Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-06-29
BOTH HAD WHEELS.

DO l. IL 11hD w llLIlIkCs
Ross Graham laid the morning paper
aside and looked across the breakfast table
at his wife.
IT don't like the idea, Dora, j." he said,
a family discernible air of authority color
ing the words with yet stronger disap-
prevail
His wife's face flushed a little as she
toyed with her coffee spoon. She was one
of the few women who can look charming
at a. IN. 1t is awfully hard to refuse
your wife anything when she is distract
ingly pretty and you have been married
only three short months.
"All the girls have them, =" she protested.
"I'm surprised, Ross, 1 really am, that
you should object. Everybody rides, and
1t is so fascinating"
"It doesn't make any difference what
other girls do" responded her husband
emphatically. "They may fly to the moon
If somebody patents airships for all care.
But hate to see you on bioycle-not
that there is any actual harm in them, but
man doesn't care to have his wife pranc-
ing around the country, stared at by all
the fellows. You may have anything else
in reason that you want, Dot, but draw
the line at boomers and wheel"
Dora's eyebrows puckered ominously.
She rose with injured dignity and looked
down at her husband as impressively as
woman may from height Of feet l.
"Do understand you to say that you
forbid me to ride bicycle?" she asked
slowly. Her cheeks were glowing now,
and small slippered foot beat tattoo
upon the carpet.
Her husband looked up in surprise. 1t
Is always surprising to newly made Ben
edict to discover that his adoring spouse
has any wishes apart from his own.
SWELL" said he with the mild despera-
tion of a peaceable man who finds himself
cornered, "if you insist upon putting it
in such an unpleasant way, yes"
Then" replied his wife, moving trag.
ically toward the door, even the tortoise
shell a-quiver with indignation, "all have
to say is that you are -perfect-tyrant. Z"
Everything went wrong at the office that
day. 1t is not easy to wrestle with bust
ness when one energies from the gloom OF
a domestic thundercloud, and Ross was
relieved when the afternoon wore away.
"After all, 5" he soliloquized as he board
ed a California street car homeward, "per-
haps was rather hard on the bicycle prop
osition. But it wouldn't do to give in to
her now. must be flrm.'
1t takes married man some time to
acquaint himself with the apparent incon.
sistencies of the feminine mind.
Dora had allowed him to 60 down town
without so much as farewell glance
Approaching his cozy home with some in
ward apprehension he was naturally as.
founded when she met him at the door ra.
dainty smiling.
Some friends dropped in later, and the
evening passed delightfully."-. Dora devot.
ed herself to her husbands comfort with
an eager solicitude that he attributed to
sincere repentance.
As she poured coffee for him the next
morning he observed with horror an i'm.
mense and unsightly bruise upon her pref
ty arm-a bruise that included all the col.
ors of we'll developed rainbow.
For heavens sake, Dot, how did you
do it?" he inquired anxiously. His wife
blushed furiously.
"Oh, I fell-that is, Lob, it's nothing
Ross, dear, nothing whatever. Do let me
help you to cream. Blythe bye, forgot to
tell you that Here she branched off to
o dissertation on music.
A week later Mr.. Ross Graham made
his way homeward on q new safety.
II really need the exercise, he explain.
ed rather awkwardly to his wife, who was
watching as usual for his familiar figure.
"Of course you do, DEAR" she respond
ed cheerfully, whereat he breathed sigh
of relief. "Some women would have
kicked up dickens of row." he rumi.
mated. dora Is an angel"
Ross found cycling such an agreeable
pastime that he caught himself thinking
of Dora one morning and half Wishing
she were beside him. He was not so sure
after all about the improperly of it, A
girl could look confoundedly fetching on
wheel.
OF late he had observed one in partiou.
lar, natty little figure in blue suit,
jaunty cap atop of her head, who appeared
in the distance every morning, but he had
never overtaken her, as she avoided the
main paths, skimming gracefully along
and always alone.
One morning he obeyed sudden i'm.
pulSo w puSS uL6 lhlr uukuOWu. Cuo WI |
IDENTIFY OWNED his intention, for she dou.
bled her speed. So 1t was race between
them. What sauoy little thing she must
be-!
Mentally resolved to buy dagger pin
that very day for Dora as peace Offering
to his conscienoe-poor little Dora, slum-
bering innocently at home while he basely
pursued strange phantoms-he gained
steadily upon the rider ahead in spite Of
her efforts to elude him.
Something in the shiny coils Of her hail
struck him as oddly familiar. 1t was
tortoise shell comb. Its wearer turned
lovely laughing face toward him.
swell, RossP" she said mischievously.
"DoraP' he exclaimed weakly, namely
that he ought to be indignant.
A pair of round, soft hands stole about his
neck.
we'll have awfully good times togeth.
or, dear, (" sweet voice was saying "You
see, I've been riding ever since you said !
shouldn't. I coaxed papa for the safety.
Kiss me- Ross"
And he did.-Paciflc Town Talk.
The Patient Counted.
One day recently DR.. P, who had
company at dinner. sat QUIETLY chatting in