The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-31
THE GIRL AND
l THE HIGHWAYMAN.
A Bicycling Mishap and a Hold
Up That Helped to Smooth
Out a Love Affair.

the SUNNI against the clear morning SKY
Heavens! She was never going to ride
down Kynaston Hill in this mud!
Get OFF, l yelled "the road is IKE
| pond
| The girl glanced at me for an instant,
then at the long sweep of road falling away
before her, smiled, put her feet on the
I rests and coasted. Her bicycle skidded,
| just as l expected; and l hurried down
the road to find her sitting In the mud,
, looking at her machine with rueful face.
She picked herself up without my as
! sistance. while the pink of her cheeks
deepened
"There is a warning to bicyclists' at the
top of the hill," l said. stopping to take
the bicycle by the amp-rest which was the
only part could see unspotted by mud.
at is too late to tell me that now she
said, Nobody with any sense ever gets
of for warning to cyclists.
The tone showed me that further re-
| proach would be unwise
She turned half round to gaze anxously
up the hill
"He cant be coming yet, she murmured.
An unwarrantable feeling of disappoint-
| ment chilled me for a moment.
I @Oh," she cried. Il mustn't wait an in
slant The bicycle is quite clean mower
thank you very much | will walk down
the rest of the hill
1T would be wiser" I turned to hide
a smile. Il will wheel your bicycle, if you
will allow me-"
She looked at me for an instant before
replying. but after short scrutiny her
face cleared.
Thank YOU very much. " she said.
She was about IS and charmingly pretty.
felt at all costs must know more about
her.
Wouldn't it be better if We sat down and
waited for him?" asked gently.
The girl looked at me with eyes full of
alarm,
Waltz" she cried. Good heavens. no!
Why. should have to 60 straight back
home If We did"
At the next turn she looked back. As
she did so stopped, with the pretenoe
OF clearing the mud from the brake Ct
her bicycle. and drove pin right through
the front tire.
I'm afraid you've punctured your tire,
I said gravely. The look of despair in those
gray eyes filed me with a sudden remorse
for the deed | had done.
Il haven't got an outfit she cried. Per-
haps you have, thought"
NO I answered, untruthfully. hoping
she would never see the contents of my
saddlebag.
The gray eyes filled with tears. and
l felt that l had behaved like bcastly
cad.
Look here said I. unless you tell
me all about it, don't see how can help
you"
1T is Uncle George who is coming,
with his dogcart; and if he catches me
I shall have to go st raight back to Berry
ston."
Lets go and sit on that fallen tree,
said persuasively, and talk it over calmly.
If you don't mind my suggesting it, wouldn't
it be a good plan to begin with your name
and address,
She hesitated little. then sat down on
the extreme edge Of the log, and looked
doubtfully at me.
MY name is Letitia Rowe she sad,- and
1 live at the White House at Beryston"
1T is very pretty name murmured
politely. why did you run away
Letitia's face grew crimson. Il came
away" she said in a very low voice, because
am engaged to be married to a-a-beast.
I.e is coming to-day to the White House
to see me- and made up my mind that when
he came l wouldn't be there
Il don't blame YOU" said |. But don't
quite understand Why, if the gentleman
is beast, have you got to marry him? In
what way is he beast? Is he ugy?'
Ietitia frowned. and poked the ground
with her small patent leather toe.
Il don't know whether he is ugly or not"
she said quickly, because l have never
seen him l am engaged to be married
to him because Beryston is mine, and Kynas-
ton is his, and Uncle George thinks they
ought to be joined together as one estate
"Ah," l murmured encouragingly. 1T
seems suitable arrangement,
Cant you see, she said pettishly Il
only left school six weeks ago, and | want
to have some fun before I am married.
| should like TO have some say in choosing
my husband And then David Kynaston
is awfuIly old-even older than you, should
think.
IF you have never seen him, perhaps
he is not 50 ancient after all, suggested
He may be able to walk quite well-with
the assistance of a stick.
l@tltia started to her feet My remarks
did not appear to reconcile her to her fate.
1t is no use try ing to persuade me to go
back" she said, because ! won't
where are you going' Are you going to
take refuge IN sCnool again!
Not if | know it," she answered hastily
II am going to ride to Mornington to my
Aunt Margaret's; and | am going to stay
with her till Uncle George can be brought
to reason.
Perhaps If you were to meet Mr.. Kynas-
ton" said, slowly, you might make some
kind of bargain with him. You see, he,
too, might repent of the arrangement by
that time"
Letitia's color rose again
you are not very polite she said.
'Very likely he would; but am not going
to give him the chance. II any one is to
be fitted, it shall be he"
Il assure YOU don't think it is in the
least likely" said !, hurricdly. "unless he
Ia blind he cannot fail to bo pleased with
his share of the bargain, Now, II were
David Kynaston, should not lose a mo-
ment i'll
Then Ietitia interrupted.
1T must be nearly half-past o., she said,
"and / have got to walk this wretched
machine to Kynast on to be- mended. Oh.
what does it cost to have puncture
mended?" she said suddenly.
About a quarter, think"
Letitia took dainty green leather purse
from her pocket and opened it,
IL have only got twenty alto gethcr-
she said. And want To get some lunch
with that"
Again her gray ewes filed With toarS.
Il should rather think you would, said l.
Considering that Mornington is fifty miles
from here at he very lpasi Won saorn in