Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/26



incident in the road was soon followed by improving the acquaintance, and by our heroine’s admission into the Frogmore bicycle club. Mr Lyttelhurst, its promoter, who had picked up the fallen machine on the occasion mentioned, was a married solicitor of repute, living in the town. Within a fortnight afterwards, during which the young girl practised alone and tumbled about for an hour or two every day, an arrangement was made that Mr Lyttelhurst should call at Dulham with some of the other members, and take her for a short ride of some dozen miles.

Her uncle, of course, came out to see them go off, and the two elder ladies, who disapproved of the whole proceeding, peeped nevertheless from a bedroom window above. Lesbia, a little nervous at first, soon began to enjoy the ride, the men having chosen the most level among their regular routes, so that she had no occasion to dismount, and already she was able to run ‘legs over’ down some easy slopes that occurred now and then. ‘Their road took them right through Frogmore, the main street of which was macadam, in fairly good order. Lesbia kept her place steadily and carefully amid the traffic, which happened to be pretty thick, it being market day.

‘Capital, Miss Newman!’ exclaimed the man who had