The Forrest City times., 1904-05-20
EsReC0nI......e.ss..nn1n, ... of Aunt Margaret
 By JOHN WICKLIFFE GRAY
sl)uT, Aunt Margaret, you have nev

RuT, Aunt Margaret, you have nev-
 D CT ridden d bicycle Willard sug- gested, grasping the idea as the last upon which to make a stand in bis ar gument
 Willard Robkin!" Miss Margaret strengthened up in her chair and gasped The tilt of words had lasted some min utes and was growing heated. Me! Me! ride bicycle, How dare you suggest such thing! I wouldn't touch one of the pesky handles with a tenfoot pole I have despised them ever since people began to run round after the things, and the women began to ride them in those disgraceful bloomers and divided skirts. It was shame upon every mem Der of the sex. Do you suppose would have put on boomers, or that would have perched myself astride one of those nickel-plated nightmares and paraded myself on the public highways in the sight of every living soul who cared to look! am surprised that you, Robkin on your fathers side at least, should think of such a thing-to even connect my name with a bicycle. Of course have never ridden one and never expect to. And now you want to spend your hard-earned salary to buy" Words failed and Miss Margaret paused to gain breath. Willard said nothing, though he chuckled inwardly at the picture that his aunt had eonjured up from his negative suggestion.
 "Myrtis Fuller never rode a bicycle" Miss Margaret continued. She was too well brought up for that, and she has my opinion of the man who loses his dignity so far as to ride them Your father never rode one, even after he lost his money; nor did your grand father before him. They had no use for such an outrageous affair as a bicycle"
 But Aunt Margaret, bicycles were not in use when father was young, and"
 Tt makes no difference Divided skirts were not in use when was a girl, either, and would as soon do like those horrid women on the stage as to wear one of them"
 But, Aunt Margaret, divided skirts needn't be worn. Anyway, I wouldn't wear"
 It's all the same. No man ever be came drunkard if he did not take his first drink" continued Miss Margaret, in womanly wise missing the point of the argument altogether to carry her point ITO do one is as bad as the other. and the first step leads to the sec ond"
 pr Bradley says it is the best ex-"
 'l don't care what Dr Bradley says"
 There was a silence unbroken save by the ticking of grandfather's clock in the hallway and even that was mutIied and deadened by the intervening tapestries and heavy carpets
 Then Willard queried:
 Say. Aunt Margaret, is there noth- ing that would change your attitude toward bicycles 9"
 No" promptly and firmly responded the old lady Her rather thin lips set in a straight line.
 Not even Myrtis?" queried Willard. his attitude and expression a veritable question mark Perhaps his heart beat an extra stroke or two also This was liable to be volcanic ground, he knew but bold tactics must be employed For Myrtis Fuller. though not a blood rela- ton. was the apple of Miss Margaret's eye. A friendship as strong as il was strange had grown up between the two. And. c teerly enough. Miss Margaret looked up to the younger woman in many things. despite the bare twenty one years of the latter. Her love for the old lady was manifested in all manner of small ways. chiefly in seeking her oompanionship. Thus Miss Fuller was set upon throne in Miss Margaret's heart. And her opinion of what Miss Fuller did corresponded Herself the child of a by-gone day. she accorded Miss Fuller that half-timid, loving rev erence that one generation may give a later because it is "up-to-date Miss Margaret was herself old-fashioned. and, by contrast, could admire the up- to-dateness in this other, whom she fondly chose to call another edition of her younger self
 ! There was both perplexity and hesi- tation in Miss Margarets voice when she answered
 'T-I-that might be different I had never thought of Myrtis on one of the things. She's so pretty" the speaker began, musing. She was calm now, and Nillard endeayored to