The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-05-22


way she thought she could pedal forward
very well. did as she told me and after
giving the wheel Il slight push she moved
off Yes, she went it alone all right All
had to do was to follow her. At first she
went slowly, at what you would call dog
trot then she increased her speed. And
still all had to do was to follow her.
CAS- we were booming merrily onward,
she on the bicycle and on foot, she asked
me if didn't think this most exhilerating
sport OF course, | said it was. Then she
said she enjoyed it so much that she would
continue on this course until she became
tired, when she would dismount and after
Il rest we would return homeward
well, I trotted and trotted and trotted
after that wheel, and | thought she never
would stop. She went and went and went
and | believe if | had not limited to her
that | sometimes became fatgued, she
would have been going yet. But she did
finally stop and in sheer exhaustion fell
to the roadside and when | had time to
recover my breath and look about us |
found we were away out in the country, at
least three miles from home. She sat down
at the roadside, a little way from me.
Then she talked.
''She dilated upon the beauties OF the sum
mer's evening, the multi-colored foliage of
Of the trees, the irridescent clouds, which
looked like rare jewels hung in the western
cast Undesirable glittering tnts over
them. But poor me, my body and mind
were racked with pain, and | did not
appreciate our surroundings. After the
fall then the unusual exercises, every mus
Gle and nerve in my body seemed to tingle
with electric shocks. | was Just about
done up and when | would think of the re-
turn journey my heart would nearly bound
from its natural and best location. Every
breath | took seemed to be drawing huge
chunks of solid air into my lungs, instead
of the pure, country atmosphere which |
was actually taking into my system, |
was tired, sore and disguised with every
thing, even with the maiden at my side,
whom | now thought one Of the ugliest,
most uninteresting persons that had been
my misfortune to meet. | was thinking,
thinking deeply; thinking some things |
would not dare think aloud when | was
suddenly brought to my senses by my fair
companion saying: We'll, I'm ready
SO was II had to be, and at once arose,
and grabbed up that wheel. OF course, be-
fore could start her on to the bicycle, and
| trembled as braced myself against Il
| fence and held onto that wheel like grim
visaged death, and when Miss Jones
boarded it in really artistic style, | was
greatly pleased. | started her off gently
and then took hold of the saddle again,
prepared to trot home back of the young
lady like a dog following its master.
was congratulatng myself upon the little
trouble experienced in getting her started
when the front wheel OF the bicycle began
to wobble and chug. went the off handle
bar into a fence. Luckily, | was on the
opposite side of the wheel and pulling
territically at the nigh handle bar | got it
and its burden again perpendicular. This
time | asked her if she were injured, and
showing me an awfully bruised hand, she
bravely replied, "a little, but its imma-
terial. Why, the skin was scraped of the
whole side of her hand, but she bore it like
heroine. And right here | wish to say
that began to think just wee little bit
more of Miss Jones than | had while We
were sitting at the roadside way back.
''Once again she started homeward and by
the way she pumped and pushed those
pedals | know she was mad about that
accident, and as she gained speed, also be-
gan to realize that my powers of endurance
would give out ere long, unless she re-
duced her gait. At last had to give up
but said nothing to her, let her guide
on homeward, as | thought she would soon
notice my absence and then would either
dismount Or fall off, | cared not which.
But she went on and gradually lost sight
of her in the darkness that was growing
upon the face of the earth. | was glad she
had gone and l leisureiy climbed upon
rail fence at the roadside and sat there
meditating. was mad clear through and
the more | meditated the angrier | got.