When he returned I showed deep regret that my wheel was broken, for, of course, I was not much tired, but when he pronounced both wheels in good running order, I felt awfully, for I would have given most anything for an excuse to go no farther.
Arthur now encouraged us by saying he would run on a while and then wait for us, so we took it steady, and in some way got past him. Then we sat down in the shade and waited, for we did not want to report at the club house that we had left him in the country, for fear they would blame us. We finally started on and came slowly, stopping in every shade, waiting for Arthur, until we reached Garfield Park, where we met Minnie, my eldest daughter, with Dr. Chamberlain, her husband, and Alberta, my next, with her husband, George Carlson, together with several other neighbors, all riding their wheels, who laughed at us and said Arthur arrived home about three hours before.
CYCLING RUN TO SOUTH PARK. THE LOWER LEFT-HAND LADIES AN INTERESTING TRIO. LEFT TO RIGHT, LOTTIE SOPER, ALLIE OLIVER AND LUCY NEWELL. TWO TALLEST MEN IN BACK, CHARLIE SOPER AND CHARLIE NEWELL.
ARTHUR'S AND WALTON'S LONG RUN
The next summer Arthur and Walton made their famous ride through to Crystal Lake, Conn. Here is an outline of their exploit, which was considered a great achievement, considering the rainy weather and the rough roads they encountered between Chicago and Toledo and between Silver Creek and Memphis, N. Y.
Here I reproduce the letters which Arthur sent back while on the road: