Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-08-07

it looked from where they sat as
though she might have had serious
fail ii he hadn't caught her III time.
As / say, he was wonderfully pa
tient, for Bessie, to tell the truth, was
very stupid and had a silly little way
of grabbing one of my handle bars
tightly and throwing nll her weight
on that same side, which was enough
to make any self-1especting wheel turn
her over in the gutter. l must con.
fess did this numberless times, and
also played a few other little tricks on
her, one of which turning into the
pavement when the rider Is trying to
mount and turn you OUTS o great
favorite among the ladies wheels.
Later on, however, got to like
Bessie, who was as clever off q wheel
as she was stupid on, and Bob, as they
called the young nun, was my friend
from The first.
So IL about n week we began to
make most harmonious trio, and
then Bob would bring his own wheel
around, and that made pleasant COM
pany for me.
One thing 1 objected to from the
first, aud Bob agreed with me l think,
was frienl OF Bessie's who came to
the house almost every night and sat
with her parents calmly slipping some
cool drink, and encouraging US by
calling out from time to time how
such AMI such a thing might be avoid
ed, or how to act under certain cir
cumstances. Then he would add to
the comfort of the parents by low
remark TO the effect that "Bob Rich
ards didn't know q thing about q
Wheel" aud sometimes he would keep
Bessie's courage up by promising to
take her for some long rides as soon as
she had mastered the wary bicycle.
I didn't like him and Bob didn't
and Bessie-well, we couldn't tell
about her. I only know after we had
put in an hours exhausting labor she
would get off to rest. and, leaving Box
to see to me, would run up the steps
10 ask if Mr.. Meredith didn't thint
she was doing better, and wasn't it en-
tirely Bobs fault that she fell over
that last time; she thought he hao
hold of the wheel, aud when she founC
he hadn't, of course she fell off, and i
was mean trick to play her Anc
then the whole party berated poor
Bob, whose sole offence seemed to bt
a desire to hasten her progress.
Bob never would say word IN hi
own behalf, but l used to even ul
matters by going very carefully wher
felt him let go, until Bessie woul
cry out in delight, "Oh, look at me
I sm riding beautifully!" and Mr.
Meredith would say languidly
"Bravol Now remember what l tolt
you about the pedals. And then
would lose my temper and step sud
denly in bit OF mud, and off woult
90 Bessie before you could say Jacl
Robinson.
She didn't know thing about max
ing herself mistress Of wheel. Al
she wanted was to sit on and ride
She was oae of those girls who vii
never manage anything unless, ma.
be, husband.
"All things come to him who waits
And so of length Mr.. Meredith, VIII
had been doing the waiting to perfec
ton, had Bessie come to him with tn
glad news that she could ride splendid
" now, and couldn't they make ul
some parties and go out on the road
Then we had several very pleasan
rides. Occasionally there would b
quite a crowd, but very often we wen
only four, Bessie with Mr.. Mereditl
snd Bob relegated to her chum, Mis-
Grey. who really was beautifulrldel
did not like this arrangement, a
Mr.. Meredith rode one of those gaudy
conspicuous affairs that no really MIC
wheel would wish to be seen with /
the street, but Bessie and [ were quit
friendly about that time, and wa
trying to please her by giving as littl
trouble as possible.
Before long Bessie became con
vinced OF the idea that she was fam
GUS rider, and suggested that we O.
take trip to Cabin John Bridge.
heard Bob advise her to try shorte
run first, but then Mr.. Meredith cam
up and said it would be delightful
and of course Miss Bessie could do
easily; there wasn't better rider /
the city, and he fixed on the next da
for the trip.
The next day dawned clear IN
warm, and we Sc: out about 4. 30 O'CLOCK
l must admit that Bessie looked
pretty as picture in her dainty sui
with its many buttons and jaunty col
{ Before we started Bob came up to mt
as he always did, to see that all m
parts we're secure and firm, and thf
no pebbles or bits of dirt were scratch
ing against my chain. He did not loo
particularly pleased over the trip, an
indeed ] fully agreed with him that
was far too long for Bessie to sttemp
At length we were spinning merrill
along. I was determined to act N
best, so took the lead, with that circu
wheel Of Mr.. Meredith's, leaving 30
and Miss Grey to follow. All wen
we'll for about four miles, and the
|. Bessie began to weaken. She was tire(
very tired, as [ could easily tell b
the feeble way she pushed on my pst
, ais, but she WAS determined not to civ