The age-herald., 1897-11-13
WORSE THAN A CENTURY RUN.
Wild Ride A-WheeI Under Very Peculiar circum-
 stances. a

From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat z
 For several days West Finders have been trying ito solve the mystery Of a bicycle ride which occurred one night last week, and that portion of the town has been filled with strange stories of the affair. Almost every theory except the correct one has been advanced as a solution of the matter, and these theo- ries have been that 1t was an elopement, a swift ride for a doctor, a go-as-you- please race and a chase after a female bicycle thief. This latter comes very near hitting the mark.
 Wheels are so common in the West End that they are used on nearly every occasion, and therefore tt was not strange that when a certain young man and his intended decided to call on mutual friend they should ride on their wheels. He rode over to her house, and then the two rode out to their friends house, which is near Forest Park. There they rested their wheels against the porch, where two others stood, and went in.
 In the same block lives a comedy little miss whose bicycle suit consists of 9 derby hat and bloomers and some other things. She had been over to see her 6il Nhulil, diltB IL 1idPpClICu, bota fiCA wheeling clothes. As she passed the house where the young people were call ing she saw the wheels leaning against the porch, and believing that the dia- mond frame belonged to a 16ryear-oid young man who lived there, she decided to surprise him by taking a ride on his wheel.
 He will think some one has stolen it." she said to arerself, as she led the wheel over the lawn and mounted it.
 The young man and his sweetheart had been talking in the parlor and he, know ing they had girlish confidences to eK- cha nge, said he would go to the library, 1 where he could smoke. As he crossed | the hall he looked out just in time to see some one wheeling his bicycle across the lawn. For a moment TrS A Aesi itatsd. ! I ilesl he saw this person mount ana 19Qe aNEdg. Hastily picking up a hat, he jamriiea Fl down on his head. and rushed out=of the house. Seizing the first wheel he saw. which was ilis sweetheart's he jumped on the drop-frame machine and pedaled away.
 His girl, however, had heard the wheels rattle outside and she looked out of the window just in time to see a strange man-she didn't recognize him in a siouch hat-jumping on her wheel. She is a girl of determination. She did not hesitate to call to her husband-that- is-to-be She ran out of doors, seized what she supposed was his wheel, and started in pursuit.. The wheel really belonged however. to the 16-year-old brother of the girl on whom she was calling and he hearing the door slam, went to the window just in time to see a woman in long skirts mounting his wheel. He came down the stairs, three steps at time, and in another minute was in pursuit of "a female bicycle thief"
 By this time the girl in bloomers had found she was being pursued. She looked back and caught the gleam of her pursuers watch chain as he passed an el- ctric light and thinlsi E it was a badge and he an officer who had seen her take the wheel she redoubled her efforts. The man behind was at a disadvantage on drop frame. but he pushed bravely on. Once he looked back and saw some one riding as fast as he, block behird, but he thought nothing of it. And his girl, behind was pushing the pedals hard, regardless of the lingerie and hose which ths diamond frame exposed, and deter mined to catch the man who stole her wheel, while equally set on capturing the female bicycle thief the boy bs- hind rode as if in a race.
 BraYely the girl in bloomers kept on, although she was painting and her hair flying to the wind Twice she turned and tried to lose her pursuer. but he clung on, but did not gain, as the differ ence in wheels made the race nearly even between all four of the people. The bloomer-girl's object was to circle around so as to reach the starting puint, where she knew she could explain mat ters. So she turned west on Lindell boulevard and south on Taylor, and after a hard half hours ride brought up at the starting point. She had barely reached there than her pursuer arrived. and close behind him the two others. Painting and breathless. each tried to explain but after a few words, every one began to laugh. And the young man had to take the whole party over to buy ice cream soda fin an effort to hush the matter up. But it Is still to be de- cided whom the laugh is on.