The times., 1898-06-29
Miss McCurdy,s Tandem Ride.


From the Chicago Tribune)
'You are sure it doesn't make it go any
harder?"
what doesn't?"
My being on this front saddle?'
'.If you weren't on that front saddle 1
give you my word the machine wouldn't
be going at all
'No?"
mo. 1t would be at home. in the wood
she'd
This would not do. The conversation
was taking a personal turn. Miss Nc
Curdy decided TO change the subject
II have had so little experience in tam
dem riding" she said. that / didn't
know. This is a beautiful landscape; isn't
it?"
Il haven't been looking at the land
scape."
This also had AN alarmingly personal
bearing, and she hastily put one hand
to her back hair TO ascertain whether or
not anything was loose.
Its all right" volunteered the young
man. And your hats on perfectly
straight"
No. ne hasn't been looking at the
landscape" mentally decided Miss Glycn-
crime McCuI1y.
Her cheeks look like peach" said
young Spoonamore to himself And by
George, she, is a peach!' he added. with
the feryor of a dicoverer upon whom a
great truth had just dawned.
You ought not to miss this view Mr..
Spoonamore. Look at the grand sweep Of
that
I'm not missing anything.
have to keep my eye on the road, you
know.
How can you do it? Am leaning too
much 10 one side?
Not at all. You are sitting beauti-
fully"
Il don't seem to be doing any Of the
work. Aren't you getting tired?'
Tired? / could keep on riding this
way forever
''Absurdr'
"Well, I'll make it a million years.
That's coming down a good deal"
ooh, What's that?'
Nothing but a bug. Don't be afraid.
/ brushed 1t off your shoulder"
I'm not scared; was ii a large bug?"
Not large. but unpardonably presump-
tuous. II was making for your neck"
They pedalled in silence for few min
utes, and then she said:
Wasn't 1t risky to take one of your
hands off the handlebars?"
Risky? Great Caesar! / could ride
that way for
For million years."
Now you're smiling
You are not watching the road close
~ enough. We came near running over
that big stone
Il saw it. Didn't you notice that we
turned out just in time TO avoid it?''
II saw that we missed it by just hairs
breadth. II thought you must have TAX
en- one hand of the bar again.
The young man drew his breath hard
Mr.. Spoonamore, you're getting tired,'
"Awfully tired. / haven't seen your
eyes for fifteen minutes"
On second thought Miss McCurdy con-
cluded not to propose stopping TO rest
1t would serve him right to make him
work hard for the next two hours, to pay
for that speech. And yet"
Miss Glycerine!"
"Well?"
DO you see that brick house off to the
left on the other side of this orchard?''
He went on with some rambling unim-
portant recollection about that house.
He merely wanted TO if her left
cheek had turned as red as heB>right one.
1t had.
They passed under the projecting limb
of an apple tree standing just inside the
fence, and with a dexterous upper move
rnent young Spoonamore pulled off a
| bunch of blossoms.
.Ooh! What't that?"
1T isn't bug this time. It's a cluster
of apple blossoms I'm about to take the
lfDerly OF putting tnem III your pack
hair"
Upon my word,'
Not for purposes of ornament, l beg
| you to believe. but because / love flow
! ers-too--and having cut these off in their
! early bloom I feel bound to see that they
enter upon a happy hereafter Hold still!''
How can 1? l have to keep my pedals
moving don't 1 ?'
| Yes, but you don't have to move your
| head-just yet. There! the effect is beau
+! tiful. You have no idea how it sets the
! flowers Off Do you see that country
| church spire over there on the right?"
/ No, she did not see it. She suspected
| And she looked straight ahead.
| Whereupon the young man rubber
necked
"Glyceriner' he whispered, close to her
ear.
| At this thrilling moment the machine,
! left practically to its own guidance, ran
1 into a rut-
! And spoiled one of the most promis-
/ ing romances of the year.
| oh, young people, let this be solemn
warningi
/ Do not become sentimental on tandem
until the era of good roads has fully come.
She Envied the Chickens.
From the Kansas City Starr
s'You NAV not 90 barefoot" said the mother