The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-07
A BICYCLE ROMANCE.

1t was a wretched looking old bike,
and for antiquity would have taken
first prize anywhere My disappoint-
ment was intense, and tears of mortiti-
cation sprang to my eyes, but forced
them back as noticed the look of anx-
iety on the face Of the old man beside
me, who inquired, with some emotion:
"Have you got cold, Kathie? Your
eyes are wet eyes Uncle Thomas, :"
l replied, land summer colds are so
hard to get rid of. But never mind my
cold. Thank you SO much for buying
me the bicycle"
We'll dearie, he replied, tits not
quite a new one, but thought it would
do for you to learn on. Oh, how did
wish he would 60 away and let me have
a good cry, but as he hung about had
to mount and take few turns round
the garden, much to his delight, and
he rubbed his hands, exclaiming:
well done, little girl. You'll be there
before any of them, you bet" At last
he went indoors, and hiding myself in
the summer house 1 wept copiously
What should do? Get my prayer book
and keep on repeating the collect for
rain? Stay in bed the next day and pre-
tend my cold was worse? No, neither of
these resources would do, and even if it
rained all night, which was not in the
least likely, would have to put in an
appearance on the morrow.
We'll, there was one spice of comfort
left-the roads were inches deep with
fine, white dust. Iwould start early and
cle's gift, and then, perhaps, some of
its many deficiencies might be hid, and
then, being naturally light hearted, l
dried my tears and went in to prepare
tea, that being a duty did not allow
our little maid to interfere with. My
mother and had lived alone for many
years, my father, who had died when
was years old, being only memory
to me. He had been captain and owner
of a merchantmen, but had only been
able to leave very moderate independ-
ency for my mother, so we two had al
ways lived very quietly, and it was
quite an event in our lives when a let
ter cams from Frisco telling that my
mother only relative was coming home
after an absence of 40 years / had new
er seen my quiet mother so excited over
anything. He was her mothers only
brother, and she had only very dim
recollection of his going away.
Il am afraid, Kathie," she said,
that uncle is only poor man, for al
though he has correspondent with me at
long intervals he has never mentioned
his affairs. Still l am pleased to think
he is coming" Well, Uncle Thomas
followed closely on the letter, and, true
enough, his affairs did not seem to have
flourished, for his clothes were quite
threadbare and his luggage Of the scan
test Like most girls of the present |
day, my great ambition was to own a |
bicycle, but unfortunately the buying |
of one was quite out of the question, al |
though l could ride well enough, my
companion, Florrie Floyd, the Doctors |
only daughter, having let me learn on
hers
So, after once more discussing the
matter over with mother, l had to re-
luctantly give up all idea of joining the
picnic, and had so longed to go for one
thing. twas the first time Sir Walters
demesne had ever been accessible, and
that itself made me more anxious to see
the beautiful grounds that had always
been SO jealousy guarded from intru-
sion Sir Walter had died six months
before, and the heir that he had never
seen had given permission for this spe-
clal party to hold their meet in his
demesne' and, by the way, he had not
seen the place himself, but was expect
ed to arrive at an early date. Perhaps T.
ought to have said that his agent had