The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-28
A PUNCTURED TIRE

morning. There had been difference
OF opinion the evening before as to the
route they should take for their Satur.
days wheeling, and while Clarence, at
his fathers suggestion, had finally
given in, he had not done SO with the
best grace.
The boy wanted to take the route by
the north shore, where number Of sail
boats were kept by fellows he knew,
and the sister had stood out for the old
Mills road, along which lived q girl
that had been In her class the year be-
fore and was now an invalid. A heavy
rain during the night did not help mat
tiers, and when Clarence at breakfast
made one more stand for the beach
route, because, he said, it would be less
apt to be muddy, and was assured by
his father that the Mills road, being
turnpike in fine condition, would prob
ably be the least muddy Of the two, he
felt more than ever aggrieved and i'm
posed upon.
He could not refrain from pointing
out each bit of mud as they went along
and willfully rode through most of
them. while Bess picked her way and
kept her wheel and temper both in fair
ly good condition. She was only hu.
man, however, and as they proceeded
and Clarence became more and more
aggravating she replied with some
sharpness at last, and q downright
quarrel ensued. Then Clarence rode off
In fury a long way ahead, leaving
poor Bess to come as she might. He did
not intend to desert her Of course. He
was 10 and her bodyguard and protector
on all occasions Of this kind, but really
matters had gone so far today that he
felt she needed little taste of being
alone to reflect on how self sacrificing
and good to her he was.
He slackened his speed somewhat
when he came to turn in the road,
and Bess could not see him and pedaled
along leisurely, rejecting that the val
ley road below the old dam would GER
tainly be muddy and that this would be
his chance to say, II told you so" when
his sister came along. The road dipped
sharply into this valley, where once
there had been q settlement of mill
hands, but where now there were small
farms and little village of dozen or
SO inhabitants. The old dam above still
held and had become resort for fisher
men, though it was believed by many
to be unsafe, and complaint from the
Villagers had resulted in an order for an
inspection that was soon to be made
The boy remembered these things as he
rode along and was thinking how q
break would mean q flood like that of
Johnstown, on a small scale. He was
pleased to see that the rain had been
much heavier here and that the road
was really getting quite sticky in places
as he approached the valley. He thought
he had better let Bess catch up and
show it to her. He turned his wheel in
toward the hedge, however, as he did
not care to get unnecessarily muddy I'M
less she was there to witness the per-
Torrance.
Then something happened. He felt
his back wheel fiatten and drag and
knew that he had puncture. To avoid
the mud he had run on hedge thorn
and must dismount and repair his tire.
With an angry exclamation he sprang
from his wheel and dragged it up on
the grass and glared back to where Bess
would soon appear. II wonder what
she'll say now!' he exclaimed curious
ly. He was not worse or more vindictive
than most boys, but he felt that he was
injured and badly treated. Then he tore
open his repair bag for his pump. Now
came the last straw. His pump was not
there He had used it the evening be-
fore, and in the heat of argument had
forgotten to replace it. He stood help.
lessly for a moment, then threw the
things back into the bag and mounted
hastily.
"I'll never ask her for her pump,
he thought. "I'll ride with fiat tire
firstr' But he made wretched progress,
and presently he heard the light click
of chain that told of his sisters ap'
proach.
"Why, Clarence, she said pleasant.
ly, as she came up, "your back tire II
punctured. Didn't you know it?"
"What do you take me fort" he growl'
ed. Don't you suppose / know any
thing?"
The girl dismounted. She had entire
| " recovered her temper.
"Let's stop and repair it,, she said.
"I'm tired and feel like resting bit
anyway" She was opening her repair
kit as she spoke. Like flash 1t had
come to her that Clarence had left his
pump where she had seen it lying the
night before. "Neyer mind opening
your tool bag" she continued. II have
all the things"
The girls gentle manner and the sub
I tie delicacy of her proffered assistance
were more than her brothers. III humol
could withstand. After all, Bess was
his only sister, and he loved her, and
she was pretty. These things all count
| in the long run. He was silent at first,
L.. L..