Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-13

about the size of h, If crown before
they parted and his victim limped
away down the street
Podgeley watched him safely round
the next corner before he picked up his
bicycle to remount. Then he shouted to
me and | returned.
II don't think he's much hurt, " said
| Podgeley, ''but il cost me five bob and
he's coming for more if il still pains
| him by tomorrow. What on earth made
the blamed thing behave like that?'
l told Podgeley that he had lost his
head and leaned over on the wrong side,
but he didn't believe me Of course. Ac-
cording TO him the machine went one
way because he tried to steer il The other
and because it was possessed of the
devil.
Then we met hoTseman. could not
help rejecting what Il very unfortunate
young fellow that hOrseman must be to
have met Podgeley in the way, and,
knowing what must happen, rode rap
idly on. The horse had already begun to
dance around on its tptoes when passed
it, and as | looked over my shoulder /
perceived the inevitable already in
process of coming about-that Is saw
Podgeley and his bicycle heading
straight for the nerv Gus steod and his
pallid rider.
never heard fer certain whether
there was any actual collision Oh this
occasion, for Podgclcy is ever modestly
reticent about his achievements. but /
know that couple of minutes later
there was very great Gathering OF
hoofs behind me, and as l escaped to
the side of the road horse and'rider hur-
tied past me at full pallop, evidently
routed by Podgelcy, who pursued them
as far as my hind wheel, into which he
ran, for want, l suppose, of any thing
better to run into. don't know what
became of the hOrsa man, but | gather
he must have gone found another way
if he desired to reach the place he was
1 originally making for.
When Podgeley had finished explain
ing how wrong II was of me to have got
in his way, since he was only begin
ner, he rcmountod and SO did |. L hoped
that he would now tarn and ride back
the way he had come but Podgeley, I'M
satisfied with his triunphs was resolved
to ride into High street.
whats the good, Podgeley!" l said.
"You' IL only ride III at the first shop
window "
But Podgeley would have it his own
way, and there was nothing tor it but
to 20 home and leave HIM TO hi late or
hurry along in front of him and watch
his movements from distance 50 great
that no one would suspect ne OF being
in any way connected with him. / de-
ciued to ADOPT the latter alternative, be-
cause, as / explained to Pods icy, it
would be interesting III Il mourntuI way
to see which lamppost the lniurlated
crowd lyuched him to. His people would
like to know it and perhaps might find
comfort III buying the lamppost and
burying it with INN or something Of
that sort. After this illumination / rode
on.
i was not quite right, nor yet quite
wrong, III my prediction as TO what
would be Podgeley's first proceeding on
reaching High street. l had said that
he would ride III at the first shop win
dow, but he Just missed it and shot in
at the second, which, luckily for him,
was greengrocer's and had no glass
in it. | had turned when l observed
that Podgeley really did intend to ride
in at "a window Che said atterward that
he did not intenNanythlng OF the sort,
but that my silly remark had made him
nervous, and as soon as he saw the win.
dow he was obliged, malgre Podgeley,
| .-..l,t . ~
really his demon machine that over
heard and took the hint), and l was
Just in time to see Podgeley lying on
his stomach among the vegetables, his
waistcoat in Il basket of brussels sprouts
and his nose deeply imbedded III dish
of tomatoes, while his bicycle and two
little girls lay together on the pavement
below, and somebody with a parcel
stood over them and rubbed his shin.
did not stop to take Podgeley out of the
vegetables, but rode past, and when,
five minutes later, l ropassed the scene
of the tragedy Podgcley was conversing
In a heated manner with the green
grocer within, while policeman led
his steaming bicycle, which looked bro
ken kneed and aged, up and down out
side and the two little girls and the
parcel man waited about to be paid.
Then / went home.
After this experience Podgeley elected
to ride no more "down town" for the
present lie headed the other way and
tried daily to get into the country. But
the change of tactics didn't DO him any
good. Podgeley could never learn to
ride like an ordinary person or else his
bicycle could never forgive him TOR his
short legs and kick treadle style of rid
ing, or, again, Podgeley is one of those
men who are pursued by an evil destiny
and never have any luck, how much
soever they may court the favor of
Dame Fortune.
For whenever Podgeley rode out he
met an enemy in the way. OF course
everything he met was an enemy to a
rider like Podgeley, even innocent ba-
bies i'll perambulators-and was treated