The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-04-29

out unscathed and was ready for an
other trial.
Il was not much njured-no-but
whatever thoughts had had of spend
ing an enjoyable evening were rudely
c!spelled from my mind. No, was not
injured, but l could almost swear that
one of the pedals of that machine had
cut out few square inches of my shin
bone and l imagined l could feel it
dangling about my ankle. l was also
aware OF the fact that there were several
non-repairable punctures in my trous-
ers and that my anatomy was bruised
and sore in more places than l could
enumerate in three-page article.
TO tell the truth | was not at all
anxious to continue the demoralizing
lesson, as | was sure that this expert
ence would be the death of me but |
wouldn't for an instant think of tell
ing my fair companion that | had to
give up.
mo! she should be the first to say it
was time to postpone the practice until
| another day. was in hopes the wheel
was in such condition, after the hard
fall, that it would be impossible to use
It, but outside of few scratches, it
came out of the tumble as did its owner
not in the least damaged.
We'll, we tried the mounting busi-
| ness over again, and this time | was
! prepared for the shock and she did land
| on the saddle most beautifully. After
I hnI ha1 l,o
trollable wheel and told her to get ready
for the start off, she said to me that she
could ride fairly we'll now that she was
on and if l would just take hold under
the back of the saddle and follow her in
that way she thought she could pedal
forward very well. ! did as she told
me and after giving the wheel 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 a dog -trot, then
she increased her speed. And still all
l had to do was to follow her!
"As we were booming merrily onward,
she on the bicycle and | on foot, she
asked me if | didn't think this most
|
was. Then she said she enjoyed it so
much that she would continue on this
same course until she became tired,
when she would dismount, and after a
rest we would return homeward se
"Wcll, l trotted and trotted and trot-
ted after that wheel, and thought she
never would stop. She went and went
/
hinted to her that sometimes became
| fatigued, she would have been going
| yet. But she did finally stop, and in
sheer exhaustion fell to the roadside
and when l mad time to recover my
breath and look about us l found we
were away out in the country, at
least three miles from home. She sat
down at the roadside. little way from
me. Then she talked.
"She dilated upon the beauties OF
the summers evening, the multi-col'
ored foliage of the trees, the irridescent
hung in the western skies, as the rays
of the now obscured sun cast indescrib.
able glittcring tints over them. But
poor me, my body and mind were racked
with pain, and did not appreciate oul
surroundings. After the fall then the
unusual exercise, every muscle anc
nerve in my body seemed to tingle with
electric shocks. l was just about done
up and when l would think of the re-
turn journey my heart would nearly
bound from its natural and best loca
ton. Every breath took seemed to be
drawing huge chunks of solid air into
my lungs, instead of the pure, country
atmosphere which was actually TAX
ing into my system. was tired, sore
and disgusted with everything, ever
with the maiden at my side, whom
now thought one of the ugliest, mos
uninteresting persons it had been my
misfortune to meet. l was thinking
thinking deeply; thinking some thing:
I would not dare think aloud, when
was suddenly brought to my senses by
my fair companion saying: We'll. In
ready So was II had to be, and
at once arose and grabbed up tha
wheel. Of course, before could star
her homeward it was first necessary t.
get her on to the bicycle, ard | trem
bled as thought of the task before me
This time l braced myself against
fence and held onto that wheel lik
grim-visaged death, and when Mis-
Jones boarded it in really artistic style
I was greatly pleased. l started her OF
gently and then took hold of the saddl
again, prepared to trot home back o
the young lady like dog following it
master. I was coDgratulating mysel
upon the little trouble experienced il
getting her started, when the from
wheel of the bicycle began to wobbl
and chug! went the off handle bar int
fence. Luckily, was on the opposit
side of the wheel and pulling terrificall
at the nigh handle bar l got it and it
burden again perpendicular. This tim
. l asked her if she were injured, an
, showing me an aw-ful-ly bruised hanc
she bravely replied. a little, but it's i'm
MATERIAL Why, the skin was scrape
off the whole side of her hand, but sh
bore it like heroine. And right her
5 l wish to say that began to think jus