The Scranton chronicle., 1904-03-12
4 BICYCLE PROPOSAL
By JOHN wIcKLIFFE GRAY.

E
happenings O 3 feH Eeeks led ne %
tie conclusion thai lad NJ share ssa
more
4 girl alih hue eyes did Il As IN
moal cases where 3 mau has found him
sci face 70 face RIth himself i Vas
woman aho held The mirror.
L Kas tie old story q scouting a. lore
until mel fhe one gIfl. and then want
= 70 propose. Bat ahzt xiih The doubts
thai aasaIled ne a. 10 the probable re-
eeptlou n a proposal. and ny newborn
fimIdify ! could never gather together
SUFFICIENT courage A. he proper time 70
give expression % the thoughts that kept
me awake AZ night carefully formu-
lated pan after plan % rid ny mind Of
IL burden but one after another they
came to naught through ny disgusting
shyness -eoNardiee. Il you VII. ! am
haif inclined 10 believe that Beatrice
knew ny condition al the time. But
she had 3 keen sense Of humor. and ]
dreaded that sllYery laughter more than
a whole regiuent Of regulars. She could
grow serious in a moment. and It vas
this mcod liked best But. until that
sunny AZ when my bicycle helped me
through. lad always missed the point
L lacked but four day of my departure
from the springs. and knew 10 delay
might mean TO fail altogether
Delay and defeat Nere The words hat
hummed through ny brain Ike a sproek-
81 Eheei as Ve spun down the lane that
morning We were out after an carly
a-wheei ! had determined 70 throw all
M chances In the balance and find their
intrinsic worth. Just how ! was going
10 begin I had not determined. and
thought that for once | would leave the
matter open for the seizure Of the first
opportunity.
The morning air was crisp and cool.
The roadside flowers seemed nodding rs
a cheery good morning in the light
breeze. Now and then from the trees
came the call Of a bird. and. making a
shiny black streak in the air. a crow
would bend his flight TO lonely tree
In the fields. calling TO his mate
Bee and had said little until We
reached the broad pike
Want 10 race" she called back to
me from her point of vantage a few
lengths ahead Now | knew what that
meant Bee was the better rider. for
instead of taking a course OF indoor
physical culture she had adopted golf.
tennis and bicycle as the most enjoy
able method Of obtaining exercise and
health
Trying TO tease said But go
ahead. III do my best. Want to bet
anything?"
NO. not when ! am certain of the re-
suit" she laughed.
I erinned appreciation and asked:
How far?"
The two nile post she cried, and
We were off
Bee sprinled. and so did l. But the
distance between us remained about the
same. and precluded conversation, even
had not the pace attained the same end.
Soon the sprockets were singing a
steady song TO pebbles that spun back
ward from the rubber tires. We were
running at % miles an hour down the
best piece of road in the section.
settled To a steady speed, not quite
my best. and Bee did the same. saving
strength for the last half mile. The
wind whistled a merry tune to the time
we kept with our pedals. A coyey of
partridges fled with sharp chirps at our
whirlwind advance. | felt and noticed
little else beside the trim figure, with
flying wisps of brown hair, just ahead
of me.
Of sudden Bee began to draw ahead
of me
Put your heart into the game" she
called back 10 me. with her head half
turned as she spoke. She was laughing
out of pure enjoyment of the exercise.
and perhaps my probable discontinue.
My pride was nettled. and II must have
increased my strength to a considerable
degree. Soon was close behind her.
and with the wheels buzzing like mad
things | was even. One more squirt, and
by tremendous effort was ahead!
Get your hand in the game" called
back, paraphrasing her own slang. My
heart and your hand" | added by the
force of an inspiration. "a match race."
The second mile post was not more
than hundred yards ahead, and was
beginning to believe | should win. |
had no time to look back, fearing loss
Of my little gain.
But neither was TO have the victory.
Bees front wheel advanced slowly,
but surely, until 1t was even with my
handle-bars, and as we arrived oppo-
site the post, we were side by side.
1t was tiei
"You got your hand in" laughed
later under the trees where we were
seated.
Yes she agreed.
And my whole heart was in IT," |
added cautiously.
The blue eyes looked into mine and
seemed TO read what was there. And
then in the fear that my shyness would
return, | said quickly, incoherently:
Your hand. my heart, match. the
tie--Bee-" and
Wen, our bicycle will accompany us
on the honeymoon, even though it be as
excess baggage.
Profitable Investment.
/ In 1876 it was communicated to the
/ British government that the Khedive
lsmail Pasha, being in desperate need
3