Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-08-12

Cycle Csu6 aG D O'CLOCK 1Or dlnuer,
then they could all ride home to-
gether by moonlight.
Ther the city guest came downstairs
and smiling apologized Tor being late.
tactfully alluding to such comforta-
BILE bed, and to the soothing influence
of rural stiffness.
When the young matron's husband,
who was the bluest-eyed, blondest-
haired, mildost-mannered "bear" in
all of natural history, had gone, the
city guest played with the baby IN the
the hammock aud tho young matron
excused herself to hold her regular
morning session with the cook. But
in the early afternoon the domestic
machinery was running smoothly, the
baby had been perambulated off by q
freckled faced nurse who was "keep,
ing steady company" with private at
Fort Sheridan, the young matron had
telephoned for o. man, and the city
guest was putting on her bicycle
clothes.
well ride to Glencoe and meet
him there, and then go on to the club.
The roads aren't very good yet, but it
will be fun if you don't mind rough
riding. ! don't, for it's more exeit,
ing"
So, after oiling up and pumping up
and tightening up, they rolled out of
the little town into, tho fresh, early
green, Of the country. with the mead
ows AMI fields on one side and the lake
on the other.
The soads north of tile city lie more
or less near the lake, being, without
doubt, the most attractive to wheel
men, and on fine Sundays they are
traverssd by many bicyol:sts. During
the week there are portions of these
roads which are lonely and deserted.
While pedaling through bit of woods,
with the city guest looking into them
on either side in search o. .violets, the
young :natron said, suddenly:
s'My dear, isn't that 3 tramp lying
there by that fallen tree ahead of us3"
The other looked apprehensively at
the indicated bundle of Alttering tot
ters AMI discovered ono nose visible
among them-such red, red nose-a
stubbly chin, three ragged black boots
and one ragged tan shoe.
"No," she said, hopping off In or.
der to prevent the collapse OF her slow
moving wheel, ''it's two tramps. and
they're worse than they are In the
funny papers. Therei Iknew you'd
go over if you didn't get of!"
"Let's go back, tremulously sug-
gested che young matron, pushing in
several loosened hair-pins and raising
her wheel. She was nervous and O lit
tie pale, but she asked the city guest
if her lat was OF straight. The city
guest was frightened, too, but she had
such happy faculty of Disgusting 1t
that she had the reputation of being
unusually brave and ready in an emer-
gencY.
"No, let's go on and make o rush
for it. We can pass SO quickly they'll
never know till we're gone"
But the passable part Of the road
was narrow just where the wayfarers
were taking o siesta, and would per-
NIT of only one girl passing at time.
So the plan seemed hardly feasible, for
neither of the riders could make up
her mind to go last.
Just then there was o movement Of
the tatters, boots and nose. One of
the mer rose on his elbow and stared.
His nose was less red than that OF the
other, hut his chin was more stubbly.
Now, the city guest had secret pas
sion for all things histrionic, and she
noticed with thrill of quick pleasure
that this goddess man wore bright
handkerchief about his neck. This
one artistic touch instantly trans
formed him from a common tramp to
something akin to the stage brigand,
while the background of trees and
grass aad yellow road disappearing
below the crest of little hill in the
distance made as effective q setting as
she had ever seen. Her fear was lost
in this new emotion and she laughed,
exclaimSng under her breath to her
companion:
ooh, isn't it picturesque" ]"
Tue young matron turned her hea |
and locked at the city guests face,
her dread rising to terror when she
saw tho radiant expression it wore.
Suddenly she was seized with the fear.
full conviction that fear had tenn
porarily unhinged her friends mind,
leaving her in the hands of O maniac
and of two unscrupulous villains. She
hid her face in her hands and sunk
down by the now forgotten bicycle
and wept quietly till she heard the
voice of her poor deranged friend
mingled in the most cordial converse
with those of the two men; then she
lifted her head and gazed at them
aghas..
The three were exchanging friendly
remarks about the weather, after
which they amicably discussed hi,
cycles and their respective merits, in
spite of the shrouded intelligence con.
cerning both the subject and the Eng.
lish language as displayed by two.
thirds of the party. But unfortun'
atclY the eyes that accompanies the
red, red nose wandered toward the
young matron and discovered several
valuable rings on her small, bare
hands.
'I'lI take those purity rings, lady,
don't get scared, but just hand 'en
over, quiet like and we'll be movin
on"
The city guest turned sharply
around OF that. For in an instant she
hoped that the other man would inter
fere and nobly dissuade his friend
from his purpose. But he only
winked at her cordially and said to the
other:
'1t's too risky, amt it, Tobef"
= l.