The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-10


two passengers Std Gun"
Here Hiram Powers leaned over the
dashboard and with the whip deXterously
struck a fly off the shoulder of Bessie,
the faithful old family horse that went
jogging along at a comfortable trot. Bes-
sic made speciality of that particular
trCt, which was not to be added. to nor
taken from. But this was not of much
consequence on such a bright June morn
ing.
Me an mother got a letter firm broth
er Danl same day tibet yourn cum, sayin'
tibet his son Arthur-he hes jest finished
his schoolin'-waS a-comn' to spend the
summer in the country with US. The up
tram on the branch was late an I reckon
he'll hev to stop at Climax over night"
Climax is small village twelve miles
south of Greendale, the nearest town to
the home of the Powerses
Never seed Arthur, did YEP" cor
tinued Hiram. "Wa'al, l think it was
the summer afore We was horned tibet
Danl was last at our place, an Arthur
was then a little curly headed chap bout
five or six years old, an chuck full Of
mischief
At intervals of every half dozen words
Hiram CHECKED at the gray mare and
slapped the ample back with the reinS;
more. however. from force of habit than
ouickening her gait. Bessie overlooked
these little eccentricities of her master,
and held serenely on her way
After a little silence Hiram remark
ed, as he looked with pride into the
round, rosy face of his daughter. Eye
cont pear t hev OverStudied yerself t
any great extent durin' the last two year
at the skule. jedgin from yer condition. }"
The young lady answered with a smile
f,11 Of he
seventeen.
1t must not be inferred from the fore
going that Mr. Powers was a talkative
man, or that his daughter was taciturn.
During the first mile Of the homeward
journey, she had fairly overwhelmed him
with EXPLANATIONS of delight and ques-
lions about home and mother, Rover, the
doves and the chickens, not forgetting
the little calf with a white star in it's
forehead She was a girl after natures
Cwn heart and her two years at young
ladies' seminary had not spoiled her But
now she had settled down into that bliss
full state of anticipation. and chose to
please herself in imagining.
Were glad to hev We back, mother
an me-" said Hiram dreamily.
Ding-aling-ling- A bicycle bell was
Ginning out its warning in the rear.
Hiram s teeth came together with
frightened his hold on the reins. A bicycle
was thing abommahle to Hiram.
The horse-rake and the self binder had
come into general use under his emphatic
protest but intime he was able to toll
crate them and now even employed them
on his own farm But the bicycle-it was
a "dum nuisance. a blasphemy,' and
would have been several other detestable
things had Hiram's vocabulary been less
limited.
Not an inch of the road would he give.
Fut il spite of that and the fact that
the road was somewhat narrow in this
particular place, it seemed that the rider
would be able to pass without much in
convenience. He had come opposite Bes-
sizes head. An instant and he would be
by. This was not pleasing to Hiram. He
gave the right line sudden jerk. Bessie
threw her head TO one side and knocked
the riders cap Oft. liherating a lot of
chestnut curls, which appeared as glad
to be free as a school of boys. The cap
fell into the road and the wheels of the
wagon passed over it. Hiram chucled.
The bicyclist, thus compelled to dis
mount. turned upon him wrathfully, but
something he saw banished all angry
thoughts instantly. He stepped aside and
allowed the wagon to pass; after which
he recovered his cap, ard, mounting his
wheel followed slowly behind intending
to await a more favorable place before
again attempting to pass. He was in no
hurry; besides the cascade of golden
tresses that fell over the girls shapely
shoulders was not bad thing to look at
Finally however, the road widened. and
IN an instant he was by, and soon dis
appeared in the distance. He had been
delayed g few minutes; his cap was
crushed and SOiled, but he had a mental
picture Of two wonderful blue eyes and
a confusion OF yellow ringlets, and, all
in all, the son of Daniel Powers was not
greatly vexed by his little misadventure
Sum folks don't seem to keer FIR un's
feelin's," grumbled Hiram. II shud
link he'd been perlite 'nough to hev
been a leetle spanked
A crowd of dimples played around
Folly's mouth, and some of them going
incautiously too near spilled themselves
on the warm lips.
Truly" laughed she, nothing is so
cruel as ineratitudel And you certainly
did give him q splendid opportunity"
Meow, Polly, We don't be FIR upholdin'
Of him, be ye?" he asked in a grieved
tone.
Although it would have pleased hin, i'm
mensely if the bicyclist had rallied at
him. he could not bear to think that
I'ully-his much loved, tho adopted
daughter-shOuld see the little neanness
mo, father, but this is country where
no class is privileged and he certainly
had a right to just share of the road"
"Wa'al, yes. un mans jes es good es
mother, an sum be a dunn site better.
but no man amt no man thet rides sech
dunn macheen," said Hiram, dogmatic,
ally
They had now come to the top of the
long HILL from which the house was in
was
conversation She vainly implored Bessie
to hasten. At last the carriage block was
reached, and Polly flew into the arms
of her mother
1t caused d little futter of trepidation
IN her breast, as Well as in that of Hi
ram, to learn that her expected cousin
had arrived half an hour before. and
that having missed the train at Climax.
he had mace the remainder of the Jour
ney on his bicycle. The appearance Of
that young man moment later con-
frmed their fears. But Hiram greeted his
nephew With such a magnificent air of
magnanimity and forgiveness that all
laughed themselves into friendship at
once.
Before Arthur had been many DAYS in
the Powers household, Hiram had taken
olVefs occasions to impress him with the
1act that bicycles and bicycle riders were
regarded by him with supreme disfavor
He hao collection of newspaper clip
pings recountlng direful calamities which
had befallen cyclists. and he was fond
OF reading them to Arthur But this did
not prevent that young mans ENJOYING
his morning rides, doubly enjoyable now
that Polly, well mounted on a rented
wheel, was permitted to share them. This
was an important concession and showed
weakening in Hirams position.
"a
and wide, returning in high gIee with
their wheels bedecked with garlands of