Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-03
ADAMS GARDEN
a NOVEL
BY NINA WILCOX T

xAN0Ai Wucu L0ey were SeLLleQ. i
take 1t thar your boss is pretty anxious
to get my stuff for some big contract.
Well. ] might be willing to get rid Of
some OF 1t. I want to extend my gar
den a bit-want I put some holly
hooks over there"
"G~Nlyfowers!" said the man, firm
y. Adam a up as though he had seen
TITS a north wall!" the maj per-
sisted as though the other had spoken
q denial: Won't get"sun Enough. Gill
We'll. but look there!" exclaimed
Adam. II would have guessed
YOU ay nad been q garssner"
giant. because l. amt never beeps no
such thing. So yer see, you're a Better
guesser than you thought"
But knowledge Of fiowers!"
aid Adam. you must have done
some planting"
"oh, yes!" the visitor replied. II al
ways done the planting at home when
ring:.:." :.
B Jove!" shouted Adam. "a fight
or! I should have know at frst!"
Yes" said the man, ga fighter.
Funny, y'know, but I allus wanted to
be a gardener. Odd-like, amt it, how
yyou should have spoke about it? But
wa SO kinda big Inc strong and
one to fight off my own bat-that
some way I just naturally got drawed
into fghtin':'I didn't take to it. Never
have. Don't yet. But it was easy
money and I, stuck. Just seemed like
1 couldn't get out, once I started. And
then after the Joloff fight, I put out
me shoulder Never went back. I had
Why not a garden?" Adam ques.
toned.
II did think of it," the man admit
led. But the other came easier. Sorne-
way the boys all expected the saloon,
and hats about how it happened. And
my shoulder hurt when it was cold, SO
I got to- hittin' the booze-drunk all
the time after a while. Then 1 did
some things. and then I got this job
n here l be. And I don't quite know
how It all happened neither"
And. all the while you would rather
have been a gardener" said Adam.
And so should I! You see, I'm right
with you on this garden thing. I'm
going to have quite a. place here. Come
and see what o think Of putting a
cold-frame around on the other side
of the shack"
He arose. and the ex-prize-fghter
followed eagerly, and for long mo
.ments they stood absorbed in a dis
cussion of the respective merits of
the west and southwest walls for the
projected frame. The great big fellow
swayed his flail-like arms as he talk
ed. his face glowing, his husky voice
full of that peculiar crucial manner
which is common to all gardeners. He
would flash with a new suggestion,
frown, and rub his long, stubbly chin,
over a difficulty. Adam watched his
face interestedly, divided between re-
spect for what the man said, and
amazement at his saying it at all. 1t
was a new experience to look al PEG
pie and see them for what they were,
CASUALLY less) Important adjuncts to
ones self-and Adam was doing it
now, with all the enthusiasm of the
beginner gK1 eh. s,oa -
fer vi'lets!' said the fellow. Early
ones. in pots. e know. How much Of
a place are yer goin' in fer?"
why! / don't really know"
you got water in the yard" said
the fighter, land this is a natural spot
for sweet peas. Y. could run two
trenches clear ter the next street an
flood 'em from here. Sweet peas brings
prices: n you so near the mar
ket, they could go down by hand. And
a swell chance Of no breakage or
by Jove!" said Adam. "say that
again: I sounds almost like an idea"
"Why!" said the man. surprised. /,
Amt you gonna do -nothin' CONNER
cial with your f1ow'rs?"
II hadn't dreamed of it! Would
such a thing be possible ?"
Flowers amt given away free
gratis fer nothin' in the city," said the
"Whew!" exclaimed Adam. Here
come back and sit down and let's talk
this over. I want to get your idea.
What do you n1ean?"
They reseated themselves on the
porch, and the giant accepted a fresh |
of tobacco.
why, I thot," he began between
have a forist-supply place up here"
But how could, it be done?" asked
II haven't any money and I
know the first thing about
the stuff and all that, nor
what to grow"
THE reason your diggin' struck me
quick" said the fighter, "is that
I've thot a lot about why none of these
here squatters. like you never grow
nothin'. Bulbs in pots is easy, and you
got room fer two or three hundred.
Here you got the space, an down in
street, you got the mar
Course 1t can't be done on a tre-
menjous scale, but there's good money !
in fancy-mind you in fancy-stuf. il
Up original-like. Fer instance!
aid you ever see m~ignonettes in pots
real swell mignonettes, in a square
pot, say? No! OF curse you amt seen;
1t. But II one of these rich guys that's
looking fer somethin' fancy and diff |
seen 1t in q winder. would he
buy It? You betcher! An how about
the idea Of an old-fashioned garden
in a w~inder-box. Cininum -pinks. an
zinnias, an candy-tuft-boxes for in
doors. Get ne? There's money in them
things. They can bc-cne in a small
place. and more, they give a guy de
chanst ter develop his ideas-give !
play to de fancy, see? You could get
real good time out OF planning these
little old-fashioned gardens. Everyone
different. Oh! I've got ideas, I .have!"!
Adam stared at him in open admi-
|
MI. Ex-Champion,' he said, SLOW
~. I'm not sure but that you are COR
rect. You have ideas. They may be
fantastic end impractical, but Unjust
that all great conceptions
appear at first. Gardening unques-
tionably makes q greater appeal to me
than junk. I'd like to think that there
was a living in it. Tell me some more.
How do you know about the flower
market, for inDtance?"
We'll" said the man, II got a friend ,
down there. Wholesale cut ferns and
laurel! He's got q big co~ld-storage
plant. Him and me Is from the same
town upstate. I could have gone inI
with him any time. but sor:ewax this |
her cold-storage end Of the business
don't appeal to me-. All the millions Of
tied up in little packets and laid
away on ice like dead fish, yer know.
ID rather do the CROWN. g too much
like q morgue down there. And no
Only green stuff"
Il see!" said Adam. nodding sympa-