, 1896-08-05
A BICYCLE PUZZLE.
The Activity OF Mrs. Harris's Cyclic
meter

straight in the eyes, but hat gentle
man returned the inquisitive and de-
fiant glare of his better half with per-
feet composure.
mo, my dear; l ave not been riding
your Wheel said Mr.. Harris, calmly.
Il have enough trouble with my own.
and have no ambition to become famil-
lar with any other. Why do you ask"
We'll. it is curious" remarked thai
good woman, still somewhat suspicious.
IF o have not been using it, l am
sure don't know W.; has"
Whats the matter with your pre-
cious wheel?" asked Mr.. Harris.
Busted again, l suppose? You have
more trouble with that bike than l 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 say 261 miles. Some one
has ridden that wheel "a miles. Why.
John, you were with me the asst time.
You remember that we ode Is miles,
and that you looked at the cyclometer
when we arrived home"
That's right said Mr.. Harris, after
a moments thought. Il remember that
it showed 237, and remarked that you
had to ride only 10 miles to reach the
$50 mark. Probably one of the chill
dren has been amusing himself by re-
volving that front wheel"
But Mrs. Harris dismissed that the
DRY with scorn. The children knew
better than to touch the wheel. Mr..
Harris smoked in Silence for a few min
utes, and vas deep in thought.
How about that new hired girl Of
yours" asked Mr.. Harris. do you
know whether she rides a wheel or
not?"
What a question: exclaimed Mrs.
Harris. "You don't suppose for a mo-
ment that May would dare ride my
wtheel?"
May was the new servant-girl. Mr..
Harris had no opinion to offer on that
proposition, and closed the incident for
the day by remarking hat he knew
nothing about the mysterious record
OF the cyclometer, and suggested that
perhaps the ghost of a former tenant,
now dead, might have taken a night
spin.
The mystery deepened the following
day. When Mrs. Harris looked at her
wheel the cylometer registered 27S
miles, an increase Of II miles over the
preceding day. More than that. Mr..
Harris's bicycle-lamp was on the mys-
FERROUS wheel. Upon investigation it
was found that Mrs. Harris's lamp had
been transferred to the other wheel.
and that it was in a badly damaged
condition.
This beats anything | ever heard
Of" said Mrs. Harris. do o sup
pose May would dare to take this wheel
out after we have retired? She told
me today that she was afraid to go out
on the streets after dark. She asked
me to go out on the back porch with
utT, DIS she NdS ~ anu W 81 AoLC
THAT looks suspicious" unused Mr..
Harris.
Miss Olive contributed a clew. Miss
Olive is about nine years old and ha
but one ambition-1o own a bicycle.
May said to me today" said Miss
Olive, that she wished it would stop
raining. 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 I catch her
with my wheel"
ut is easy enough to cath her." said
Mr.. Harris. We win try tonight. Do
not say a word. and We will solve this
bicycle puzzle"
The cratic wheel occupied a roomad-
Joining that OF Mrs. Harris, and the
connecting door was always open. All
that afternoon the lady of the house
was in a frenzy of excitement. May
went demurely about her work. There
was never a more bashful, retiring SER
vant-girl than May. with her timid blue
eyes and abashed The
Mrs. Harris studied the girl, the
she beanie convinced that the suspi-
ions OF her husband were unfounded.
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 I
will ~straighten this thing out"
About nine O'Clock that night. Mr..
Harris fastened a black silk thread
to the frame of the wheel. un-
wound about thirty feet Of it, and
tied the other end to a large
tin pail, which he balanced carefully
on the upper edge OF a picture frame.
He surveyed the trap with great eatis-
faction.
81 have given her enough rope. 30
that she will be halfway down the hall
before the pail falls" exclaimed Mr..
Harris. I'VE will turn down the gas,
pretend to retire. and await Develop
ments."
Mrs. Harris was in a trembfe Of ex-
citement, but remained quiet. The mo-
ments passed away slowly, and John
dropped into a doze. when a crash IN
the adjoining room sounded through