The Monitor-register., 1897-08-06

uoepiyi tnlnklng some Things L WOulO
not dare think aloud, when l was
suddenly brought to my senses by my
fair companion saying: well, I'm
ready SO was IL had to be, and l al
once arose and grabbed up that wheel
Of course, bef f)re could start her home
ward it was first necessary to get on tc
the bicycle, and l trembled as l thought
of the task before me. This time
braced myself against a fence aud held
on to that wheel like grim visaged death,
and when Miss Jones boarded it in really
artistic style, l was greatly pleased. !
started her off gently and then took hold
of the saddle again, prepared to trot home
back { the young lady like dog follow
ing its master. was congratulating
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 fence
Luckily, Was on the opposite side Ci
the ~heel and pulling terrifisally at the
pigh handle bar got it and it's burden
again perpendicular. This time l asked
her if she was injured, and showing me
an aw-ful-ly bruised hand, she bravely
replied, a little, but it's immaterial. ,
Why, the skin was scraped off the whole
side of her hand, but she bore it like q
heroine. Aud right here I wish to say
that began to think just wee little Bit
more Of Miss Jones than had while We
were sitting at the roadside a way back
Once again she started homeward anG
by the way she pumped and pushed those
pedals know she was mad about that
accident, and as she gained speed, l also
began to realizs that my powers of
endurance would give out ere long, IN
less she reduced her gait. At last had
to give up but l said nothing to her. l
let her guide on homeward, as l 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 iu the
darkness that was growing upon the
face of the earth. l was glad that SHE
bad gone and l leisurely climbed upon
a rail fence at the roadside and sat there
meditating. | was mad clear through
and the more l meditated the angrier
got. But at last it dawned upon me that
it was not the proper thing for me to be
sitting upon wayside fence and leave a
young lady to take her own way home
a fter nightfall. Horror of horrors
suppose she had fallen from her bicycle
and at this very instant was lying in the
road, possibly with broken leg or in.
iured in some other way 80 as to be
unable to move. Suppose team of
spirited horses were approaching and the
driver could not see that postrate form
and ran over it. Ugh! the very though,
made my blood run cold. I jumped from
the fence and started in the direction in
which Miss Jones had gone. l walked
along slowly, but as more horrible pos
sibilities came to my mind l went faster
until at last l was running as fast as
could, but even then | thought l was
going at q suail's pace. Half dozen
times l imagined saw Miss Jones on the
ground ahead of me but always found it
to be but hallucination of my wild and
dsordered brain. did finally reach town
and because had not found Miss Jones
lying on the road in pool of blood l was
sure that she had been soiritei away or
kidnapped.
l rushed to the home of her parents.
Her brother John was sitting on the
porch smoking horrible rank stogy and
when excitedly asked him W here his
sister was he looked at me as though he
considered me lunatio. implored him
to tell me, for the love he bore his sister.
He looked at me again, then slowly
turned his eyes toward the side of The
house. My eyes followed his, and there
Miss Jones stood, cool and collected with
heavenly smile on her face, and how
beautiful she looked. But fell to the
ground in dead faint and when next
realized anything was in my own room
at home, with my dear mother at my
bedside. looked at her questioningly
and then said: Mother, how many
weeks have l been ill?' She looked
frightened, then answered: Why, my
dear son, you've been here but few
hours. John Jones aud his father
brought you here. They said you tainted
at their house. Tell me what the trouble
is After getting over my astonishment
l told her about my awful experience o.
the evening. She laughed at me and
comforted me. But say, tell you I got
even with that John Jones for palming
his sister off on me that night. Yor
want to know how | did it? Well,
Just took her from him. from his mothe r.
from his father-I married her, that's
what l did"