lk about and enjoy the prospect.

Our city editor often surprises me with the depth and breadth of his
local information. For example, I opened the _Echo_ one day to be made
aware that "Miss Mamie Gemmell" had outstripped all the lady bicyclists
in town by making the distance between Lake City and Interlaken in
forty-seven minutes. It was also remarked that she was one of the most
graceful lady riders on the road.

I wonder how many generations a man must be removed from Scotland before
he becomes callous to the disposition of the family name. I own that I
squirmed inwardly, but with outward composure asked Belle where Mary got
the "bike."

"Watty's old one. He taught Mary to ride it, and then made her a present
of it, for he's set his heart on a new wheel."

"Confoundedly generous of him!"

"I'm glad you look at it that way. It is so seldom that he does give up
anything for anybody, I thought he ought to be encouraged, and I said he
should have a new bicycle with pneumatic tires and all the latest
improvements at Christmas, if you did not see fit to give it to him
sooner."

In August I took my annual day's fishing, which has come to be rather a
joke in the house, because, in spite of my elaborate preparations the
night before, and the unheard-of hour at which I rise in the morning, I
have never been known to catch anything worth bringing home.

This time my companion was a journalist from Chicago, an ardent young
fellow, who could not keep from "shop" even when off on his holidays,
and who had started a small weekly paper in which were to be recorded
the doings of a certain congress holding a summer session in our grove.

We rowed up the little lake on the edge of the lily-pads, fishing both
sides of it, but caught nothing except a sunfish or two. Then we lit our
pipes and talked.

"What an extremely clever young lady that adopted daughter of yours is.
I heard only the other day that she is not your own."

"Indeed!"

"Yes, sir. No one would believe it to talk to her, but she's got a
surprisingly bright mind for one so young. She can't be more than
seventeen, but her descriptions are good enough for one of the best
magazines, and she has evidently thought a lot on all the leading topics
of the day. Why, she's up in Hypnotism, Evolution, Theosophy--everything!"

"Bless my soul! How did you find all that out?"

Thereupon he fished from his pocket a couple of his tiresome little
publications.

"I asked he