Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-27
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Strange cyclist.
IOriginal.1

earth that cannot be explained. Per-
sonally 1 believe that as no rule is
without exception so no natural law
is without disturbance. Many things
that we call supernatural are the re-
suit of such disturbances, or, to speak
more specifically, the possession of alb
normal faculties.
Ever since the beginning of the
wheeling craze l have been an enthu-
siastic wheelman. In the summer of
1897 l was riding at night along a
country road when my lamp went out,
and L was obliged to get on as best l
could under the starlight. Presently 1
heard n faint sound behind me as of
some one breathing in sleep. The next
moment n bicyclist was beside me.
Good evening" he said in IL singu-
larly quiet voice.
Good evening" | replied. Your
wheel makes so little noise that didn't
| hear it, though you We're but a few
feet behind me. With that machine
you should carry light
Il never use one. see your own lamp
is not lighted"
''It went out for lack of oil. You say
you never use light. Can you see in
the dark 2"
starlight is quite enough for me"
Either something was wrong with
my vision or with the mans wheel.
The night was not bright one. yet it
was not so dark but that L could see
him pedaling with his feet and holding
as if to handle bars, but strain my
eyes as l would l could see nothing of
his machine. l was about To mention
10 fa ct IN him and 81 ~ aNn nj
when we crossed the rays of IL light
from a window, and | saw his face.
Notwithstanding the fact that we were
both riding ut good speed, il was as
restful as if lying on Il pillow in slum-
Der. AT the same moment we came up
on fork in the road, and the stranger
turned away. 1t was as if he had van
ished, for after the words Good night
there was absolute silence.
The face of the stranger haunted me
from the moment | caught that one
brief glimpse. One day. hearing that a
young man was lying in II trance in u
neighboring town. l concluded to ride
over on my wheel and visit linn. l was
obliged to wait my turn in an ante
room. for there We're many wishing
to see him. ana only one or two
were admitted Mt II time. The de-
lay worked unpleasantly on my fan
cy, and my fancy, in turn. on my
nerves, so that when | was permit
ted to go into the presence of the sleep
er l was i'm Il highly excited nervous
condition. What was my surprise. my
terror, to recognize in the face of the
young man i'm trance that of the iii
visible bicyclst. | staggered through
the room ami out of the house to the
surprise and wonder of every one who
saw me.
| had arrived shortly before dark,
and when l started to go home it was
after . o'clock. l would not have had
the GOODNESS to light my lamp had l not
dreaded to ride without one over the
very road on which l had seen the
bicyclist, the young man in trance.
What was my annoyance ut going over
hump in the road to see my light go
out. l dismOunted, felt in my vest
pocket and found match. but in strik-
ing it l broke il, and the lighted end
sputtered ON the ground. l felt for an
other. but there was no other. l was
forced to ride on in the dark.
Now, l am ready 10 admit that | was
in very peculiar nervous condition,
which might account for what followed,
but it does not account for what had
preceded. Suddenly looking down to
my left, l saw the dim outline of BIZ
cycle running nOiselessly beside me,
rising at the elevations. dipping at the
depressions, the pedals turning as if
moved by pair of human feet. the
handle bars and front wheel turning
rio m loft md loft tp I.iOhf a = If
moved by pair of human hands.
knew that there was Il rider and felt
sure that he was the one who had rid
den on the invisible wheel-moreover,
that had not half an hour before left
him lying in n trance. l soon recovered
something of my equanimity and, MOTTO
ing ahead the house had passed during
my previous ride, hoped that the light
shining through the window would re-
veal the face of the rider l was disap-
pointed. There was 10 face that natu-
raj light would reveal The next mo-
ment, as before, we reached the fork
in the road, and the wheel vanished.
There was blank of some weeks
after this during which was ill., Now,
says the listener, we haye the eXplana-
ton. An abnormal brain produced
both meetings. Not so fast When l
recovered, ! learned that the man in II
trance had died. | made inquiries about
him and found that his mother lived up
the road that he or his ghostly body
and the bicycle had turned into. l went
TO see her, and she told me that while
her son was in Il trance he had fire.
quently visited her spiritually, usual
ly at night. l also learned that he was
an enthusiastic bicyclist.
1 give the views of my physician.
noted specialist i'm nervous diseases,
not because | place faith in him, but
that my listener may judge for himself.
He says that | was all the while suf-
fering from a nervous strain under
which nuent11a lI1- hrnEn down rhn