Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-02-11
The Strange
CYcIiSf
fOriglnal.1

is abundant evidence of things OF
earth that cannot be explained. Per
sonally l believe that as no rule Il
without exception so no natural law
is without disturbance Many things
that we call supernatural are the re
suit of such disturbances, or. to speal
more specifically, the possession Of alb
normal faculties.
Ever since the beginning of tn,
wheeling craze | have been an enthu
siastic wheelman. In the summer OF
1897 | was riding at night along q
country road when my lamp went out
and | was Obliged to get OH as best
could under the starlight. Presently
heard q faint sound behind me as OF
some one breathing in sleep. The next
moment bicyclist was beside me.
Good evening" he said in Il singu-
larly quiet voice.
Good evening" replied. "Your
wheel makes 40 little noise that didn't
hear 1t. though you were but few
feet behind me. With that machine
you should carry light"
II never use one. see your own lamp
Is not lighted"
ut went out for lack Of oil. You say
| you never use a light. Can you see In
the dark
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 1t
was not so dark but that could see
him pedaling with his feet and holding
as If to handle bars. but strain my
eyes as | would l could see nothing Of
his machine. | was about to mention
the fact to him and ask an explanation
when we crossed the rays OF Il light
from window, and | saw his face.
Notwithstanding the fact that we were
both riding at good speed. ii was as
restful as If lying oil 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 IL lie 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
young man was lying In trance In a
neighborlng town, | concluded to ride
over on my wheel and visit him. l was
obliged to wait my turn in an ante
room. for there were many wishing
to see him. and only one or two
were admitted at 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
What was my surprise. my
terror, to recognize I'm the face of the !
young man In trance that of the In |
visible bicyclst. staggered through |
the room and out of the house to the /
surprise and wonder of every one who
saw me-
had arrived shortly before dark,
and when started to go home 1t was
after 0 o'clock. would not have had
the GOODNESS to light my lamp had not
dreaded to ride without one over the
very road OH which had seen the
Dicyclist, the young man In trance.
What was my annoyance at going over
/ hump In the road to see my light go
nut. dlsmOunted, felt in my vest
rocket and found match, but In strik-
ng it l broke it, and the lighted end
puttered on the ground. felt for an
'ther but there was no other. l was
Orced to ride on In the dark.
Now, am ready TO admit that was
n very peculiar nervous condition.
which might account for what followed,
ut 1t does not account for what had
'receded. Suddenly looking down to
ny left. | saw the dim outline of Il BIZ
ycle running nOisecssly beside me,
expressions, the pedals turning as II
moved by pair Of human feet. the
andle bars and front wheel turning
rom right to left and left TO right as II
moved by pair of human hands. !
new that there was u rider and felt
ure that he was the one who had rid
en- Oh the invisible wheel-moreover
nat had not half an hour before left 1
i'm lying In a trance. soon recovered
Of my equnnimity and. motto.
~ ahead the house had passed during I
~ previous ride. hoped that the light
inning through the window would re
cal the face Of the rider. ! was dlsap
DlDted. There was 10 face that natu Il
Il light would reveal The next mo Il
ent as before. We reached the fork
the road, and the wheel vanished.
There was q blank Of some weeks
tier this during which was III. Now. I
Iys the listener. we have the EXPLAIN
on. An abnormal brain produced f.
9TH meetings Not so fast. When ! n
covered, | learned that the man In u 4
ance had died. made inquiries about
N and found that his mother lived W
&c road that he or his shostly boly
I'd the bicycle had turned into. went
see her. and she told me that while
n son was in trance he had FIRE. =
lently visited her SPIRITUALITY, usual Il
at night. l also learned that he was
, enthusiastic bicyclist
give the views OF my physician. q n
ted specialist in nervous diseases, io
It because | place faith In him, but
at my listener may judge for himself
Q says that was all the while suf ri
ring from q nervous strain under u
hich I eventually broke down. The = :
Sc Of the man lying In a comatosc 4
nditlOn was coincidence. My own
ain gave him the face of the bicy
ST. His mother. who was very old
d feeble woman, had been so affected =
my story that she imagined her son
d visited her. t-,
Let him who will believe such an ab.
I'd Interpretation. i"l
T. ftr L MANTON II. OLCOTT