The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-08-14

|SSN@S ary," but safety
t%%l<zSNnG' bicycle for hire.
MI|HhA-1y9'N True, am in q
q good state of repair
and am as comfortable as my keepers
can make me, but am not decked in
ribbons and nurtured i'll commodious
quarters and ridden only by the aris.
tocracy over smooth pavements and
for short distances.
never even had such luck when
first came from the factory. 1 thought
was going to fall into that good for
tune, but q man took me on trial
that is to say, he took me on the in
stalment plan and tried to pay tor me,
but couldn't, and was forced to return
me at the end of a month, and then l
was only good enough to go among
the hirelings, and there 1 have stayed
ever since. Goodness me, how long
it seems since l got the first wrench to
my steel ribs and had my frame
skinned against q tree box
was born combination wheel
that is, you can take out my spinal
column, and then I can be ridden by
lady, not in bloomers, and thank nv
stars no bloomers have ever yet en-
veloped me in their folds.
That time the man had me on trial,
l think it was my most uncomfortable
experience, for he was green at the
business and SO was ], and the result
was that both of us got bumps innu-
merable, and though he came out of it
with n twisted knee anu sprained ankle
and q barked nose and lame arm and
hurt back and black eye with few
other incidental casualties, was moth
ing to brag of myself. That's why
when he had to give me up they put
me on the hireling list.
But was experienced and that was
something.
A bicycle has a good deal to learn
when it first leaves the factory.
People who came to hire wheels
looked little shy at me as / stood
quietly IN my rack and then passed me
by, but not for long. Ny keepers put
new coat CT enamel on me and other
wise put me in shape, and thereafter
became quite popular. Riders who
had me out for q spin when they re-
tur aed would say they didn't know
why it was, but / seemed to be moro
intelligent than other wheels they had
tried, and was not half as liable to
make a sudden swerve and bang into
wagon in the street or into a gate
post or over bank, or to do any one
of the forty dozen other things a bicy-
Gle is likely to do when the rider is
least expecting it.
OF course, knew this myself and
was constantly striving to please, Just
as any other public servant is, for
hadn't / had enough of bang and
batter with that instalment plan party
guess yes, and am sure a properly
regulated bicycle knows when it has
had enough.
Sometimes, though, / couldn't help
being little frisky. Once l remem-
Der an athletic sort OF fellow took
me ont and for six mortal hours he
pedale1 me all over every road lin the
suburbs, rough and smooth, and al
most drove every bit Of breath ont of
my tires. l submitted because /
couldn't we'll do otherwise, but the
time of my revenge was at hand. He
was pumping me along a bit ofpleasant
country road where the shade would
have been very grateful to me if he
had only run along slowly, when he
caught up with pretty girl on an
awfully ornamental wheel.
l could hear HIM laugh with chuekle
at his luck, and he sailed alonside of
her aud began talking. OF course, he
had no business to, but bicyclists that
way are not so extremely formal, and
she talked back to him, and it wasn't
long until he was entirely absorbed in
the girl, and was leaving all the rest
of the matter to me. Then l pricked
up my ears and got ready, and all at
ouce, when we came to good place,
l took header into u ditch, the girl
screamed, tke man swore, and | lay
over on my side helpless, but happy.
He and rode home in a passing pie
wagon, the girl disappeared, and it
cost him 81 for repairs.
All kinds of people hired me, and
with most of them / could do very
well. Never, though, with fat wo-
man. There was one of these that
thought she could reduce her flesh by
riding, and she lit right down on me
the first time she came into my place.
How regretted that had not been
born mans machine, when she
settled herself firmly in my saddle,
and began padding like duck in The
water. After that every day she came
after me, and began to feel my bur
den was more than could bear.
But there was another woman-ah,
me, what delight it was to go flying
with her. She was a dainty little
creature, light as fairy and strong as
wire, and she knew where all the
prettiest places were, and there we
went together, and she drew pictures