The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-26
A RUNAWAY WHEEL.

Fred, old man, you are indeed for
tunate, said l as l leaned back in the
easy chair before the CRATE fire in his
coy homo.
Yes, fortunate is the very word.
he answered musingly. 1.-THE vents of
an hour changed the course of my life.
If that hour had been left out Of the
day, I should not be the possessor Of
such a home, but would be back in the
old bachelor quarters. They We're not SO
bad, and there was only one woman for
whom l would give them up. At that
time she had refused me-was, in fact,
engaged to another.
Il have never before spoken of this,
but what 1 have gained has been we'll
earned. Twas favored by fortune in that
hour. but it was Selling the opportunity
that made me successful.
"A party Of us had gone away or a
wheeling trip. We were young, gay and
joyous, and the weeks slipped by until
it came time for us to think Of return
ing.
From being in love with Emily
Brant l became madly infatuated with
her. Though she treated me in the most
distant manner I still thought, with
the conceit of youth, that she cared a
little for me. I was helped ont in this
idea by little incidents and trivial cir
cumstances which led me to hope she
would accept me.
II had a rival-a man who did not
seem to consider my actions of any i'm
portance. / could not seem to make him
jealous in the slightest degree. He had
naturally n very self composed manner,
but this alone would not account for his
bearing.
Il came to the conclusion that I must
propose to Emily before we returned to
the city, as l would have a much better
opportunity Of stating my case amid IA
vorable surroundings than in the city
with its hustle and interruptions.
lone afternoon we were riding
through a beautiful valley, and it SO
happened Emily and myself were quite
a distance to the rear of the party. The
road was smooth, the trees arched over
head, the sunlight streamed in gold
shafts through them, falling alternately
upon Emily as she rode her wheel so
easily and gracefully, lighting her
beauty with a soft glow. I could keep
silence no longer, and riding close be-
side her, as we sped on together, l told
her how much I loved her and asked
her to be my wife.
"Then came the breaking Of the dream
l had had for so many weeks and
months. In q few words l learned there
was 10 hope for me; that though she
admired and respected me she had never
thought Of me i'll any other way; that
there was already an understanding be-
tween Mr.. FernOw and herself, and
that their engagement was soon to be
announced.
AT first could hardly believe my
ears. We rode the rest Of the way in
silence. For me the glory of the day
had departed. 1t was as if a haze, like
the>melancholy haze Of Indian summer,
through which 1 should see all things
for all time, bad closed around me.
!" IL it had been possible, l should
have left that night for the city, bu,
circumstances compelled me to accom-
pany the party ON one last ride.
II never saw a gayer set Of peopl,
than we were when we started the mex
day. Some Of them guyed me a LITTLE
about my lack of gayety, but l answered
that / was to leave the next day ant
felt sad in consequence.
"We were to ride down one valley
then descend a mountain into anothe
valley. l was the only one in the part
who had been over the road, and it wa
SO long ago l had partially forgotten it
When we began to descend the noun
tain, l told them we had better walk
as the road was very steep. They too
my advice for a time, and we had gon
the greater part Of the way, when on
of the party, in a spirit of frolic, noun
ed his wheel and dared the others to 4
likewise.
thinking we We're almost at the TO
of the mountain, we all followed b
example. l was riding in the lead, Ea
nest Fernow was close beside me. Su
denly, on turning a bend, we came up
pitch in the road so steep as to great
alarm us.
I'VE had all been riding at 20
speed This in itself would have m:
tered liytle had each one Of us had O