Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-24
lizards at about midnight. II was merriam

a. tAit Nv " ar al VI L
had a little money of my own-not much,
you know, but enough to marry on if we
did things quietly-and l thought, some
how, that Dolly was aware of my inten-
tions, and did not altogether ~disapproye
of them. My holiday, too, was coming to
an end, and l could not prolong it for
more than Il few days further. So l made
up my mind to propose on a certain Sat
urday. 1t was not a fortunate choice, and
if l had not been mi of those men who
hate changing their minds''-I smiled,
for Jack was known at Cambridge for the
most vacillating of men-"I should GER
tainly have put it off. Nothing had gone
well that day. The general had been alto
gether off his play and was not in the best
of tempers. I myself had fooled every
other drive, and you know what that
means. l had beaten him, but there had
been no pleasure about the game. Even
when we got back, a good deal earlier than
usual, I remember noticing that Dolly
was not quite as pleasant to III as usual.
However, l asked her to come and have a
game of billiards after tea, meaning to get
the job over"
Jack stopped, and there was a long
pause.
"Well. l said, "what %happened9 She &C.
oepted you, I suppose"
"No!' he continued. "She refused Inc
point blank. The fact was, l must have
hurried it too much, you know. l was de-
termined to get it over, and l suppose
was too abrupt. The poor child was taken
completely by surprise, or said she was.
So, for that matter, was /. 1t was all over
in ten minutes
l began to grow interested. What did
you do them" l asked.
''There was only one thing to be done.
got on my machine and rode off. lean tell
you l was in a devil of a state. l neither
looked nor cared where l was going. Aft.
er about an hours hard riding-it was
just Z O'Clock, for l remember looking at
my watch--I found myself about fifteen
miles from home, and beginning to get
hungry. l sat down on a milestone and
reviewed the situation. 1t was very sad. ]
felt as if my life had come suddenly to a
blank wall. 1t was no longer worth liv
ing. These are the usual symptoms, l be
lieve. You will understand my sensa
tions?"
Like Marius among the ruins of Car.
thage," I suggested.
II can afford to laugh at it now, but
can tell you that just then it was nc
laughing matter. / must have sat there
for more than an hour, thinking. Their
l realized 1t was time to be getting home
for, after all, even a disappointed lover
must have supper. l thought sadly Of
what I should do. OF course. / had to go;
I could never see her again, never play
the old general at golf or billiards again
Well, it had been a very pleasant time
while it lasted. The next morning would
witness my departure-forever.
II mounted the old bicycle, and set of
YEARLY homeward. Then a sudden re,
solve seized me-. Once more l would &C
by her house and cast a glance at the ROOF
that sheltered her. 1t was a fine summer
night and I should still be home we'll be.
fore dark. I started, first slowly, then, az
the thought of my folly came across me,
faster and faster, until l was riding q
good IL Or 10 miles to the hour-not such
a bad pace on one of those old skyscrapers.
"Close to where old Trefusis lived there
is a long hill, with a sharp turn near the
bottom. 1t has now been marked with a
danger board, but at that time there were
but few of those useful inventions about
In any case, had there been a dozen, 1t IL
not likely that l would have stopped fol
them. l was reckless that night, and te
have broken my leg-perhaps even my
neck-would have rather pleased me than
otherwise. So at least Ifancied as l tucked
my legs over the handle bars, preparatory
to a good rush down.
"She simply whizzed along. Never be.
fore, or since, have I felt the air rush past
me with such velocity. l had come to the
brow of the hill at a good pace, and made
no effort to check myself before the de-
scent. There vas nothing for it but tc
keep cool and watch for the turn. l felt
Intoxicated, exhilarated to madness by
the speed. I laughed aloud and gave q
shrill halloo of triumph, was nearly al
the turn.
"A woman's scream for help rang out
as l negotiated the corner. Like a streak
of lightning l shot round, the angle judged
to a nicely, though 1 shaved a stone at
the edge Of the grass by a miracle. Fifty
yards farther down were two figures, Il
man and a woman, their backs toward
me, running. The roma was in front
1t wa a chase.
IT saw at once my game and held on
without a sound. The bicycle was rae
ing along at close on 40 miles an hour,
the rubber tires making no noise on the
hard ground. There were none Of your
clanking chains in those days. The girl
for I could now see that it was a girl
ran nobly, but the ruffian was gaining
upOn her. In three seconds l should have
caught him.
Suddenly in a flash l recognized the
girl. 1t was DOLLY The sight nerved Inc
to a frenzy, and, as my wheel caught hei
pursuer in the back, l uttered a most
blood curdling yell of triumph.
"The smash was terrific, and If I had
not put my legs over the handles I should
have been killed to a certainty. As II
was, I came of remarkably we'll with a
bruise or two and rather cut about the
hands,"
There was a pause. "That was how il
happened" concluded Jack. "Shall we
adjourn to the drawing room?"
"She was Melted, l suppose, by your
heroismp" I surmised as we rose.
"Well-you see, I had to carry hel
home," exclaimed Jack, who seemed re.
luctant to finish the story. "She had
tainted at the critical moment"
II see. And how about the robber?"
Jack laughed. II left him there, and
what was rather curious, I never saw him
or the remains of my machine either fos
that matter-again. The man was only
common tramp" he added as he thought
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