The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23


Now. this is the secret desire of all lone
men who go down into the country on
wheels. The proffered help, the charming
talk, the idyllic incident. Who knows what
delightful Developments? SO that nat a, great
a little way behind her, advanced grace
fully. proffered the repair outfit in his wal
let. He had never attempted to repair a
ability. The young lady was inclined to be
distant at first (which was perfectly correct
of herr, but. seeing that ii was four miles
to Crawley. and Mr. Champion mere boy,
and evidently of superior class she pres
emily accepted his services. So, coming to
convenient grassy place at the cross road,
Mr. Champion turned the machine over on
its saddle and handles, severity bruising his
knee as he did So and went quietly and
methodically TO work. it being then about 3
O'Clock in the afternoon and the sun very
bright and warm.
He talked to her easily. Where had she
punctured? She did not quite know-she
had only just noticed that the tire was
all fabby." a very unpleasant discov-
cry" said Mr. Champion. I'VE must see
just precisely what is the matter"
Its very kind Of YOU" she said. Are
you sure you can spare the time
I'm merely running down to Brighton,
he said. Il couldn't think Of leaving you
in this predicament."
Mr. Champion had of course, no mechan-
les knowledge of bicycles, but he knew the
things very simple. He knew he had
to remove the tire. and it did not take him
long to discover that in order to remove
How to get the wheel off was a little puz-
Zing at first-it was evident the chain
would have to come away That involved
operations with a dress guard and gear
case. IT'S an inductiVe process" said Mr..
Champion, lightly-concealing a faint qualm
of doubt, and setting to work on the gear
"They're frightfully complicated things"
she said
rather stupidity" said Mr.. Champion.
Il shouldn't dare take the thing to pieces
as you are doing
It's very simple, really"
Il think men are always so much clev-
erer than girls at this sort of thing"
Mr. Champion did not answer for a sec
ond. you've blackened your fingers, she
said
1t was very nice and friendly of her but
a little distTacting. She kept stepping about
on the growing circle of nuts. chain, screw
hammer, washers, and so forth, about Mr..
Champion, and made many bright intelli-
gent little remarks that required answer
ing. And she really was pretty. Mr..
Champion still continued to enjoy the in
cident, in spite of his blackened hands and
the heat of the day and the quite remark
able softness of the nuts on her machine.
IF we are better at machine mending and
that sort of thing" he said, you have your
consolati tons"
II don't think So
THE emotions" said Mr.. Champion.
but men have emotions"
''Al girls have bicycles said Mr. Cramp
ton, with the air of a neat thing, mislaying
the pin of his cham, and proceeding to pull
out the wheel
The removal of the tire was the turning
point of the affair. 1t simply would not
come off the RIM "These detachable" said
Mr. Champion. He had to ask her to pull,
and the struggle was violent for a moment.
and a spoke got bent Then he pinched
her finger severely. He knew the operation
depended upon knack, he pretended to be
doing something else when a man cyclist
went by. Three little children came by,
and seemed profoundly interested until Mr..
Champion stopped and stared steadily at
hogan pdCinQ behind
other, and so they receded. And a tramp
offered ingenious but impracticable sugges-
tons, until Mr.; Champion gave him SIX
pense to take them away. Then came the
tandem he had seen in the morning, going
Londonward and the old gentleman insisted
on knowing what was the matter Beastly
tire" said the young lady-a little needless
ly Champion thought.
in abominable taste. 1t was simple-in his
hands In a minute the tire lay detached;
Il can manage now, thanks" said Mr..
Champion, rather stiffiy.
quite sure?' said the old gentleman.
Quite said Mr. Champion, with quiet
stare. and the old gentleman mounted his
machine. For of course Mr.. Champion
trusted to the directions on his repair out
fit, as any one would.
Thank you very much indeed" said the
NO trouble at ALI" said the old gentle
man, and off he rode.
The next misunderstanding was entirely
due to the silly, vague way in which the di-
rections on the box were given. Really you
had to stick the round patch thing on TO
the puncture, but Mr.. Champion read rath-
er carelessly, and first of all cut out cir
cular place in the airchamber, ana seeing
it was not quite round, he cut 1t little
larger, and so on, until it was little too
big for the patch thing. The young lady
had been silent for the last ten minutes
or so. watching Mr.. Champions face, but
that is the right thing to .do?''
'It says so on the box" said Mr.. Cramp-
NIT !, nDl lX
don't see how we are to manage it quite"
do you know" said the young lady,
IT wanted to be in Crawley by T."
1t was a little rude of her, but Mr.. Cramp-
ton looked at his watch-it was five min
utes past t. Dear me!'' he said, agreea-
bly,; the time has flown" And suddenly
he remembered he was tWenty-slX miles
from Brighton
II think. do you know" said the young
lady; IF you don't mind | will wheel my
job mending it. And really, in Crawley
These local fellows aren't always quite
not to- have got it right just at once,
but"
DO you know" said Mr.. Champion, "even
now" For the thing really interested
him. His idea was to try a piece of paper
smeared with solution; but it did not work,
and at quarter past he began putting the
machine together, with nothing but a neat
tire to show for his wasted hour. His in
terest was fading. ard the girls manner
was not so nice as it had been. And, cu-
riously enough, the wheel would not go on
Guilty about the chain. One or two
of the little nut things may have lost
themselves in the glass. and trivial
though they were-this complicated the bus
mess. Mr.. Champion was becoming pain
fully aware that his hands were black and
his cuffs crumpled He suddenly felt tired
and disguised at the whole absurd incident
and seeing the growing Impotence of the
girl, he hurried the rebuilding discreetly.
using his wrench as a hammer when nee
essary. The eyes of passersby seemed
ironical.
Bicycles are odd things He made it
look all right-eXcept the gear case, which
he had trodden on, but when he stood
it up, right way up, the chain tapped about
on the gear case and the wheel would not
go round.
He tried what little force would do,
but it only produced curious clanking
noises
1t was a most disappointing incident, and
although the girl was indisputably pretty,
curiouSly devoid of any real romantic
quality, 1T doesn't seem right, quite yet"
she said.
I'm afraid not" said Mr. Champion,
rather red in the face, holding the machine
by the saddle and handle and looking at it
in speculative way 1t was really rather
a difficult situation, and he was trying to
think what TO do next. 1t came of being
a gentleman, of course, and chivalrous.
Bounders would have ridden by in the first
place. without attempting to help. He
wanted very badly to swear. and it was
very clear indeed in his mind that he ought
to be riding on.
His self-control was admirable. I'm
afraid it's no co. he said looking up and
smiling.
She was looking quite straightly at him.
There was no appearance of anger in her
manner but she remarked quietly: Il don't
think OlRDt touched