The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-25

! A Night Ride !


Of vacillating fianges which apparent
ly are actuated by springs and give
the lamp a wobbly motion when you
joggle unexpectedly over stone.
got once more upon the machine, this
time with better success. and we went
along nicely for some distance; then
l got Off again. Coming along the
road in the daylight the lane seemed
perfectly smooth and unobstructe |;
yet | suddenly came against some m
seen obstacle that appeared to me as
1 alighted to be a bowlder wing Oh
the road. It was in realty a stone
about the size OF my fist. The lamp
had gone out of course, simultaneous
ly with my fall. This one have goes
out whenever I joggle over anything
I have been told that 1t was on ac-
count of the bad oil I was using, but
I have since secured the most eXlrn-
sive oil in the market, an oil with n
beautiful name but the lamp Joggles
out Just the same.
After going over the stone I saw that
had to do something definite with the
lamp. took out my handkerchief and
tied down the springs, so that the disc
of the light touched the front wheel.
This wasn't so bad, as IL showed me
plainly the stones in the road, but
hardly in time for me to avoid them,
although did dodge some by perform
ing acrobatic feats that usually led to
the ditch. In my evolutions and anX-
iety about the lamp ] had forgotten
the existence of that ditch, but it was
there just the same, lying low and say
ing nothing. I found it without the
least trouble. The lamp went out again
of course, and I began to fear that l
would not have matches enough to last
until I got into the radius of the street
lamps. l crawled out of the ditch,
righted the machine and once more ap-
piled the match to the wick. l had lost
the handkerchief but 1 tied down the
lamp with the oiling cloth.
I was bowling along at a rapid and
! satisfactory pace through the bright
] circle of light in front of me, when all
at once, within an incredibly short dis
tance, there appeared before me a
! young man and a young woman stroll
| ing together with their arms about
each others waists. Their backs were
| toward me and the lamp did not shine
far enough ahead to let them know I
was coming. OF course if I had had
the presence of mind could have
steered around them and passed on,
but they had become so suddenly sill
| houetted against the darkness, just as
magic lantern picture is thrown upon
! screen, that the unexpected sight
drove what little sense I had clear
away from me, and gave one terrific
yell fit to arouse any recently dead
chine. The girl complicated matters
by wildly throwing her arms around
the young mans neck and calling upon
him to protect her, which he had no
chance to do, because the next instant
the machine climbed his back. We
three We're in a heap in that silent LAM
before anyone of us knew what had
happened, and of course the lamp went
out. BY way of excusing myself and
saying something conciiatory, I shout
j ed out:
what in the name of the Prince OF
Darkness are you two dawdling along
this lane, in the middle OF the night
for?"
The young man intimated to me ir
rather harsh language that If would
be good enough to wait there until he
found his stick, he would show mt
what he was doing. However, found
my machine f1rst,and being in an utter
ly reckless mood,I sprang upon it with.
out examining ii to see If anything
were broken or not, though knew thai
no ordinary fall would injure the ma
chine, and away l went and left then
there. l did not see that any eXplana.
tion on my part would help matters, SC
I thought it best to leave well enough
alone, which / did. Little use as the
lamp was. I found it had it's advant-
ages, because the lane turned a shor
| distance ahead; in fact it was alway.
turning, even in daylight, although
had never noticed that particularly be.
fore, and this time I ran square into
the hedge on the side opposite the
ditch. ! eXtricated the machine ant
once more lit the lamp. I thought per
haps it was safer not to attempt to
ride any more, and so walked along
trundling the wheel, for l knew ther,
was bridge some distance ahead that
had no parapets, and did not want to
enter into an encounter with it. As ]
walked along beside the bicycle, I saw
something move on the other side o.
the road, and within the circle of light
A stalwart, unkempt tramp, who had
been making the roadside his bedroom