Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-11-04

81 dAIeF ueT. MECHANICALLY, j tufACu
again to look Tor the puncture, and
found that it consisted of slit about
a foot long. 1t had evidently been de-
liberately made with knife. I had
been tricked, fooled, duped!
But was the woman who had thus
treated me mad or sane? That was
the question asked myself when had
grown somewhat calmer. In the for
mer case my predicament would in
deed be terrible; in the latter, must
have been victimized for some reason
| was altogether unable to guess.
In this uncertainty / trudged beside
the disabled bicycle YEARLY back to
Beaverton, and made my way to Sell
bursts cottage. 1t was in complete
darkness, and, though knocked sew
eral times, obtained no answer. At
last, however, lady from the next
house came forward, and told me that
the gentleman was in search Of had
been unexpectedly summoned to town,
and should not be back I thanked
my informant and proceeded home
ward. Should I now unravel the mys
terry, wondered? Reaching my
house, went first of all to the out
house to deposit the bicycle. Then I
gave cry. The lock on the door had
been forced; evidently I had been de-
coyed for purposes of theft. My racer,
my splendid Gravelotte, had been
stolen! / was wrong. The machine
stood just where had left it!
My housekeepr was unable to throw
any light upon the circumstances OF
the forced lock, and L was eventually
obliged to retire to rest more mystif1cd
than ever. Physically worn out, both
physically and mentally, fell at once
into a deep, dreamless slumber, from
which I did not awaken until after 8
o'clock next morning. I Immediately
determined not to perplex myself
about the previous evenings adyen-
ture until the great race had been won
or lost. This, suppose, was a wise
decision, for when the afternoon ar
rived, felt fresh and fit, and not only
came off victor, but actually succeeded
in breaking the amateur record for the
distance.
My performance caused tremendous
enthusiasm, and on my way to the
dressing-room at the conclusion of the
race I had to receive the congratula-
tions of quite throng of friends l.
was at this moment that a man in the
crowd seized the head of my machine,
from which, of course, I had dis
mounted, and, striking it with a heavy
stick, promptly disappeared. The eff
feet of the blow was to remove the
name-plate containing the words
''Gravelotte No. l." and I stopped TO
pick it up from the ground. Then, to
my establishment, I saw that it had
only been loosely fastened on, and that
let into the enamel on the very spot
on which it had hung was the inscrip-
ton, Especial New Hellespont." Had
I, after all? Yes, the two makes
were almost precisely alike, but now
I noticed several small points Of differ
ence between the wheel had just rid
den and the one / had examined the
other day. The former, with it's false
name-plate, had evidently been sub
stituted for the latter during my alb
sence last highland, felt sure Of it,
by none other than the oppressor OF
the charming widow in whose COM
pany I had started for that brief but
eventful ride to Nepton.
My surmise was correct. On reach
ing home was handed note which
had been delivered by hand during The
afternoon. 1t ran as follows:
$50, in spite of everything, DR..
Dingle has done excellent service on
behalf of the machine he spurned, bet
ter than might reasonably have been
expected His double feat shall be
duly chronicled in large type in every
important newspaper in the country
when, on Tuesday next, the pros
pectus of the Special New Hellespont
Company, Limited" is published for
the benefit of the financial world.
Would Dr. Dingle like some preference
shares? He treated Messrs. Gearup 4
Co.'S head partner, the future manag-
ing director of the new company, very
badly few years since, and would
like to have done so again. James
Selhurst, however, forgives him in
both these matters, and for the at
tempt he made last night to run away
with his, J. SIS, wife. But If this at
tempt were generally known it would
hardly enhance DR.. Dingle's profess
sional prospects, would it? Let DIR.
d. think over this, and probably he
will hesitate before making the conf
munication he contemplated to the
National Cyclists Union. Other
wise"
That was all; the document was
typewriter and bore no signature.
There could be no doubt, however, as
to the identity of the sender. Sell
bursts audacity simply staggered me,
but not more so than the wonderful
acting Of his wife. OF course, could
say nothing about the affair; the m
genious couple we're in position TO