Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-06-08
A Serpent in Eden.


estrangement and his solemn assur-
ance never again to dabble in ex.
plosives that l consented to become
reconciled to Jipson. No one can
justly accuse me of an unforgiving or
Misunderstanding disposition, but really
that fog-signal affair so shattered my
nerves and faith in the inventors
actual sanity that it took all the tact
and persuasions of our respect,
wives to reestablish amicable rela.
lions between us. The two ladiea
have long been on affectionately in.
innate terms. but with Jipson and me
at loggerheads the customary fire.
quent exchange of Inequalities neces
sarily received a check; in fact,
don't mind admitting that l was no,
altogether uninfluenced by this aspect
OF the regrettable squabble Jipson's
wines are really unexceptionable, and
his cook a treasure
For some time aftsr the restora,
ton of peace, was, of course, very
much on my guard; but as the weeks
le heightened into months, and Jipson
never even mentioned the word in
vention | was gradually lulled into
feeling of pleasing security and
actually began to congratulate myself
that he had taken the last severe
lesson to heart, and perhaps altogether
abandoned his foolish, expensive and
fruitless experiments.
l was strengthened in this belief
by the keen interest he appeared to
have suddenly developed in garden
| Ing Now l am not a little proud Of
my own knowledge of this subject,
| and the modest acre of graund at 1.-THE
| Willows" is my pet hobby, my lawn
and flowers the delight of my heart,
and the envy and admiration Of the
whole neighborhood. l therefore re-
joiced greatly at Jipson's newly-awak-
ened interest in matters horticultural,
for therein, I hoped to lay the way
to his salvation.
For some years, 1t has been my GUS
tom to give garden party in mid
June, when the majority of my flow
ers are at their best. Usually, too, I
take brief holiday just before the
event in order to help my NAH put
everything into apple-pie order. Great
was my annoyance therefore at the
unexpected protraction of a business
visit to Scotland, which detained me
In the north until a couple of days
before the date of what had promised
to prove the most successful of our
| enjoyable al fresco gatherings.
1t was too dark to see how. the gar
den looked when 1 finally returned
home, but my wife's replies to my
anxious inquiries were far from reas.
| Iffn hfx,1
gone well up to that very morning,
when quite suddenly the lawn had
begun to look rather poorly and the
roses and plants in the herbaceous
borders to droop in a manner for
which our man, Jobson, was puzzled
to account, except on the suppositior
that the recent thundery weather had
affected them.
I was up soon after dawn, scrambled
into a few clothes and hurried dowr
into the garden. Never, never shall
[ forget the scene of utter ruin an(
destruction that met my Mortified
gaze. The lawn, that once beautiful
expanse of close cropped emerald
sward, was covered with hideou
brown patches of rapidly rottin,
|
glorious rose trees, had not a bloom
upon them that was not hopelessl,
withered or showing active symptom
of decay, and the same awful havo
was plainly manifest in the fowe
beds, where ANIMALS, perennials, an
even hardy shrubs, were stricken witt
the same mysterious sickness. TIL
whole garden was, in fact, irretriey
, ably blighted and / soon fed tn
heartrending spectacle in a state O
, mind verging very near to insanity
, 1t was hours before I was calm enoug
to choke down some breakfast, Civ
orders to put off the garden party an
rush off to the city, half-closing m
: eyes as | went down the path to avoi
the painful sight of my ruined Elder
, l never even saw Jipson on tn
, platform until he clapped me on tn
, shoulder. Under the circumstance
|, his rather boisterous: well, oil
! chap, how does the garden grow?
!, naturally added fuel to my fury, br
: there was subtle something in til
!, tone of the inquiry that awakened
> sudden indefinable suspicion, an
: prompted me to dissemble.
: "Never better" lied, as cheerful
: as I could; Impossible to look moi
blooming. Everything's come G
most surprisingly the last few days
n His face flushed with excitement
s I answered.; the old well-remembere
c look of triumphant self-confidence an
l. vanity lit his eyes. "In that case" l
e said, "I'll let you into secret I'd i
v tended to keep till the day of IL
n marty: YOU owe whatever improveme,