Short Story.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume VI, Issue 155, 18 May 1899, Page 3

Short Story.

A Cycling Adventure.

One of our readers, a "-well-known cyclist in the Northern counties, sends us the following account of an adventure he me"t with several years ago. He writes :—Three years ago I was " doing" the East coast with no other companion but my bicycle. One morning I rode from Bridlington to Hornsea. I was not I much enamoured with the place, and late in the afternoon I determined to push on towards Withernsea. I stayed a few minutes at Aidborough, and again resumed my- journey. The weather had all along looked unpromising, and after a time it assumed'such a threatening aspect that I began to consider the advisableness of returning to Aldborough. I did not relish the idea of turning back, so I increased my speed with the object of reaching Withernsea , before the storm broke. .

A quarter of an hour later I regretted my decision. The rain came down in torrents, and there was no 'house or place of shelter to be seen. I was suddenly brought to a halt. A hundred yards before me was a bicycle lying on the roadside, and sheltering under a leafy tree was a young lady. Lady cyclists were not so numerous then as now. I had seldom met a ladyrider in the country, and never had I seen one in such apparent distress as the one before me. I dismounted, and boldly asked if I could be of any assistance. My boldness immediately turned to bashfulness, for without doubt the young lady was the most attractive I had ever seen. She could not be more than 20, and she looked positively charming in her neatly-fitting cycling costume. The unmistakable glow of pleasure which suffused her face when she saw that unexpected assistance had arrived made me feel awkward and clumsy, but, all the same, highly delighted. Her voice was sweet and musical, and she spoke and acted in a manner Which at once stamped her as a lady of culture. She informed me that one of the tires of her bicycle'was punctured. I examined the machine and found a large nail firmly fixed in the tire. I removed the nail, but, although I had materials ready, I knew that it was practically impossible to repair the machine in such a storm, so I suggested that we should go forward until we came to a house.

I falteringly offered the lady the use of my machine, but she laughingly declined, so I* placed her bicycle on the top of mine, aud together we walked along the muddy road. Despite the unfavourable climatic conditions I thoroughly enjoyed that walk, and so, I believe, did the lady. She said she was on her way to Hornsea when the accident occurred. We laughed at our misfortunes, and by-and-by we came to a house on the roadside. The only occupants were an old man and a deaf old woman, but they were very hospitable. I was shown into a bedroom, where I l'emained until my clothes were dried before the kitchen fire, and an hour later the lady and I were sitting in the kitchen with dry clothing on our backs. The rain had not abated. I repaired the lady's machine, and when I had finished I was confident that it would take her to the end of her journey. Seven, eight, nine o'clock went by, and still the rain continued to pour. The time passed pleasantly enough, certainly. I should have liked it to last for ever, but as the night grew darker and darker the lady began to show signs of uneasiness, and seemed resolved to go on, although by this time the roads were practically flooded. I volunteered to ride on and inform her friends of her safety, but she would not allow me to do so. She said that her parents would think she had reached Hornsea, and her Hornsea friends were not expecting her, as she had only decided that very morning to visit them. At 10 o'clock our host and hostess said that it was no use thinking of going that night. They had not much accommodation, but they could manage if we cared to stay the night. We warmly thanked them' for their hospitality, and that night my newly-found lady friend slept in the only spare bedroom, while I made the best of the couch in the parlour.

It was 7 o'clock when I awoke. I at once went into the kitchen, and to my chagrin I found that the lady had departed an hour ago. It appeared that her father had telegraphed to Hornsea to hear if she had arrived safely, and on receiving a negative reply had set off before the sun rose to find her. He had called at every house on the way. and when he at length discovered her whereabouts he actually borrowed my bicycle without troubling to ask my permission, and rode off with his daughter to Withernsea. I was indignant at his presumptuousness, but I was calmed when I heard that he had left a message for me, apologising for his " robbery," and asking me to call upon iiim at the Queen's Hotel, Withernsea, when he would be pleased to return my machine and thank for my courtesy to his daughter. ' '

. I tramped to Withernsea with a light heart. With nervous hesitation I inquired at the Queen's Hotel, and. to my horror, I was told that no lady or gentleman of that name had been there. I cotild not understand it. I searched all the hotels and made inquiries at several likely lodging-houses, but the answer was the same, and slowly the fact dawned upon me that I had been robbed, swindled, duped, by a woman's treacherous beauty. It was hard to believe. It was a long time before I could persuade myself that such a pretty, charming, cultured, innocentlooking young lady was a bicycle thief s decoy, but when I walked back to the house where I had slept and found that nothing had been heard of her I had to acknowledge myself completely deceived.

I gave my address to the old man, who promised to write if he heard any news; but from that day to this I never received a line from him.

The next summer I was staying at Scarborough. One evening I was leisurely walking on the Spa when suddenly I met the lady cyclist face to face and recognised her instantly. The recognition was mutual. I blushed, and then looked: angry. The colour also rose to her cheeks, and then she loo'ked away as though to ignore my presence. We passed I and repassed each other. She was accompanied by a gentleman, Snd I wondered whether he had a bicy|e. I thought it my duty to warn 'him, rt the sight of her face made me feel

chart; the pleasure of her company was worth a dozen bikes.

By-and-by I missed them. Shortly after the gentleman with whom she had l>een walking came up to me. He looked angry. With a look of unutterable scorn he said, "I suppose you remember the lady with whom I was walking a short time ago ?" " I bave good reason to do so," I replied, angered at the insolent tone he adopted. •' Yes," he said, " you ead ! You " "■Sir!" I interrupted. "I repeat that you are a cad ! I am the lady's brother, and I am half inclined to hand you over to the police this, very moment !" I was thunderstruck. I, a cad ! Hand me over to the police ! There must surely be a misunderstanding somewhere. It was with difficulty that 1 restrained an impulse to knock him down, but I succeeded in calming my injured feelings, and asked for an explanation. " Very cool—very," he replied. " 1 suppose you find it convenient to forget that you stole my sister's bicycle ?" " You mean that your sister stole my bicycle," I boldly responded. " What ?" he shouted, and he raised his stick threateningly. "Come with me. This 'ls no place to argue such a matter."

We sought a secluded corner, and when I demanded an explanation he said. "Well, you and my sister put up at a roadside house, between Aldborough and Withernsea, last summer ?" " Quite true," I said. " In the morning, when my sister rose at 9 o'clock, she found that you had been up before 6, that you rode out on her machine 'to try it' ; that you returned in five minutes saying that it bad broken down again ; that you rode on your own maebine to fetch it back, and that you never returned."

To say that I was astounded is but a feeble description of my feelings. Who, then, was the thief ? It was clearly not the lady. That news gave me infinite delight. In my joy at the discovery 1 forgot the insults the brother had heaped upon me, and I told my story. He scarcely seemed to believe me at first, but at length he cooled down, and together Ave discussed the matter. We agreed that the only way to solve the mystery was that the lady and I should together visit the old couple and demand the truth.

With this understanding he took me to his sister. It was an uncomfortable meeting. Each had suspected the other. and I was glad to find that When matters were explained she seemed more than pleased. . To cut a long story short, two days later the lady, her brother, and I visited the ihouse from which our machines had so mysteriously disappeared. I knocked at the door. The old lady opened it, and directly she saw us she shrieked, and ran into the garden with remarkable agility for a woman of her age. We entered the kitchen and found the old man. who piteously exclaimed : "'Mercy! mercy! We've been miserable ever since we did it. Don't lock us up, sir. it would kill us. Your bicycles are safe."

It was with difficulty that we soothed the old man, and persuaded bis wife to come near us. We promised that no harm should befall them if they spoke the truth, whereupon the man said : " While you were asleep we talked about bicycles and how much they would sell for. We had just lost a cow, and my missus said as 'ow a bicycle was worth mor'n a cow. 1 made up my mind to steal both machines, but my missus said no. At last I persuaded her, and I thought of a way of cheating you. It took me all night to think of it. I tried to make each of you think that the other had stolen a bicycle, and you were both gammoned. I've never slept comfortably since, sir. I dar'n't sell the ■bicycles, I dar'n't write to you, and now my sin has found me out. It's all my fault, sir. Don't blame the missus. Be merciful to me and take the machines away, for they have been a curse to both of tis."

We did not take proceedings against the aged couple. The bicycles were in good condition, for the man had cleaned them daily. I again repaired the puncture, and rode 'her machine to Withernsea. I offered mine to her brother, but he declined, and the lady and I rode on alone,"while her brother walked. We talked over our first meeting, we chatted about our unjust suspicions, we discussed the old couple's knavery and subtlety—we talked of something else, and she said, " Yes."— " Weekly Telegraph."