Shook Him Off.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 52

Shook Him Off.

She was young and pretfrr- and alone. Her j Cycling costume was neat, trim, and becoming, and, mounted upon a bicycle, she floated Rlong over the smooth roads, the cynosure of 'many admiring masculine eyes and perhaps the envy: of many feminine ones. / She was riding up the principal street in the town in which she lived, when she met jWitli an annoyance that ladies riding alone > are frequently subjected to. The annoyance manifested itself in the form of a young man <of the unpleasant species. He rode a bicycle, jwore golf "hose, a pink shirt, had his hair parted accurately in the middle, and was possessed of assurance largely in excess of his etock of common sense. " Beg pardon," said he, riding alongside, and lifting his cap with a smile that was intended to be irresistible, " but haven't we met before?" She answered him by throwing him a withering look, and moved over to the other side Df tho street. " Nothing abashed, he followed juit, and with another bow and smile, said : ''I hope I am not intruding, but" J ' ( "You are intruding, sir. I do not know! pou, and 1 do not wish to talk to you." i ! " Well, if you don't know me, let us get Acquainted. You know " " Slackening her speed, she had suddenly dismounted, and, leaning over her bicycle, began to carefully examine' one of the pedals. Ho lyas off his machine in an instant. /' " Allow me to assist j'ou," said he. < She said nothing, but releasing her- bicycle • to him, took his to hold, while he went down on his knees' to the offending pedal. While he -was thus, engaged she deftly extracted a stout pin" from her hat and inserted the point into the rear tyre of his machine. 3By the time he had discovered there was absolutely nothing wrong with the pedal the •hatpin was resting inoffensively in its proper . place. ! Then she mounted, and as she whirled merrily away -the yourig man stood by his J ■bicycle with a ' tyre as flat as a proverbial (pancake. What his emotions were as she faded from view will never be known, but It was with crestfallen countenance that he 'slowly wheeled his machine over to a bicycle shop for immediate repairs. j