The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-27
The Lady Of
The Road,
By CLINTON ROSS.
copyright, 1900, by Clinton Ross.l

We discussed it many times after the
weary day was over and the morrow
promised but another as weary. We
saw before us vacation and Arcadia,
Tommie said you could find it on az
wheel, and finally he persuaded me.
My persuasion was complete the third
day out. To be sure, we had not yet
found Arcadia, but we had the flavor
OF some good health already and were
hopeful that when we least expected
1t we should cross the boundary. The
road had gained our spirits. We knew
already why gypsies persist in the gyp-
sying; why the most entertaining pages
In wilhelm Meistera and in "Kenelm
Chillingly" are those where the he
roes take the road "over the hills and
far away" why prince Otto" is the
most delightful of Stevenson's stories
and Walking Tours" the most ex-
quisite of his essays, although l have
not heard that he rode wheel. We
recalled that the real charm of Pick
wick was in coaching and the footing
of horns and that Dick Turpin was
more hero than scamp.
And so, feeling fit and our hearts at
tuned to simple, natural things, we
rode into that bosky wood which was
to be the scene of our first misadven-
ture. The road was smooth and prom
isefl.l. Through the branches at our
right was the glimmer of a lake where
Tommie said we might loaf comfort
ably for an hour with our pipes. So
we left our steeds by the roadside and
went down by that shore, stretching
ourselves out for comfortable contem-
plation. An hour must have passed
when Tommie gripped my arm.
Look, Fletcher-there in the road"
l followed his eyes and saw by our
wheels bit of sunlight on her face
most charming young woman who
was gOwned in one of those walking
costumes that are now the most adj
mirable achievements of the modiste.
She was young, l say, and blond, and
she was smiling to herself and looking
our wheels over. One she raised and
before we even fancied twas in
the saddle as easily as any boy and
tearing around a curve and out of our
ken.
"Well, I'll be hangedW said Tommie.
II hope she'll bring it back" said L.
Particularly as it's my Wheel" said
Tommie. But in the road we could see
no trace of her. She had vanished.
Get on yours and catch her." said
Tommie.
s1Oh, she'll bring it back. She
WASN'T
Yes, she was"-
"A gentleman of the road?"
No; lady. Times have changed"
said Tommie ruefully. "Well, I'm aft
er her, Fetch"
And he, too, was around the curve on
my wheel, leaving me laughing and
mourning. But in five minutes he was
back, hot and irritable
There are three forks of the road
just beyond How in thunder am to
know which she took?''
.'Try your luck"
'It's bad enough" said he. 81 can't
afford another wheel this year."
II think said l, that she's just
playing trick
cts rather near a theft" said Tom
ME. "Confound you, it wasn't your
machine!"
"No," said l, lighting cigarette.
"We'd better walk on. She's gone
The wheel is-well, perhaps it's pawn
ed by this time"
"You think you're funny!' quoth
TOmmie 'Ride on, and I'll walk"
mo-" said L; ''we'll both walk. But
she was an internally pretty
s'Thief."
Now, Tommie, you don't know
that" said
well" said he, haven't the evil
dences of my sensesY
'1They sometimes lie," said L, for l
saw he was not pleased. 1t wasn't my
wheel, and of course could philoso-
phize more easily than he. We took
the most hopeful turn at the three
roads. since our map refused to be ex-
plicit, and presently we came on rus
tic in boots.
ibid you see woman riding mans
wheel?'
81 swan" said the rustic.
SuOllu IGludl ~, Sdl0
She stole my Wheel"
"You don't say" said the rustic.
'sWhere does this road lead?"
4Nowheres," said the rustic.
"Don't you live here" asked Tom
mic.
"since was born, golly," said the
rustic.
s.Then where the deuce will this road
bring us to?" asked impatiently.
s'That depends on where yer goin,'
remarked the rustic practically.
ooh, Lord!" said Tommie. "I've no
ton to pound this fool"
The rustic looked frightened and re-
treated step.
1--WE want to go anywhere to find
the stolen Wheel" said I.
'sThis ERE road goes to Arcadia .
said the rustic.
A female Dick Turpin! Arcadia
We opened our eyes.
Its a queer name that Merivale
calls his place." said the rustic. "It's
K round that thar turn"