Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-26

hammer and start the anvil chorus. I've never heard him say good word for anything yet. Some day I'm go- ing to give him jar that will make him be decent"
 One night when the two young men went to dinner together Hawkins was wearing his bicycle trousers and was, consequently, the object of much of Elliott's caustic wit.
 "Bicycling's all played out," said the cynic. ''It's a busted fad. Pm surprised that a sensible man like you. Hawkins, should go around with a wheel at the present stage of the game. Why, you might as well be wearing hoop skirts as those bi- cycle trousers"
 Hawkins came to the defense of his favorite sport in gallant fashion. He called the wheel 'the poor mans horse" and pointed out the great benefit bicycling has been to the health of the public. He grew both angry and enthusiastic as Elliott per sisted in his attacks.
 aWhy, wheeling is so dead," said Elliott, finally, ''that you couldn't find thief cheap enough to steal a bicycle. In the old days the papers used to be full of stories of bicycle thieves. You never hear of one now adays."
 Hawkins declared that a thief would steal bicycle even now if he had good chance. Of course, the great reduction in the price of wheels had taken away some of the tempta- tion, but it wouldn't be safe to leave wheel out of doors over night at that.
 Elliott proceeded to poke some fur ther fun at the bicycle and people who still cling to it. He finally wound up with what Hawkins felt to be a stupendous bluff.
 .sI tell you what I'll do, Hawkins" !" he said. 'Il go out with you now and buy SIP bicycle, each of us pay ing half. We'll take it home with us and stand it up against the wall in the vacant lot between Blacks gro- cery and the livery stable. There are several thousand people pass that lot every day, and yet I'll bet you $2O that if we put that wheel there tonight it'll still be there in the morning. tell you no self-re- specting thief will bother with bicy- cles nowadays. He'll make more money stealing junk"
 To Hawkins it looked to be a cer- fainty that any bicycle left out un- locked over night would be carried of. before morning. The place FL 1iott had suggested for the test was one of the most conspicuous on the West side. An unlocked wheel would last about 30 minutes in that neigh borhood, he thought. Besides he did not like the idea of being b1uffed by a s'knocker'' like Elliott. Accordingly he promptly took up the challenge, and the two men went out to buy a wheel. In half an hour they had . found place where a new bicycle could be bought for SIP cash. Each man put up six dollars, and they started away, pushing the bicycle be- tween them
 Just at s:30 they reached the West side corner, near which they had agreed to leave the wheel over night. The street was crowded, and 1t looked 10 Hawkins as if he already had the money won. The wheel was finished in red and blue enamel, which made 1t especially conspicuous, and when it was left leaning against the side wall and only two feet from the sidewalk it seemed certain that it would be taken within an hour.
 Hawkins and Elliott went home when they had deposited the wheel, after agreeing that neither should watch the wheel during the night or notify the police or any one else to keep an eye on it. It was also under stood that they should meet at eight o'clock the next morning and walk over together to see what had hap
 ~l< tAe whsel's there Elliott said.