about the damage to my
bicycle than I was. I hastened to relieve her mind.

"It does not matter a bit about the damage done by the bear," I said.
"I should not wonder if that wheel would be a great deal better for a
new tire, anyway. And, as for that doleful Italian, I do not want to
be hard on him, even if he has a little money in his pocket."

But my remarks did not relieve her, while my cheerful and contented
tones seemed to add to her anxiety.

"But you cannot travel," she said, "and there is no place about here
where you could get a new tire."

It was very plain that no one in this house entertained the idea that
it would be a good thing for me to rest here quietly until my bicycle
could be sent away and repaired. In fact, my first statement, that I
wished to stop but for the night, was accepted with general approval.

I did not deem it necessary to refer to the man's offer, to send me
and my machine to Waterton in a wagon, and I was just on the point of
boldly announcing that I was in no hurry whatever to get on, and that
it would suit me very well to wait here for a few days, when the boy
burst into the room, one end of his little neck-tie flying behind him.

"The Dago's put!" he shouted. "He's put off and gone!"

We looked at him in amazement.

"Gone!" I exclaimed. "Shall I go after him? Has he paid his bill?"

"No, you needn't do that," said the boy. "He cut across the fields
like a chipmunk--skipped right over the fences! You'd never ketch him,
and you needn't try! He's off for the station. I'll tell you all
about it," said the boy, turning to his mistress, who had been too
much startled to ask any questions. "When he went into the
house"--jerking his head in my direction--"I was left alone with the
Dago, and he begun to talk to me. He asked me a lot of things. He
rattled on so I couldn't understand half he said. He wanted to know
how much a tire cost; he wanted to know how much his bill would be,
and if he'd have to pay for the little post that was broke.

"Then he asked if I thought that if he'd promise to send you the money
would the gentleman let him go without payin' for the tire, and he
wanted to know what your name was; and when I told him you hadn't no
husband, and what your name was, he asked me to say it over again, and
then he made me say it once more--the whole of it; and while I was
tellin' him that I'd write it down for him if he wanted to send you
the money, he give a big jump and he