Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-12-24

=
but l find it prudent to act on his ad.
vice, 80 this time sadly put away my
idea Of making my first trip on q
! wheel nocturnal one. must face the
ordeal in the cruel veracity OF sun.
light
l never could quite understand how
every one in the neighborhood found
out that on that particular day l was
going to make my first attempt at con-
querL,g the unruly spirit Of soulless
mechanism. It was after nightfall when
l brought the wheel home. l thought
the secret was my own and all things
seemed propitious to quiet contest be-
TWEEN the wheel and myself, In which I
should have won the laurels before the
neighbors were apprised that the battle
was on. To further insure this result
had for several days studied the man
neis Of veteran riders, especially when
leading their wheels. I fattered my
self l had this pretty near perfection.
As led the wheel out to the street I
even stopped to examine spoke crit
ically, in precisely the manner I had
seen an expert do the day before. 1t
was in vain. The audience was in wait
ing.
The prospect, as looked up and down
the street, appalled, me. Every door
and window seemed to have its occu-
pants. Women waited patiently on
front porches. Men lounged lazily over
front gates. / don't believe that there
was a house within four blocks that
didn't have man about it. And then
horrors! the street seemed infested
with small boys. The small boy knows
instinctively at what particular time
and place man is about to make a
fool Of himself, and he usually manages
10 be on hand to add zest to, the per-
Torrance. His comments on such &C.
casions are not original, witty or wise,
but are woefully effective.
l believe | am a brave man. once
voluntarily acted as Judge Of debate in
n young ladies' literary society, and I
stand ready, for sufficient inducement,
to be one Of committee on awards at
q baby show. Nevertheless. this once
was frightened. Not at the wheel. I
had an affectionate contempt for that
airy-looking skeleton Of wood and steel,
but I object to being stared at, particu-
larly when l feel as II I am going to |
moke an exhibition Of myself.
I put one foot firmly on the step, |
hoped along on the other, in the regu-
lation style and stepped up. Now, I am
certain that I had that wheel balanced
al right had raised myself with ex-
traordinary care, and II the wheel had
been a steady-going machine Of year
or SOS. service, it would have been all |
right. This was new wheel, though, |
and Its chief characteristic was concen-
trated villainy.
That's why, just as got my foot well
off the ground and was putting my sole
dependence on the step, the thing
lunged over. expected to see the
wheel broken ito pieces, but 1t was not
injured. 1t had mission to perform
yet, and could not afford to break until
1t had accomplished it. That mission
was to preach TO me the doctrine Of the
total depravity Of inanimate things.
After picking up the wheel I looked
around at my audience. I hardly ex-
pected applause, but thought might
reasonably look for mirth. Iwus even
to laugh heroically with them.
but not smile was visible. They all
seemed interested, but not amused.
They were reserving their merriment.
The next time | had better, luck. III
succeeded in getting on the seat. This
made it more interesting for the specta-
tors, because when the wheel Hinged,
ran around in circle and then
the situation was good deal {
more ridiculous. AS source of emuse-
ment saw it was going to be success.
After this fall the men who had been
Longing on the front gates sauntered
up to where | was. The small boys,
who had been viewing operations from I
A respectful distance, also drew around |
ne. I was at the food-tide of my mis-.
Try.
| no longer regarded the bicycle as
| souless thing of steel, nickel and
wood. 1t was treacherous and en-
ohatically animate monster to be put
lown at any cost. Igrasped it savagely,
placed 1t roughly in position and
It threw me, but tried
gain. had forgotten the audience.
The men advised, the boys jeered and Ii
he women laughed; heard, saw, but \
lid not heed. was mad. I was going q
o do or die, and several times the b
'hances seemed greatly with the Sec t
md alternative. n
At last ! got the wheel to go around. Q
\ thrill of joy went through me. I saw o
he landscape slip by. | felt myself .
'assing rapidly through space. The
rowd which had feared | now dis.
|ained. Twas leaving them far behind. E
felt that until that moment had not V
nown life. The hitherto existing re- X
alton Of space to time was radically al R
cred. 1t was almost as though new n
world had been opened to me, and chief
mong all my delights was victory. On
spun over the fine country road; ut =
4 cf WINS ,,,ne4a,