The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-06
Bicycles don't shy-neither do

"a1oo.AS I'oSAtiou on the hearthrug.
"One thing is, you'll soon be tired
OF it," he observed. lyon ne.er
keep a thing up for long"
You made that remark last
spring" was the answer, given with
remarkable heat, land you were
wrong, you see."
Lots Of women have got tired of
1t, though" said Mr.. Butler shifting
bis ground lisingenuously. Every
one says it was q craze, and it's go.
ing out. And I'm not SO sure" he
added vindictiyely, that you are as
Keen about it is you wero. There
wasn't half go much fuss over the
confounded thing on the journey
down as we had last time"
Mrs. Butler rose impetuously.
She appeared to have lost her tenn,
per.
II love it more than ever," she
cried, land l always shall" with
which incoherent observation she
withdrew.
The breakfast room was empty
when Mr.. Butler strolled down at
about half past 10 on tie following
morning. This did not surprise
him, but the message delivered to
him by the servant did.
Mrs. Butler told me to say, if
you please, sir" said the man, "that
she has ridden over to Fernhill on
her bicycle. and will lunch there"
what time will she be back?'
demanded her husband.
about 6 O'Clock, sir" was the
answer.
Mr.. Butler unfolded his newspaper
and ground his teeth.
1.-THE whole dayl" he calculated
to himself. well, I must say
However, she'll be tired. Forty
miles there and back, and then
she'll go to sleep all the evening.
Well, hanged if I carei Wonder at
what time she started, and how far
she's got"
AS a matter of fact, though Mrs.
Butler had started some time since.
she had not made any remarkable
progress. 1t was a delightful spring.
like day, but Che state Of the roads
was not all that could be desired.
At this identical moment she was
walking along a particularly un-
pleasant combination of ruts and
mud, wheeling her bicycle.
Mrs. Butler. had her detractore, az
have all successful people, and there
was those who said she rode a bicy-
Gle because she looked so well in
the dress. Her short, tailor made
frock and neat hat certainly suited
her to perfection this morning, and
her little feet, in the daintiest imag.
inable shoes, e a delight to be.
hold. But Mrs. Butler did not ap.
pear to be thinking of her appear.
ance just then-she was obviously
taking no pleasure in it. Her pi.
quaint face was rosy with air and ex.
ercise, but it was distinctly overcast
in expression, and her every move.
ment, as she wheeled her machine
with incredible ~eareiessness over
the ruts, was expressive of boredom
and disgust. The bad bit Of road
passed. she stood for ap instant con-
templating her bicycle with an in.
describable expression.
ST shall never DO able to give the
ains up sine said to herself de-
spairingly. "Neveri If / did, he'd
think / wanted Oh, what a bore
it isl"
She mounted as she spoke with q
despairing sigh. Perhaps she was
careless, perhaps the wheel slipped.
At any rate the next thing of
s'h:c.: chs -ss aware vas a general
upheaval Of the universe, which left
her lying in the road with q broken
bicycle beside her and every bone
in her body, asi it seemed, dislocated.
"Oh. what a fool I've beeni' che
walled despairingly, and then she
tainted,
It was not a lonely road fortu-
nately. and she was soon found and
taken home. The doctor was sent
for and enjoined by Mr. Butler on
his departure to come again in the
evening, and on coming down stairs
after his second visit he found MIR.
Butler hanging about in the hall.
E!.s aata;ttnr tiia not wa!. &c Be cues
toned.
A"Going on splendidly," he said
cheerily. "Eeverish tonight, of
course. But with a broken arm and
q very nasty epra;ned ankle that's
only to be expected"
For u man whose sentiments to-
ward his wife are of an eminently
philosophical nature Mr. Butler
was looking extraordinarily pale
and wretched. He drew q quick
sigh Of satisfaction; then he said,
with an mir Of stern superiority
which i'll disguised an undertone Of
%ferocious vindictiveness:
ttvVrarnhod fhiroc fhoca b;ox.o1o-