The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-10
HIRAM AND THE BICYCLE.
THE BICYCLE AND HIRAM.
Written for the L. A. W. Prize Competition.

~ANeht IOAO 70 Eva long time ago.
A little breeze whispered to the lake
something that dimpled it with joy: came
up the grassy slope and set the flowers
dancing wildly, so that, with his long
arms stretched over their heads he muir
INJURED benediction on two happy lives
When Hiram and his good wife heard
the news, they were scarcely less pleased
than Arthur and Polly, and it was agreed
that the marriage should occur before
the end of June.
1t was the Sunday morning preceding
the Thursday set for the wedding The
Powers were getting ready to go
''tmeetin'." They were about to set out
when Hiram recollected that he had read
i'll the Greendale News of a farm house
Beng plilaGed by tramps during the alb
sence of the family, and he calculated
he had best stay at home Hiram Powers,
leader of the singing and only less i'm
portant than the minister actually to re-
lain at homei
This was strange, and little Mrs Pow
ers made mental note of it, and said
nothing Arthur and the ladies proceeded
to church. Hiram watched the buggy
sinking slowly below the hill.
81 reck'n I en- look at the dunn Gre
tur,' he said testify, as if deciding an
unpleasant controversy, and slid off the
Torch.
His hand was on the latch of the grain
house, in which the bicycle was incar-
cerated, when the sound of wheels star
tied him. His hands flew to his pockets
like two scared rats to their holes and
he walked nervously toward the barn.
The carriage passed at a brisk trot, and
Hiram returned, muttering that 1T was
nobody's dunn bizness anyhow an that
he wud take the dunn cretur by the
horns. He opened the door and walked
boldly in. A frantic rat scurried across
the floor, and came near to throwing Hi
ram into panic. But he manfully
mastered his fright and, laying hold of
the bicycle, dragged it awkwardly to the
door
Up to this time he had not acknowl-
edged to himself that he intended to 10
more than look at the dunn cretur." but
he did not appear greatly surprised at
what he had done AS he stepped to the
ground, however. he heard these words
distinctly uttered: What be We got holt
ont Hiram Powers? Answer me thet?''
He dropped the wheel, and made the
entire circuit of the grain house before
he could convince himself that the ques-
ton had been propounded by his own
mind
Again he took up the bicycle and was
pushing it cautiously across the lawn,
tripping him up. Hiram arose, and
shook his fist at the retreating carriage.
which had given him his first fright
Without further mishap he reached the
road, and, heading the wheel in the di-
rection opposite that of the church,
threw his right leg over the saddle and,
giving little spring with the left, found
himself fairly seated. The bicycle ac-
tually moved and out of sheer astonish-
nc IL
He would use reason. He formed
theory of action.
Again he mounted and this time
launched himself with somewhat
stronger push. The front wheel turn
ed half round and Hiram came down
heavily in the road
He saw his error: He would give more
attention to the handlebars.
He had now come to the top of lit
tie grade, and, when he raised his last
foot from the ground, the bicycle start
ed off beautifully.
a tree near the roadside caught Hi
rams eye. He had known that tree
from its babyhood, but its closeness to
the track now astonished him beyond
telling. At about the same time the
bicycle caught sight Of the tree, also,
and made for it as might a lost child
to its suddenly found mother The front
wheel struck; Hiram arose from his
seat and smote his head against the
rough bark, after which man and ma
chine toppled over sidewise.
Hiram could not help but admire the
neatness and dispatch with which this
feat was accomplished
'Jes' as if it he'd been down on the
programmy. Cudn't been done neater if
1t he'd been planned a week afore hand"
He was still rubbing the red spot on
his forehead when an approaching team
threw him into a state of CONSERVATION.
He hastily concealed the bicycle in a
clurnp of hazel bushes, and, digging his
hands deep into his pockets, walked up
and down the road, peering closely, as if
searching for a breach in the fence.
After the carriage had disappeared the
wheel was stealthily brought forth again,
and the next moment saw Hiram mount
ed thereon He was at the top of gen.
tie slope of a quarter of a mile. and the
track lay straight and smooth before
him. The bicycle moved along tranquil
ly. A little smile, as Shy as a mouse in
a new place, kept creeping across his
face, but was being constantly scared
away by some unseemly behavior OF the
wheel
The speed had been considerably accel-
Grated by the time they reached the
byroad which leads to the meadow. This
road is steep and somewhat rough. ami
was not included in the route which
Hiram had mapped out in his mind. But
at this identical spot. the bicycle took
the bit in its teeth, and before Mr.. Pow
ers fully realized what had happened,
he was speeding down this by-road at a
perfectly unheard of velocity
II he could have collected his wits suf,
ficiently for logical cogitation. I think he
would have prayed for the Intervention
of some superhumar power: but I'M
fortunately, most of his ideas had been
left with his breath, back at the top
of the hill. However, he was dimly con-
scious Of wish that the stockwel
might not lie in the path of the two
wheeled fate which he was riding
lie was within ten feet of the stone
curbing, when the wheel darted to the
right, and left the trodden path. The
meadow grass retarded the speed consid-
elably. bit, nevertheless, the momentum
was still so great that when the COL
lision with Brindle came Hiram was de-
posted astride the back of that astonish-
ed animal
a rod long leap and a Simultaneous
below, which was half a scream. testi,
fed to the nervous shock which Brfndle
had sustained. Hiram was not hurt. He
appeared simply a messenger of i'm
portant news, who had hastily made a
change of steeds
Brindle went tearing across the
meadow with that peculiar. rocking. stiff
legged gallop Of cattle not trained to
the saddle. and Hiram was thrown to and
fro along the high ridge of her back.
like shuttle. His gasped-out "Wh-ho-
hoo-ho!" served only to further brighten
the terrified creature. Something must
be done. No man could endure for long
that bandying from hips to should ers of
COW.
With desperate energy, he dug his fin
gers INTO the thick hair; he IaborousIy
crawhshed over the high hipbones ana