The Monitor-register., 1897-08-06
A WHEEL STORY.


'No, this is not the story of her first
attempt to ride, but is my story of an
attempt to teach her to ride.
She was sweet sister, was this
maiden, yeet sister to John Jones,
when she came to me one evening just as
| old Sol was hiding his fire red visage
back of the trees in the far west, and
asked me in an enhancing. apologetic
way if | wouldn't assist her in her
bicycle practice, as brother John has a
pressing engagement. and can't be with
/ me, and, anyway, be says you know
more about bicycling than he does.
Jay, just then l could have Rugged
John Jones and bis sister, too, for that
matter, but John was not there, and as
for his sister-well l did not dare.
Miss Jones had been the poss, ssor of
bicycle about three days, and as we
wended our way side by side to her home
to get the steed OF steel she ibf ,rmed me
that she was doing just lovely And
she also ventured the remark that she
actually believed she could tide alone !,
only she got 80 terribly frightened.
When we arrived at Miss Jones' home
she excused herself for few minutes,
saying she wished to don an appropriate
costume and when she emerged from the
house little later, clad in neat fitting
garb of the bloomer type and leading a
diamond frame machine, why it simply
took my breath away. Oa, but she
looked ohipper, chic and debonair, and
| my heart was at once smitten with her,
though | always bad peculiar sympa-
thetic feeling for her. She certainly was
the most beautiful and sweet morsel of
femininity it had been my pleasure to
gaz3 upon. There was no doubt about
| this, this lesson would ba extremely in
teresting. There would be no skirts en-
| tangled in the wheels and chain and to
bother her in her awkward manipula
tions of the same, and the time spent in
teaching her to properly manage the
steed would surely be just SO long time
ofSunalloyed pleasure.
Miss Jones and | walked to street
seldom travelled after sundown and the
walk over the intervening thoroughfares
was an exceedingly short one. We ar.
rived at our destination. The first thing
was to show her how to mount and this
was a sumner. had assisted many
young ladies in their efforts to master
the bicycle but all of them rode drop
frame machines and they all wore skirts
This case was far DIFF ,rent How ever, |
got on and off the wheel, using the step,
'man-fashion,' and explained to her in
detail every succeeding movement. Then
Miss Jones tried it. First / firmly
grasped the handle bar with one hand
holding the frame in frame in front of
the saddle with the other. Miss Jones
reached over my aim, took hold Of the
grips and put her right foot on the step,
made lunge for tue saddle-and ker
flop, we both landed on the hard road,
was underneath, the wheel made up the
second layer of the pile, while Miss
Jones sat, not too gently, on top Of the
whole. thought one of the handle bars
had punctured my side and that was
swallowing Heterogeneous mass of
bicycle spokes, good solid clay and rub
ber tires. Miss Jones did not get off the
heap at all, but sat there half sobbing,
hall laughing, and said she hoped l was
not injured, that she was SO sorry, etc.
With an almost herculean effort l rolled
from my position under the wheel aud it's
fair, but heavy burd$a, and after pulling
myself together, gave Miss Jones my
hand and helped here to her feet. in
quired if she was hurt. but she rejoic-
ingly informed ne that she came out
unscathed and was ready for another
trial.
l was not much rjured-no-but
whatever thoughts had had of spending
an enjoyable evening we've rudely dis
PEELED from my mind. No, was not in
of the pedals of that machine had cut out
few square inches of my shin bone and
imagined l co uld feel it dangling about
my ankle. | was also aware of the fact
that there were several non -repairable
punctures 10 my trousers aud that
my anatomy was bruised and sore in
nlaaas than I annlA IN in
three page article.
To tell the truth | was not at all
anxious to continue the den.oraIizing
lesson, as | was sure that this expert
ence would be the death of me, but
wouldn't for an instant think of telling
my fair companion that had to give up.
No ! she should be the first to say it
was time to postpone the practice uutil
another day. I was in hopes the wheel
was in such a condition after the hard
fall, that it would be Impossible to use
came out of the tumble as did it's owner
not in the least damaged.
Well we tried the mounting business
over again, and this time | was prepared
for the shock aud she did land on the
saddle most beautifully. After I had
balanced the seemingly uncomfortable
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 would just take hold under th 10 back
of the saddle and follow her in that way
she thought she could pedal forward
very we'll. l 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 dog trot, then she increased
her speed. And still all 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 ex-
hilerating sport. OF course, l said it
was. Then she said she enjoyed it SO
mn ch that she would continue on this
| same course until she became tired, when
she would dismount, and after a rest we
| would return homeward.
Well, trotted and trotted and trotted
afser that wheel, and l thought she never
would stop. She went and went and
went, and believe if had not hinted to
to her that she would become fatigued
she would have be,n going yet. But she
| did finally stop. and in sheer exhaustion