taking it. You can pay it
back when you get your own money."

"Yes, nine years from now," said Neal. "No, indeed, Cynth, I'll have to
be pretty hard up before I borrow of a girl."

"I think you are too bad," said Cynthia, almost crying. "I don't see the
difference between a girl and anybody else. I don't need the money; I
don't know what to buy with it. I would just love to have you take it.
It would be lovely to think my money had paid your debts, and then you
could start all fresh. Please, Neal, say you will if mamma does not give
it to you."

But Neal would not promise.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

A MILITARY BICYCLE CORPS' OUTING.

[Illustration: WATCHING THE EVENING POT BOIL.]

The bicycle corps of a military academy near Chicago recently made a
journey on wheels from that city to Springfield and back again, camping
at night wherever darkness overtook them, foraging among the neighboring
farm-houses for their subsistence, and conducting themselves on the
whole as if they were actually in the field on active service. A guard
was posted as soon as camp was pitched in the evening, and sentries kept
watch throughout the night, keeping away all intruders, and seeing to
it that none of the cadets ran the lines to visit a near-by village, or
to milk some unprotected cow in a neighboring farm-yard. The boys did
their own cooking, which at times was marvellous to look upon, and
fearful to digest; but they all lived through the experience, and got
back to the school in the best of health and condition. A week was
occupied in making the trip, and the experience and general knowledge of
bicycling which the cadets acquired in that time was such as they
doubtless could never have obtained in any other way. There were
seventeen in the party, including the Major commanding, who was one of
the instructors at the academy, and each wheelman carried about thirty
pounds of baggage, consisting of a change of under-clothing, a blanket,
a shelter tent, arms, and cooking utensils. The incidents of the journey
were many, and the element of adventure was not lacking.

Of course there were a number of accidents to the machines, one of the
most serious occurring about the fourth or fifth day out when about
eighty miles from Springfield. It was a creeping tire, and no amount of
cement or tire-tape could be made to stop it. A total of eight valves
was torn off in that one day, which, with the delay caused by punctures
from thorn-hedge