The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-08-14
A PUNCTURED TIRE.

specimen of the bicycle kind than l was
when I left the manufacturers on beau
tiful May morning just two months ago.
They were proud of Inc ut the shops
indeed L think there was something about
my graceful frame and polished enamel
finish that made me stand out as one apart
from the thousands of other wheels around
me The first journey l took was when
left my native city and was shipped, with
many companions, to Washington. liked
this beautiful Capital City and longed for
Il spin on the smooth asphalt pavements,
but it seemed for time that 1 was DOOM
ed to disappointment.
was taken to the bicycle school, where
! spent most of my days watching the
strange antics of beginners, the earnest
efforts of those who had taken several les
sons and the lofty, though sometimes I'M
certain, airs of the ones almost ready to
ride in the street
In all of this had no part Twas a new
wheel and must wait quietly until pur-
chased. Sometimes my Indignation would
be aroused by the rough treatment be-
slowed upon the poor machines on which
the beginners were taught by their mex
perienced riders How they slammed
those wheels around!
Day after day watched these sights I'M
til was weary of it all, and beyond max
ing firm resolution to throw myself down
a precipice before descending to such work
did nothing for several weeks. At last,
one beautiful morning. remember well,
it was May 19-the manager of the place
came in the park accompanied by n very
pretty girl and an older lady, whom l took
TO be the girls mother.
They came over to the rack in which
stood, and, drawing me out, he said: Here
is exactly what you want, miss. There Is
not finer wheel in the city. Look ut that
frame, good and strong, beautifully fin
ished; light weight; just lift it, not rs
pounds, all the bearings turned from tool
steel'- The girls pretty face was u
study as she looked me up and down in an
anxious effort to find the different parts
TO which the manager referred so glibly.
Il like it, she said ut length. Don't
you, mother? You see, turning to the man,
Il have been about month trying to buy a
wheel l thought it would be quite easy,
but we have had dreadful time. Besides
having gone to about 90 places ourselves,
we have had at least 80 agents, who heard
we wanted u wheel, come after us, and the
most puDzling part of it all is that each
one says all the others are perfectly worth,
less. So mother and made up our minds
10 give them all the slip, and that is why
we came here this morning. Let us take
this wheel, mother.
The mother approached me, tried to look
critical, gave me gentle shake, and said
We'll, it seems to be n good strong one.
l do hope you won't have any accidents. y
That very afternoon l was sent to my
new home, u magnificent brownStone Oh
Connecticut avenue, and in a few days
knew all about the family, for gossip is
rife in the servants hall, in n little room
adjoining which was kept
My young mistress was named Bessie
cambridge. She was the only-and need
less to say overindulged-child of wealthy
parents, and just now, of course, she was
suffering from bad case of bicyclefever.
Almost every evening after dark the de
voted father and mother would sit out Oh
the porch and watch Bessie and me strug
Cling up and down the street. A young
friend of hers was teaching her to ride, and
of all patient and devoted instructors that
handsome man took the lead. He was q
nice fellow, too, and never seemed too hot
or tired To invent suitable answers TO the
parents endless questions as to why Bessie
couldn't ride along like the other girls did
and what made the wheel watble So
wasn't something the matter, and h;Nln' Z
they better go back to the man and com
plain, and was he sure there was no dan
ger The last time Bessie had :.un into
the tree box it looked from where they sal
as though she might have had Il seriou.
fall If he hadn't caught her in tine.
As say, he was wonderfully patient. fol
Bessie, to tell the truth. was very stupid
and had a silly little way of grab Ding one
of my handle bars tightly and throwing
all her weight on that same side, which
was enough TO make any self respecting
wheel turn her over in the gutter. l mus
confess | did this numberless times and al
So played u few other little tricks on her
one Of which, turning into the pavement
when the rider is trying to mount and
turn you out, is great favorite among
the ladies' wheels.
Later on, however, 1 got to like Bessie
who was as clever off wheel as she was
stupid on, and Bob, as they called the young
man. was my friend from the first.
So in about u week we began to make q
most harmonious trio and then Bob would
bring his own wheel around, and that
made pleasant company for me.
One thing objected to from the first
and Bob agreed with me, think, was q
friend Of BeSsie's, who came to the house
almost every night and sat with her par
ents calmly slipping some cool drink and
encouraging us by calling out from time
to time how such and such thing might
be avoided or how to act under certain
circumstances Then he would add to the
comfort of the parents by low remark tC
the effect that bob Richards didn' t know
a thing about wheel, ;" and sometimes he
would keep Bessie's courage up by promis
ing to take her for some long rides as sooT
as she had mastered the wary bicycle
1 didn't like him, and Bob didn't and
Bessie-well, we couldn't tell about her
/ only know after we had put in an hour:
exhausting labor she would get off TO rest
and, leaving Bob to see to me, would run
up the steps to ask if Mr.. Meredith didn't
think she was doing better, and wasn't il
entirely Bob's fault that she fell over thai
last time. She thought he had hold of the
wheel, and when she found he hadn't, OF
course-she fell off, and it was a mean trick
TO play her And then the whole party
berated poor Bob, whose sole offense seem
ed to be n desire to hasten her progress.
Bob never would say a word in his own
behalf. but used to even up matters by
going very carefully when l felt him let
go, until Bessie would cry out in delight:
"Oh, look ut me! l am riding beauti-
sullyr' and Mr.. Meredith would say Ian
guidly: Bravo! Now, remember what 1
told you about the pedals" And then 1
-,
In II bit of mud, and off would go Bessie
before you could say Jack Robinson.
She didn't know thing about making
herself mistress of wheel. All she want
ed was to sit on and ride. She was one
Of those girls who will never manage any
thing unless, maybe, a husband.
'All things come to him who waits. -
And so at length Mr.. Meredith, who had
been doing the waiting to perfection, had
Bessie come to him with the glad news
that she could ride splendidly now, and
couldn't they make up some parties and
go out on the road. Then we had several
Tery pleasant rides. Occasionally there
would be quite crowd, but very often
only four-Bessie with Mr.. Meredith and
Bob relegated to her chum, a Miss Grey,
who really was beautiful rider.
1 did not like this arrangement, as Mr.
Meredith rode one Of those gaudy, conspic-
uous affairs that no really nice wheel
would wish to be seen with in the street,
but Bessie and were quite friendly about
that time, and was trying to please her
by giving as little trouble as possible.
Before long Bessie became convinced of
the idea that she was a famous rider and
suggested that we all take a trip out to
Cabin John Bridge. 1 heard Bob advise her
to try shorter run first, but then Mr.. Mere
dith came up and said it would be delight
full and of course Miss Bessie could do it
easily, there wasn't n better rider in the
city, and he fixed on the next day for the