Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-12-22
A BICYCLE CHASE.

Warwick was one of the suburbs of a
large city, but the tide of fashion had
not flowed in its direction, and it re-
manned small, compact mass of ugly
houses, chiefly inhabited by the poorer
classes. At the top of hill two miles
away, however, was magnificent man.
sion set in the center of large estate.
The owner of this property, an eccentric
old man by the name of Richard Boul-
den was dubbed the earl, and his house
was generally known as the castle. In
it MIR. BouIden lived with his grand
daughter and an aged woman servant.
He was reputed to be very wealthy, and
the economies of his life were set down
by the good people of Warwick as the
ecoentricities of a miser. There is no
doubt that he was misery, and he had
good reason for it, which he did not
care to give out to the world at large.
The truth was that he was as poor as
church mouse, and his fine property was
heavily mortgaged. The only ambition
he had in life was to pay off this mort
gage SO as to leave his estate unincum-
bered to his orphan granddaughter,
Edith, the only other survivor of his
race. She was such lovely young girl
so pretty and yet SO modest, so bright
and yet SO considerate of others feel
ings-that all who met her liked her
She seemed the most perfect creature
on earth to Mr.. Boulder, for she was
the only solace of his retired life. And
yet she had less pretty clothes, less
amusenents, less everything that re-
quired the expenditure of money, than
tho poorest girl in Warwick, since her
grandfather, in his unselfish passion,
did not see that the lack of many small
things in her youth was as hard to bear as
poverty would be to grown up woman.
1.-The child wants for nothing now,"
he thought. eff she wishes something
in the morning, but does not get it. she
has forgotten all about it by night. But
after awhile she will feel the lack Of
money and what it brings. Then will
be able to give it TO her. :"
He did not confide to Edith the cause
of his penuriousness, and she thought
that he was wealthy; hence she could
not understand why he would not buy
for her the many little things she want
ed. Her supply of pin money was very
scanty, and she made all her own dress
es. But in spite of this Mr.. Boulden
was not satisfied, and he was especially
irritated when one day she dared ask
for bicycle.
lyon spend too much; you spend too
much,'' he declared. "What do you
want a bicycle for? To break your neck?
No lady should ride one"
ooh, they all do, +" said Edith indig
nantly. "There's hardly family in the
town that has not got one. Here we live
Ios au
we haven't a carriage l have to walk
whenever want to go down there. It's
a shame.
"Bahi The walking does you good. "
"It's all right if I have the time, but
l generally haven't. Come, be good
old Santa Claus and drop one down the
chimney ut Christmas.
Nonsense, Edith. Look how the
English girls walk, and they have the
finest compilations in the world.
''But they are not walking now.
Most of them ride a bicycle. I read
about it the other day"
And so on. The fact is Edith had set
her heart on one, and, for the first time
in her life, she resolved 10 persevere in
her attempts TO persuade the old gentle
man in spite of the annoyance and OBJ
stinacy he showed.
So she learned to ride ON friends
wheel and called her grandfather's at
tention to the great pleasure it gave
her. Then she would tell him how
quickly she could coast down to War
wick, and how easily she could climb
the hill back again, but it was of no
use.
One day her friend went away for a
week, and with great generosity loaned
her bicycle to Edith W hile she was gone.
Edith was intensely delighted and
spent all that afternoon riding around
the castle grounds. Considerably tired,
she went to bed very early and was
soon asleep.
In the middle of the night she was
awakened by the rolling of thunder
Quite a storm seemed to be brewing,
and she arose to put down her windows
Then suddenly she recollected sim
puJar piece of carelessness ON her part.
She had left her friends bicycle stand
ing against pillar of the front porch,
and the wind or rain might ruin it
"What lucki'' she thought tI;n
have to dress ard get it. expect I'll
have to put quite little ON. too, or
will catch my death of cold y
So she dressed herself and started