Paradise Garden: The Satirical Narrative of a Great ExperimentGibbs, George
General
Paradise Garden: The Satirical Narrative of a Great Experiment
Gibbs, George
Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Satire
I will come as rapidly as possible to the extraordinary happenings of
that Saturday afternoon, which as much as any other event in this
entire history, portrays the mutability of the feminine mind. I had
gone out to the cabin to see that everything was in order, and Jerry
was to follow later, while a few of the men fished up stream, Marcia
and some of her guests driving in motors to the upper gate, cutting
across to the cabin through the woods. Christopher had cleared the
cabin and he and Poole had brought the eatables and set a table. The
two days that had passed since Jerry had given me his promise had been
cheerful ones for the boy. I had not seen Miss Gore, but for aught I
knew Marcia Van Wyck might have been adoring Jerry again. I did not
care what her mood was. All would come right, for Jerry had given me a
promise and he would not break it. The arrangements within the cabin
having been completed, I went outside and wandered a short way down
the path toward the stream, sat on a rock and became at once engaged
in my favorite woodland game of counting birdcalls. Thrushes and
robins, warblers, sparrows, finches, all engaged in the employment
that Jerry had described as "hopping around a bit," or chirping,
calling, singing until the air was melodious with sound. The birdman's
surprise, a new note differing from the others, a loud clear gurgling
song, brought me to my feet and I went on down the path listening. It
was different from the note of a wren which it resembled, that of a
Lincoln sparrow, I was sure, a rarity at the Manor, only one specimen
of which Jerry possessed. But midway in my pursuit of the elusive bird
I saw movement in the path in front of me and I caught a glimpse of
leather leggins and a skirt. In a moment all thought of my Lincoln
sparrow was gone from my head. At first I thought the visitor one of
Jerry's guests, but as she approached, butterfly net in hand, I saw
that it was Una Habberton. So great was my surprise at seeing her that
I stood, mouth open, stupidly staring. But she was laughing at me.
"You're a nice one," she was saying. "Here I am a trespasser through
the grille and not a soul to greet me."
"You came," I muttered inanely.
"Obviously; since here I am. It's Saturday, isn't it?"
"Yes. But--" I paused.
"But what?"
"You said you wouldn't come."
"Oh," she laughed. "I merely changed my mind--my privilege, you know.
I was a trifle stale. I thought it would do me good. But you don't
seem in the least glad to see me."
I was--delighted. Joy was one of the things that made me dumb.
"I was just trying to realize--er--Won't you sit down? On a rock, I
mean. Jerry's somewhere about. He'll be along in a minute."
The possible effect on Una of Jerry's guests, who also might be along
in a minute, was just beginning to bewilder me.
"He's fishing?"
"He was to meet me at the cabin. He'll be along presently. It will be
a wonderful surprise. Suppose we hadn't been out here at all?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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