The Goodland republic., 1896-03-06

roameF himself. Everyone is who
rides wheel. Still, he was none the
less startled one evening, just before
dark, as he was hnmrling homeward
along a particularly lonely country
road. to see Miss Betsey sitting on a
rock beneath u tree. Her inevitable
basket was by her side, half filed with
botanical products. On these rested a
shoe. The foot to which that shoe be-
longed was elevated across the neigh
boring knee, and struck straight out
like a semapbore or a railroad signal,
and bore evidence of extempore ban
daging- Dick instinctiycly slowed down
till he came to a halt, and then, of
course, he had to dismount, whether or
no. Bicycles, as a rule, refuse to stand
up straight while at 4 standstill.
why, Miss Betsey! What is the mat
ter?'
'I'ye sprained my foot, said the lit
lie old lady, calmly, and relapsed into
silence. Dick whistled ard looked at
her in amazed perplexity.
"How are you going to get homeY'
That's what I'm waiting to see, she
replied, composedly. There's always
a way. Pm curious to see what this
one viii be-" And again she took up
silence as an occupation. Dick looked
at her some more, feeling around in his
mind for something appropriate to say,
without great success, and her silence
did not help him any,
Been here long?" hefinallymustered
up courage to ask.
She looked at the low-lying crimson
streak on the horizon, glowing through
the trees with their gathering dusk,
and replied. briefly: about two
hours"
Dick gave an exclamation of disnay,
1.-TWO hours! And no one came by in
all that time? What a horribly lone
some road!"
Very" More silence.
well, see here, Miss Betsey, he cried,
moved to something akin to despera-
ton by the situation, something's got
to be done; and if I'm the only one that
travels this road, s'pose I ought to be
the one to do it. But what shall do? ?"
Miss Betsey eyed him with mild curl
osity, and presently was impelled to ask
question.
What can you do?"
why, I can go for help. Do you
know that it is all of ten miles from the
village to here?"
so supposed" said Miss Betsy,
with perfect serenity. "Yes, you could
go for help. It would take team two
hours to get there. don't know how
long it would take you to go"
"One," interjected Dick, at which she
raised an eyebrow.
"Say three hours, then; and half an
hour to stir up some one who owns
team. answer all his fool questions, and
get him started, Well, there's the moon
to keep me company"
Dick sbivered. There was something
so eerie in the idea of waiting so long
on that lonely road, so far from habita-
ton, in the night, with the sounds of
the night sitting out through the trees
of the neighboring forest. He looked at
her doubtfully, and then up and down
the road, as though in search of the
team that never came.
Il don't like to have you here alone
SO long," said he at length. Some
thing might happen. Miss
Betsy!" he cried, with earnestness,
why not let me put you on my wheel
and carry you right home? Won't that
be better than waiting?"
Into his mind, meanwhile, there
flashed a vision of himself wearily
trudging along that long ten miles
afoot, holding the wheel upright and
Miss Betsy upon it. But then it could
be done. And they might meet a team
on the way. She looked Mt him a mo-
ment. He wondered if she would be
angry at the idea; but she was not.
Then she looked at the bicycle, and
vouchsafed response:
It'll break down"
'It can't!" cried Dick, Indignantly.
"You can't break it you try. 1t twould
hold us both at once. Hurrah!
I have it! have it! Just see here!
I'll set the saddle as far back as it will
60; then I'll tie my coat on the back
bone for cushion, and you can sit
side-saddle fashion on that close up to
the handle-bar. Ny arms are good and
long, and therell be plenty of room for
you right between me and the bar. You
can't fall off, for my arms won't let you,
and Wen go along just as e-easyi" This
was better than walking!
In twinlling the boy had his wrench
out. all eagerness to reset the saddle.
The handle-bar was already well up, for
Dick had no use for the humped-up
style of riding. His jacket was off in a
second, and string appeared from
somewhere, as by magic, He did not
wait to see if the offer was acceptable.
Somehow he felt that Miss Betsey, be-
ing different from other folks, would
not need convincing like other folks.
And he was right, too. Possibly her
independence, =, before mentioned, was
merely the fuller development of that
rare faculty miscalled common sense"
-more's the pity that it is not common!
She simply satin silence and watched his