Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-08-15
~ two or three times, then pulled mp
and said tn himself.

to be seen down the long avenue on
which the sunshine fickered through
the entwining branches of the trees
overhead. Jack went on leisurely fol
mile or two, then he jumped lightly
off his machine and trundled it along
beside him. He was now miles away
from civilization, deep in the midst Of
the country. The road had suddenly
become very bad, and Jack, who knew
the peculiarities 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 profusion along the way. Near a
| little rustic bridge over a clear stream
at the bottom of a dell he found what
he expected to find-a very pretty girl
with a most woebegone, disconsolato
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.
"Hulloa, Cissie," said Jack, breezily.
Had tumble?"
NO" snapped Cissie; 81 am not In
the habit of tumbling."
"Ahl" said Jack. II see what is the
matter. The tire Is punctured. / knew
that would happen. i shouted after
you to tell you of this bit of road, but
you would not listen"
~ did not hear you," said Cissie, at
which assertion jack raised his eye
brows with incredulity, which made
Cissie all the more angry, especially as
she knew she was telling 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 to mend any
thing that goes wrong is simply a silly
fool One can see you understand all
about cycling because 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. l don't see what right
you have to interfere"
"Bless you, Cissie,' said Jack, II am
not interfering. am not even offering
advice. I have never yet had the
pleasure of seeing woman take off
pneumatic tire and mend the inner
tube. This of course you have to do be-
fore you can move on, for you are
miles away from any place, and even if
you left your machine here, you would
not dare to walk home in that idiotic
costume"
Cissie blushed deeply and the tears
came into her usually bright eyes. She
tugged nervously at the skirts of her
coat, and then seeing what she was
doing and finding they but scantily
covered her knees she looked for mo-
ment as if she were going to burst out
crying, for it had taken some bravery
to come out for the first time IN knick-
erbockers. However, instead of cry
ing, she blazed out at him in anger;
What business is it of yours" she
cried, chow I am dressed? You are
nothing to me and l am sure l don't
care penny for your opinion one way
or another"
II don't suppose you do" said Jack,
striking a match and lighting his pipe
81 used to be under the impression that
you knew how to dress. am not any
longer. l used to think that you could
not put on anything that would be un-
becoming. Now hold no such opinion.
l once had an idea that nothing you
~ h,,t
now, Cissie, that idea has fed. Still,
must say that admire your bravery in
coming out in the daylight, where peo-
pie can see you, in such rig. 1t is ut
terly futile for you to pull together the
skirts of that coat The hard things
you have said to me when you had on
a pretty lawn tennis costume, for in
stance, do not affect me bit when
they are said by one who merely looks
like saucy, impudent boy. You see,
Cissie, l look down upon you as you
once looked down upon me-"
"How dare you say you look down
upon me?" said Cissie.
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, and l don't wonder at it.
take back all those numerous offers
of marriage made to you"
you wretch" she cried, springing
to her feet. "You take them back, do
you, when you know very well they
were all rejected and scorned."
"Oh, Cissie, Cissier cried the yonng
man, turning away his head. "Sit
down again. Do sit down. The cos
tune doesn't look SO bad on bicycle,
but it is simply awful when a 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 it, as if with its
spindly tires it could hide the awful
ness of the costume.
well, Ciss," cried Jack, when are
you going to get at mending that
| tire?"
I'LL don't know anything about
tires" sobbed Cissie.