The Holly chieftain., 1898-10-07
A RIDE FOR LOVE
By GEORGIA GUSTS
IN WAS . cool, clear day in late Au.

WAS y COOL, clear uay IN late Au-
gust. The season at the Heartwood
Lake hotel was ut its height, and the
landlord smiled complacently as he is
Ened orders for extra beds to be pre-
pared in billiard-rooms and out-build-
ings, while clerks and hall boys were
Kept busy replying to the continuous
whirring of electric bells. 1t was mid
afternoon, an hour when most of the
guests of the hotel had retired
to their rooms for the siesta
which had become u habit dur
ing the warm days of the earlier
summer.
The interest of the few loungers on
the broad piazza was centered for mo-
ment on group of bicyclers. a score
or more of whom were gathered in
front of the hotel, ready for ride Of
20 miles to famous resort where they
were to dine, returning by moonlight.
1t was an animated scene, and young
man who was in the act of descending
the stairs to join the party, paused
moment at the door, looking down on
the group of men in golf stockings and
knickerbockers, and girls in short
skirts or flaring bloomers. His eye
rested longest on one of the girls who
was standing somewhat apart from the
others, talking in low voice to tall,
blond man whose eyes were fastened
eagerly upon her face.
She was simply attired in well-ftting
gray cloth with a jaunty cap crushed
down upon the rebellious dark curls
of her small head. Henry Sutton,
watching her unobserved, thought he
had never seen her look more charm
ing, and he sighed and frowned as he
turned away and mingled with the
group at the foot of the piazza steps.
by Jove!" he exclaimed, mentally,
~I believe she is beginning really to
care for that fellow; he is not fit to
breathe the same air with girl like
Rose Miner, yet what can l do? Ihaye
said all ! dared, and what has been
/ ! the result? Only to make her look
| upon him as an abused and much-to-be-
pitied mortal, while I-bnh! If i didn't
happen to worship the ground she
treads on, it might be easier to be mis-
understood" and Sutton put an ienor-
nous energy into the pumping Of the
debated tire of a wheel belonging to "a
plain, shy girl who was starting with
some trepidation on her first long ride.
Sutton felt sorry for her, and when
Rose had started off with Converse at
her side and not even n glance in his
direction, he gallantiy brought up the
rear of the procession of wheels with
his quiet companion, whose strength,
he soon discovered, was quite unequal
to the task she had undertaken. At the
end of the first five miles, they met a
party of the girls friends returning
from drive and with an extra seat
in the carriage; they offered to take
the tired rider and her wheel back to
the hotel, and Sutton, thus relieved of
his charge. continued on his way. hop
ing shortly to overtake the remainder
Of the party.
He ha;! Eot indeed proceeded far
when, as he rounded the crest of hill,
he deserted at some distance ahead of
him two figures who were bending over
their wheels at the side of the road.
As he came nearer he recognized Miss
Minor and Converse, and he would
have passed them with simple nod OF
recognition, for since their conversa-
tion regarding Converse, Roses man
ner to Sutton lad been decidedly dis
tant, but to his surprise 1t was Converse
himself who called out 10 him:
II say, Sutton!" he shouted, "lend us
a hand here, will you? Miss Minor has
punctured her tire, and / have left the
most important part of my repair kit
at home"
Sutton jumped of his wheel mt once,
but he looked inquiringly at Rose be-
fore he examined her wheel. He fam
cied she looked a trifie annoyed, per-
haps at being obliged to accept fa-
vor at his hands, but her tone was cor
dial enough as she said, simply:
II am glad you have come"
He set TO work at once to mend the
damaged tire, and they were all three
quite silent during the operation.
When 1t was finished, Sutton raised his
cap with grave politeness.
II trust you will have no further
trouble, Miss Minor" he said. 'And
now, since I can be of no further serv-
ASCt VIII AioC VII ouCdu " ihAoA IL tnC
others that you are coming"
The road inclined steeply upwards
from the point where the riders had
met, so that Sutton did not gain much
upon the others, and when he reached
the highest point of the road which
swept downhill again, he heurd their
voices behind him.
Without looking back, Sutton coasted
down the steep incline, and had re-
gained his pedals, ready for the next
ascent, when he heard his name
shouted behind him in Roses clear.
ringing voice. He turned his wheel q.
once, and saw her springing from her
wheel, which was half way down the
hill; her companion had disappeared,
but in another moment Sutton under
stood what had happened. Converse's
wheel had struck stone in the middle
of the road, and the rider had taken
header into shallow ditch, where he