Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-12-01
He Informs u Pretty Bleyclienns That
She II Riding Piaeon-Tosd,
and Gets Jnwed.

|
The long, timber, loose-tointed indi-
the boulevard on a bicycle quickened
his pace slightly and drew alongside q
young woman attired in divided skirts
and riding a mans wheel.
If you will not think 1 am taking
too much liberty, miss" he said. rais-
ing his hat, II will venture to tell you
that you ride pigeon-toed."
"Sir!"
20, most decidedly. Pigeon-toed.
Nobody, perhaps. has done you the
kindness to call your attention to 1t.
The effect, rs one may say, viewed from
the rear"
II don't think you're much Of a gen.
tleman, anyway"
"Ycs, but l am. I'm n gentleman
old enough to be your father, young
lady. That is why 1 took II upon my
self to speak to you. Wouldn't you
rather"
I'D rather not have anything t say
to you, sir!"
II was going to ask If you wouldn't
rather l spoke to you about II than to
wink at somebody on the sidewalk and
point at you, and let you ride on in ig-
norance-"
There isn't any need Of your doing
either, sir"
II beg your pardon, but 1 think
there is. 1 couldn't be ungentlemnnly
enough to jeer ut you behind your back.
and from my point OF view"
Besides, 1 have never been intro
duced to you, sir"
sgrla,, ollo,, ,,n -
My name is Civilians. 1 have n wife,
but no children. Hence, / hnve plenty
of time to go about doing good"
"Sir, l."
And from my point Of view, as l was
about to say, 1t would be almost equally
ungentlemanly to see u young woman
unconsciously riding along in n high.
ly pigeon-tOed and give her no
intimation that she is making u Devil.
dering spectacle of herself"
II don believe il, either!"
"Be it far from me to dispute with
you, miss, but you will pardon me for
observing"
Il won't, either"
For observing that you are not
riding the least bit pigeon-toed now"
How dare you, sirT'
1T takes a great deal of courage,
that's n fact. But it's a sort of duty.
l am always getting into scrapes, even
when l am trying the hardest to be u
public benefactor. Great Scott, young
woman! DO 1 look like n man who
would 80 around poking his nose into
steel traps merely for the enjoyment
of the scnsation2"
81 Nynu VntnD alN-n la-a n.oo1.
sir and paying no attention to you,a and
1t does seem to me"
II beg your pardon. my dear Miss
Miss"
Never mind, sir"
Miss Nevermind-thank you-why
will you persist in refusing to look at
the case from my point of view? just
because nobody has ever told you OF
your pigeon-toed form Of riding It
doesn't follow hat nobody ever ought
10 tell you. and who can do it 30 appro.
prihtely us some old, w~ithcred-but
still active, young woman, still active
hunks Ike me? Pigeon toes generally
accompany-stendy, now-they gcner.
ally accompany bow legs"
Sir, l think you ire"
They do, indeed, miss. ri" y do, in.
deed. i wouldn deceive sou in n mat.
ter like that. They don't always 20 ID.
gether. OF course, but the presumption
Is strong. Now, my wife rides out &C.
cnsionally on her wheel. but ] do assure
you that II she rode pigcon-tocd. Gt
Ind dropped handlc-bars and u I.ulnp.
or wore the Jenny Miller style of gear
i am not sure whether that's the
proper name of it" "a
well, IL isn't"
probably not. But IL she did all TINT
and rode n mans machine, besides, !
should say to her: My dear, I lIaye n
position in society TO maintain. | owe
something TO my family name. There
Is no blot, | believe, on the namcofGwi
INNS. Therefore, my dear. IL you In.
sist on going out in that style ] shall
hire some trusty policeman to 20 along
TO take care OF you, and | will stay nt
home and pray for you.
""Therc urc machines made for wom.
en- to ride on. and there 10 no more need
OF their mounting n mans wheel than
there Is OF their riding in the smoking
chr OF II railway train because there
happens to be q smoking cur. And short
skirts look better Than short skirts and
the Jenny Miller style combined
That's the way | should talk TO my
wife, and IL you knew her as we'll as |
do you would think I was taking a fcnr.
ful risk, young woman"
II don't care what you would say TO
your wife, sir. I think you are the most
impudcnt Old"
~ beg pour pardon, miss, but you are
riding pigeon-tocd again"
"Wil you please go on ahead, sir?"
II would to obligc you, miss. but
this is about ns fast "a I can ride. I'm
no scorciter. However, this is where I
turn off. I: wish you good afternoon,
Miss Nevormind. / have enjoyed our
little conversation very much"
He lifted his hat, turned down n side
street, and rode away with his head zip.
But ms he turned TO glance 1T her, be.
fore shc passed entirely out OF sight,
| hp an ~ ihnt et,o ,rno ,,nt rtt,,., ,t....