The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-13
A BICYCLE PUZZLE.
"Have you been riding my wheelP"


your wheel" said Mr. Harris calmly. "I
have enough trouble with my own and
have no ambition to become familiar with
any other. Why do you askP"
"Well, it is curious" remarked that
good woman, still somewhat suspicious
"If you have not been using it, am sure
don't know who has"
whats the matter with your precious
wheelp" asked Mr.. Harris. "Busted again,
l SUPPOSE You have more trouble with
that bike than do with my money!
"The last time l went riding my cy-
clometer registered 237 miles," said Mrs
Harris. "Look at it now! The cyclometer
says 261 miles. Some one has ridden that
wheel "a miles Why, John, you were
with me the last time. You remember
that we rode 10 miles, and that you looked
at the cyclometer when we arrived home. "
"That's right, ;" said Mr.. Harris after a
moments thought. 81 remmeber that it
showed 237 and remarked that you had to
ride only 10 miles to reach the $50 mark.
Probably one of the children has been
amusing himself by revolving that front
wheel"
But Mrs. Harris dismissed that theory
with scorn. The children knew better than
to touch the wheel Mr. HarAis smoked in
silence for few minutes and was deep in
Thought.
"How about that new hired girl of
yoursp" asked Mr.. Harris "Do you know
whether she rides a wheel or not?"
"What question: exclaimed Mrs. Har-
ris. "You don't suppose for moment
that May would dare ride my wheel?'
May was the new servant girl. Mr.. Har-
ris had no opinion to offer on that PROPOSE
ton and closed the incident for the day
by rernarking that he knew nothing about
the mysterious record of the cyclometer
and suggested that perhaps the ghost of II
former tenant, now dead, might have TAX
en- night spin.
The mystery deepened the following
day. When Mrs. Harris looked at her
wheel, the cyclometer registered 27S miles,
an increase of II miles over the precedinl z;
day. More than that, Mr.. Harris bicycle
lamp was on the mysterious wheel Upol
investigation it was found that Mr. Har.
irs' lamp had been transferred to the other
wheel, and that it was in n badly damaged
condition.
"This beats anything ever heard of, 4"
said Mrs Harris. do you suppose May
would dare to take this wheel out after we
have retired? She told me today that she
dark. She asked me to go out on the back
porch with her, as she was afraid to go
alone"
"That looks suspicious" unused Mr.
Harris
Miss Olive contributed clew. Miss
Olive is about 9 years old and has but one
ambition-to own a bicycle.
MAY said to me today" said Miss
Olive "that she wished it would stop rain
ing, as she wanted to go out on her wheel.
Then she laughed and laughed as hard as
she could. ~
"I'll make her laugh if catch her with
my wheel"
st is easy enough to catch her" said
Mr.. Harris. 1--WE will try tonight. Do not
say word, and we will solve this bicycle
puzzle"
The cratic wheel occupied room adj
joining that of Mrs. Harris and the con-
Meeting door was always open. All that
afternoon the lady of the house was in u
frenzy of excitement. May went demurely
about her work. There was never more
Sashful, retiring servant girl than May
with her timid blue eyes and abashcd
manners. The more Mrs. Harris studied
the girl the more she became convinced
that the suspicious of her husband were I'M
founded. When John came home, Mrs
Harris told him it was a shame to suspect
the poor girl.
"That's all right" said the heartless
man of the house. "This bicycle mania
does queer things. Let me alone, and 1
will straighten this thing out"
About o'clock that night Mr. Harris
fastened a black silk thread TO the frame
of the wheel, unwound about 80 feet of it
and tied the other end to large tin pail,
which he balanced carefully on the upper
edge of a picture frame. He surveyed this
trap with great satisfaction.
81 have given her enough rope, so that
she will be half way down the hall before
the pail falls" exclaimed Mr.. Harris
"We will turn down the gas pretend to
retire and await developments.
Mrs. Harris was in tremble of excite
ment, but remained quiet The moments
passed slowly, and John dropped into a
doze, when crash in the adjoining room
sounded through the fiat
"You stay right here, " commanded Mrs
Harris. "You would scare the poor girl
to death. Let me attend to her D."
And Mrs. Harris ATTENDED to her
The guilty May was discovered half way
through the dining room, with the wheel
in her possession. 9 For a girl who is afraid
of the dark you have considerable nerve, {"
said Mrs. Harris. You march right back
with that wheel. OF all the things / ever
heard of in my life! How dare you do such
thing, MayP Don't you know what cy-
clometer is' Did you not know that you
would be discovered? The idea of your
stealing out at night and riding my
wheelr
IT took Mrs Harris ton minimize to nv
press her feelings properly, during which
time May said nothing. She had nothing
to say. The next day the following ad.
appeared in a morning paper:
Wanted-A servant girl who does not ride
bicycle, at 423 Sixty first place, Woodlawn.
Exchange.