The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-14
sCORCHING FOR LOVE.
IFrom the Times-Herald.l

out OF numerous eyes. Al last, he
never said it?" 1 gasp out.
Never word. 1 made it all up.
I'd Observation-Disclosures he No.
that isn't true, either; he never gave
me any reason! But 1 couldn't witness
iies,"
No answer. I feel that speech will
choke me. The atmosphere is athrob
with her excited pleading.
Forgive me! I deserve your anger
and-his scorn. But I've confessed
there's no harm done. oh. what is
the matter? It's not as bad as all
that!''
It's as bad as can be. We've parted.
I've written him letter-a hateful let
ter. He'll never forgive me. And I
don't want him to-
But he can't have got it YETI
Her words fell on unheeding ears. II
can never face him again-never! Oh!
go away-leave mel"
Listen, listen! It's not three hours
since 1 told you. 1t had to be written
and posted; it can't have reached. Go
to him-at once-stop it, prevent his
time!" She shook me wildly in her ex-
element.
How? I should never be in time"
You can ride like the windi"
"Ride!" At the very word, dead hope
throbs to life again. Would it be pos
sible? Is there still a chance? At any
rate, it's worth trying, and anything
would be better than this frenzied in
action. The machines in there. Pump
my tires up, while I put my hat on.
How my hand shakes! Now, quick, my
gloves"
Come, it's ready"
I spring into the saddle, and am off.
eff succeed I'll forgive you" / shout
back. And Succeed! Succeed follows
me, and spurs me on. Men have Oft
times ridden for their lives. Life? What
is life to me today? 1 ride for love. If
l lose-well, may 1 lose both life and
love together? Kensington High street
is bllSV- DIIt / SO1irm in and ont of the
traffic without a pause, and reach the
open road of Kensington Gore, where
I fairly let fly.
Shouts and remonstrances follow me
unheeded. The first block occurs at AL
bert Gate, where the main traffic is
crossed by carriages pouring into the
park. 1 shoot past the cOnstable'S back,
dive beneath the heads of a pair of
prancing grays, circle around others,
and pursue my flying course to Hyde
Park corner.
This time the policeman faces me. I
catch his eye. Mine imp1ores immun-
ity. He winks a kindly "All right,
missy, on you co.
! Alas! not for long. The stream of
| traffic pouring out of Park Lane into
Piccadilly shuts out all hope from my
| desperate gaze. 1 crawl up, jerk my
| front wheel around to an angle of forty
| five, and come to a standstill without
| dismounting. But all hope is over.
| Nothing can avail me now. The letter
| sealed!
! The restraining arm of the law is
| withdrawn; we are let loose. Piccadilly
| lies sweltering beneath Shiny pools
| Those fiends of watercartS have been
| disgorging themselves liberally-render-
| ing dangerous for man beast roads
| that would otherwise have been in per-
| feet condition.
| Ordinarily should have threaded my
| way daintily over the islands of this
| greasy morass. Now 1 simply splash on,
squirting mud to right and left, saving
| myself almost inevitable SideslipS by
| gripping my handlebars, and Jerking
| them up at the least suspicion of a
| slither. lift my front wheel and ac-
| tually jump over the worst of the Shiny
pitfalls.
ST. James and then Jermyn street
! save me delays at the Circus. Water
loo place-Pal Mall-dashing down Suf-
folk street an empty landau; meeting it,
| from Trafalgar square, a groom on a
! mettlesome young mare. 1 am close on
| them, but they must have passed each
| other in order to leave me room.
| Neither observes the other, both keep
to the middle of the road; result-coI-
lision! The most lightning-hke of dis
melee; to steer aside is equally impos-
sible- In flash L realize my only
| course.
Hold up, my mani" I shouted to the
horseman on my right. He and the
| coachman tumble to the situation in
| simultaneously. Both positively drag
| their horses off the ground, and three
pairs of forelegs paw the air above my
| head and form a living triumphal arch,
| meath which 1 shoot. Defrauded, the
| jaws of death snap to behind me, in the
clash with which they all reach the
! earth. My heart leaps into my mouth
| and chokeS me-a mist swims before my
eyes. L sway in the saddle, and almost
| fall.
The Strand reached, my impotence
| maddenS me. Crowds of horses, men,
| vehcles-I scarcely know what-sur-
| round me and hem me in on every side.
In a blind frenzy of haste a path be-
twiXt the narrow lines of traffic, barely
| conscious of the shouts, warnings, oathS
| and excavations that pursue me. The
same mad course >oWn Fleet street!
Rarely, if ever, do 1 ring my bell, but
steer in and out, avoiding every impedi-
ment in my path as if by magic L see
the surging life around me as Christian
saw tempta tionS-merely as obstacles
is in sight, and a flying leap from my
| machine, while still at rapid pace,
lands me at the very door. Flinging my
mount into the hands of an astonished
OnlOOker 1 tear upstairs.
Thank heaven, he's out!
"Pll go in and wait"
VERY well, miss; in here, please"
Is that my letter lying on the top of
an unopened pile? All, surely!
A voice outside-his voice.
MY little woman, how dear of you
to come, but what-what?'
| release my hands, totter past him,
snatch the letter from the desk and
wave it wildly above my head.
Jim, wrote i'll don't want you to
read it-I-I-' Sobs choke my utter
anCe.
Smiling, he takes it from my trem-
bling fingers. I sink down and watch
him helplessly with Fascinated
eyes. The torn tiny fragments hutteT
slowly from his fingers into the official