Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-01

Beetle mount the machine. They held
ner on, laughing at her attempts to
maintain an equilibrium. Her own
lack OF dexerity and put her in bad
numor, and the chatting was more than
sne could stand. Go away" she said
sullenly, III ride it alone"
With elaborate but sarcastic polite-
ness her friends took her at her word
ana withdrew to a safe distance Ieav.
ing her supported by a covenient chin
ney. Inc wheel started, lurched to one
sac, half doubled up, and the next mo-
inent there was tangled heap of steel.
iron and girl lying at the base of an
otner chimney The girl part of the
coniolnatlon sprang up and declared
cue wasn't hurt Bit But when If
calhe 10 the other part an anxious in
specuon was followed by looks of CON
sternatlon. One handle bar and a ne
I'd! Dent and twisted. Two or three
chlidren who had been watching the
sport were scared by threats of chas-
usement into promising never to tell
ana the girls decided to put the wheel
oack In the McNeeleys' apartments
ana trust to luck for the future
) When Spicer returned from work
that evening his mother, without a
woru, lea him to the damaged wheel
ana pointed at 1t. 1t is presumed that
opicer did the subject justice, but no
one KNOWS exactly what he said. 1t was
soon known that the wheel was dam
aged and that he was seeking for the
culprit.
He was looking so fierce when he met
little Maggie Boran coming in with a
can under her arm that she burst into
tears and involuntarily cried out: ct
wasn't me, Spicer. / didn't touch it."
Who was it?" he asked.
"Beezie Mcguire and the big girls I'D
on the roof, and" Here the sobs in
terrupted the child.
opicer stood on the stems dazed
beezle, the girl who despite their CHAR.
rel could have had his wheel or anv
thlng else he owned, to take it from his
room and break it. He could not he
lleve It, Then he decided to % and
ask her. She answered his rho ~
the door. and they faced each other, h 1s
panied and indignant, she nervous but
defiant.
why did you break my wheel?" he
asked abruptly.
How do you know l did," was the
answer
Well it don't matter how I know,
but you did, and I want to say that
I've a good mind to have you arrest
cd
Go ahead then" this with a shake
or The head. Il guess, Mr.. Spicer Nc
Neeley, MY father can pay all the dam
age | did or buy you couple Of
wheels"
at amt that" broke in Spicer,
earnestly. "and you know it, too. Bee
zie, but it seems to me that when a
girl shakes a fellow what likes her she
ought to let him alone I never done
anything to you. When you shook me
l didn't complain. You could have
had the wheel if you'd asked me- But
you wouldn't ask, and you wouldn't let
me talk to you. That's what gets me.
You never gave me the chance to offer
it to you, and yet you go over and take
it, He paused to take breath.
The defnant look Oh the girls face
had vanished. She stood nervously
twisting her handkerchief in her fing-
ers, lifting her eyes now and then from
the carpet to look at him. He, absorb
ed in his own grief, did not see how
hard she was fighting to hold back her
tears. He was continuing to upbraid
her. when a choking sob stopped him.
He broke out in an instant in astonish-
ment.a Before him stood the girl, her
lips trembling and her eyes suffused
"I-I-" she began. when he sprang
forward. "Ah. don't do that" he ex-
claimed. ''Fd sooner lose ten wheels.
And then-well, Mrs. McNeeley has
confided to Mrs. Lenahan and Mrs. 30
, ran IN confidence that Spicer and Bee
zie are to be married in October.