T used to be under the impression that
you knew how to dress. I am not any
longer used to think that you could
not put on anything that would be unbe-
coming. Now hold no such opinion.
once had an idea that nothing you put on
would make guy Of you, but now, Cissic,
that idea has fed. Still must say that I
admire your bravery in coming out In the
daylight where people can see you In such
q rig. Il Is utterly futile for you to pull
together tho skirts Of that coat. The hard
things you have said to me when you had
on pretty lawn tennis costume, for in
stance do not affect me o bit when they
are said by one who merely looks like
saucy, impudent boy. You see, Cissie,
look down upon you as you once looked
down upon me-"
"How dare you say you look down upon
mef' said Cissie
Because It's true, (" answered the young
man calmly. "This bank Is ever 80 much
higher than the ono you are sitting on, or
rather were sitting on, for now you are
trying to crouch out Of sight, and don't
GUS offers Of marriage made to you"
"You wretch!" she cried, springing to
hor feet "You take them back, do you,
when you know very well they were all ro-
jected asd scornedi"
"Oh, Cissiei" cried the young man,
turning away his head. "Sit down again.
Do Sit down. The costume doesn't look
SO bad on bicycle, but it is simply awful
when girl stands up"
When he looked around again, Cissie
had sat down and had drawn her bicycle
up on its wheels, crouching in a measure
behind ID, as II with its spindly tires 1t
could hide the awfulness of the costume.
"Well, Cissie," cried Jack, "when are
you going to get at mending that tirep'
"I-I-1 don't know anything about
tires," sobbed Cissie.
"Ah," said the young man, with a long
breath, II thought that was the case A
woman never knows how to do anything
we'll except scold. Most things In this
world man can do better than woman,
and that fact never becomes SO apparent as
when woman tricks herself out as man.
Then her general futility becomes appar-
ent, even to an infatuated fool like my
self"
Cissie had bent her head upon her hands,
which rested on the saddle of her cycle. 1t
was quite evident that she was In tears,
and Jack, waiting for reply, smoked on
In silence.
At last he said in q gentler voice:
Look here, Cissie, II you ask me very
nicely, will take off that pneumatic tire
and mend it in 6ve minutes by the watch"
Cissie looked up again with something
like her former indignation in her eyes.
"I'll throw the machine into the
stream" she said "before will ask you
to mend it."
"Just as you please, Cissie," replied
Jack, clasping his hands behind his head
and leaning back in luxurious enjoyment
OF his pipe Just as you please. The day
is my own, and 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 II there is anything in this
world abhor 1t is an impudent, cheeky
boy. But this lane is great place for
tramps and gypsies, and 1t becomes very
dark at night, because Of the overhanging
trees. 1t is grewsome thoroughfare and
a nasty place in which to meet o villain
after the sun has gone down."
81 have already met a villain and a
brute, " sobbed Cissie, who had now let the
bicycle go and had buried her face in her
hands.
"If you refer to me, Cissie," 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
but at the same time, although you might
not have thought 1t by my former conduct,
am too proud to offer any assistance un-
asked"
Jack smoked on, gazing up, as he had
promised, at the tree tops. The silence
was broken only by the sweet singing of
the birds and now and then by quick
catch of the breath OH the part of Cissie.
Five minutes elapsed and then ten.
"JackS" said Cissie, without raising her
head.
"Did you speaks" inquired the young
man.
Jack" she said, "I am perfectly help
less, and / think you have been very hor-
rid to me-"
Gan right" said the young man, rising
to his feet. "I will go away. But do try
to get out of this lane before darkness
comes on"
Don't go away" cried Cissie. "Please
forgive what said, and won't you be SO
kind as to mend my tlre?'
Jack picked up the bicycle took off the
dripping lamp, turned the machine quick
| ly wrong slde up, took the materials out
of his own cycle pouch, had the tire off
and on again and pumped full In an In
credibly short space Of time. Righting the
machine and putting the lamp on once
more ho held out his hand.
Cissie reluctantly got on her feet.
There, he said, "you SEQ how quickly
thing is fixed whom the time is not vast
cd In foolish conversation. Least said,
soonest mended. Are you going any far.
ther, CissieP II you are, would advise
you to walk your machine over these
| stones"
No." said Cissie, with deep, culver.
ing sigh, 81 am going home as quickly as
can, and then will burn this awful cos
tune. did not really want to put it on,
but all the girls in our club have one."
"Cissie," said the young man, slipping
| his arm around the natty, tailor made
coat, "the costume is all right, and don't
you be bluffed. 1t looks as pretty as a pic
ture and suits you down to tho ground.
/ NheH u Blrl thihS hiuulJi IL D slhiply oht
OF the nattiest costumes that ever was con.
structed by tailor but I say, Cissie,
don't you think we have misunderstood
each other for long time now, and don't
you think that bicycle made for two
would require less >exertion than couple
Of single machinesf'
II don't know but it would, /" said Cis.
sic, looking up with smile that was all
the sweeter because there was just the
slightest suspicion of a culver at the cor.
ners Of her pretty lips.
And then Jack, with yillainy that sur
prised himself, taking advantage of the
lonely situation, stopped down and kissed
hor, and Cissie, realizing the futility OF
resistance, did not rasist.-Robert Barr in
Detroit Free Press.