Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-04


house 70 deposit the bicycle. Then !
gave cry. The losk on the door had
been forced, evidently had been de-
coyed for purposes Of theft Ny racer.
my splendid Gravelotte, had been
stolen! ] was wrong. The machine
stood Just where had left II!
My housekeepr was unable to throw
any light upon the circumstances OF
the forced lock, and was eventually
obliged to retire to rest more mystiticd
than ever. Physically worn out, both
physically and mentally, fell at once
into q deep, dreamless slumber, rom
which l did not awaken until after
O'Clock next morning. Immediately
determined not to perplex myself
about the previous evenings ndveu-
ture until the great race had been won
or lost. This. suppose, was a wise
decision, for when the afternoon ar
rived, I felt fresh and At, and not only
came on victor. but actually succeeded
in breaking the amateur record for the
distance.
My performance caused tremendous
enthusiasm, and on my way to the
dressing-room at the conclusion OF the
race I had to receive the congratula-
tions of quite throng of friends. I.
was at this moment that a man In the
crowd seized the head Of my machine,
from which, of course. had dis
mounted, and, striking 1t with heavy
stick, promptly disappeared. The eff
feet of the blow was to remove tho
name-plate containing the words
"Cravelotte No. L." and I stopped 10
pick it up from the ground. Then, to
my establishment, saw that 1t had
only been loosely fastened on, and that
let into the enamel on the very spot
on which it had hung was the inscrip-
ton, Special New Hellespont." Had
/, after all? Yes, the two makes
were almost precisely alike, but now
noticed several small points Of differ
ence between the wheel had just rid
den and the one I had examined the
other day. The former, with its false
had evidently been sub
stituted for the latter during my alb
sence last highland, felt sure of 1t,
by none other than the oppressor Of
the charming widow in whose COM
pany l had started for that brief but
eventful ride to Nepton.
My surmise was correct. On reach
ing home / was handed a note which
had been delivered by hand during The
afternoon. 1t ran as follows:
$50, in spite of everything, DR..
Dingle has done excellent service on
behalf of the machine he spurned, bet
ter than might reasonably have been
expected. His double feat shall be
duly chronicled In large type in every
important newspaper in the country
when, on Tuesday next, the pros
pectus of the Special New Hellespont
Company. Limited" is published for
Would DR.. Dingle like some preference
shares? He treated Messrs Gearup & |
Co. s head partner, the future manag- |
ng director of the new company, very |
badly few years since, and would |
ike to have done so again. James
Selhurst, however, forgives him in |
both these matters, and for the at |
Clupt NC iudue ldSL hight u run away
with his, J. SIS, wife. But If this at
empt were generally known it would |
hardly enhance DR.. Dingle's profess
;ional prospects, would it? Let DR.. |
D. think over this, and probably he |
will hesitate before making the COM
he contemplated TO the
National Cyclists Union. Other
wise"
That was all; the document was |
pyewritten and bore no signature. |
There could be no doubt, however, as
o the identity of the sender. Sell
lurst's audacity simply staggered me.
tut not more so than the wonderful |
lcting of his wife. OF course, could |
ay nothing about the affair: the IN
,enious couple were In a position 10 |
wear away my character effectively, |
md who would believe the extraordi-
larry story I should have to tell in my
lefence London Tit-Bits.