The Washington times., 1895-06-09

mind as that of bicycle riding A few
years ago TO have mentioned the bicycle
in polite society, as even the most re
mote vehicular possibility for the fash
ionable contingent, was to be counted
out of the swim
Behold to-day a revolution in that same
fashionable sentiment OF such great and
vast compass that not to mention and con-
tinually talk of bicycles in general, and
fashionable bicyclers in particular, is
equally to count ones self out of the swim
To own, or at least to have a certain de-
| gree OF proficiency in riding the bicycle,
is TO keep in touch with the times; to be
current edition of fashionable fads and
fancies. Not TO have personal knowledge
OF the mingled delights and terrors Of
bicycle riding, is to voluntarily constitute
ones self a back-number.
There is a certain young woman living
in the West End who has been getting
herself up to date recently on the score
of bicycling, and in consequence has had
enough adventures to fill volume. There
is one, however, concerning which she
is decidedly 10th to say very much, but
which is, by all odds, quite one of the most
/ thrilling in the list. It happened few
evenings ago, when she set forth quite late
| in the evening for a country ride with
the young man between whom and herself
there is at present a mutual understanding
that the matter is to be kept as dark as
! possible
AS neither of the young people could be
classed in the list OF proficients In bicy-
cling they did not start out from home
| until quite late in the evening, thinking
thereby to escape the amount of attention
that must inevitably have fallen TO their
share had the trip been undertaken in day
! light or early evening. Moreover, the road
/ they selected was as quiet a one as was
| compatible with having the necessary
amount OF artificial lighting from gas
| lamps and electric lights. 1t was, in fact,
! the Tenallytown road, which, fortunately
/ for the cyclers, is early deserted by pedes-
| TRANS.
At the start of the ride the fortunate star
or the couple was in the ascendant, and
the two went along without a hitch to mar
their enjoyment. The night was dark,
but the light of the electric lamps, to-
gether with the flashing headlights on
the electric cars as they sped past from
time to time served to make the way
plainly visible. 1t was close UPON mid
night when the couple made a grand tri-
umphal sweep OF their bicycles and headed
for home.
On the way out as the road hadlaiupret
much up hill, there had been no exper-
fences as to the unlocked for possibilities
in headers possessed by steep downward
grades. However, they realized all this
and many other things besides before the
safe precincts of home were reached that
eventful night.
Suddenly at the first steep grade they
struck, while the air of the spring night
was filled with the odor of bl ossoms and the
sound of gay talk and laughter from the
cyclers, the young man gave meteoric
squirt ahead in the darkness and became so
wholly lost to view to his companion that
she suddenly tasted the unlooked-for
pleasure of feeling as though she were
alone in an uninhabited globe. Peer
into the darkness as she might, call out in
agonized tones as she did until the welkin
fairly rang with her tones Of woe, there
was not a sight nor sound of her cavalier.
If the earth had suddenly opened up and
swallowed him alive. he could not have
more suddenly disappeared.
With all speed possible the yoiung woman
alighted from her bicycle as she saw the
stalwart forms Of two policemen approach
ing and asked them if they hadseena anything
Of her companion, explaining that as
neither of them were experts in riding the
wheel she naturally feared that some ham
had come to him. The Jolting of the road
bicycle so that it was necessary to relight
that before the search could be begun with
any degree of satisfaction.
This was hardly accomplished before one
Of the policemen gave cry announcing
that his man had been found. Owing, how
ever, TO the eXigencies of the case, the
young man was decidedly not right side
up, as the only indications pointing to his
existence in the world at thatmoment were
two long grey trousered legs sticking
straight up in the air from the side of
deep ditch on the roadside.
The work of rescue was quick, and after
first pulling the bicycle off the young man
who had been by this means almost Inn
bedded in the ditch, il was found that no
bodily harm had resulted from the header.
Now came the work OF remounting the
machines, and though loath to ackno wledge
it, both OF the young people were forced to
the painful admission that without the
steadying help of the policemen, to re-
mount the shining wheels would be an i'm
possibility. The blue-coated officers of
the peace smiIingly professed themselves
DESTROYS of rendering all the aid in their
power, each taking hold of bicycle.
The young man mounted first, and after
thanking his rescuer in appropriate COR
diality, started off on the home stretch.
The young woman also mounted at the
same time, considerably clustered by the
nights adventure, and, as she thought,
also started for home. With all the grace
in her power under the circumstances she
turned to thank the policeman at her side
for his kindness, and giving vigorous
forward push Of her feet upon the treadle
called out ''Good night in her most be-
witching manner GOOD night sounded
the manly voice of the policeman directly
in her ear, as he quickened his pace at
her side TO keep up with the bicycle.
Dom ala1ari hn nrx-iR hn hnd
rendered only a few months before, the
young woman again turned and brought her
Vaccinations of face and voice into play
as she repeated her adieu in another
good night Again another good
night sounded in her ear, but this time
lin a decidedly strained manner, as though
the policemanwas spent with running to
keep pace with that bicycle on which
the young woman was making every eff
fort to follow her flying cavalier.
Somewhat confused, the young woman
for a third time called out goodnight, ;"
and for the third time heard the voice Of
the policeman respond dierctly in her ear.
What coulo it mean? Why did he not
leave her? Why did he continue to run
along at her side, almost tumbling over
at every flying step he made? Horrible
thought; he could not mean to take her
into custody-and yet why did he not leave
Der side? So frightened that she almost
tumbled off tie wheel, the young woman
gasped out:
s'Mbat is the matter? Why don't you
let go my bicycle?"
81 cannot, madam" was the equally
confused reply. II cannot let go your
bicycle. You are sitting on my band"
Mrs John G. Carlisle was asked to con-
tribute to one of the recent numbers of a
oratc Cd n 10 a