n us. "There's
hope for you yet, Roger."

Marcia came and thrust her arm through Miss Gore's. "Isn't it
wonderful to be the first woman in the Garden of Paradise?"

Miss Gore nodded carelessly.

The girl was so radiant in her air of possession that I couldn't help
speaking.

"But you're not," I said.

Marcia's narrow eyes regarded me coolly and then looked at Jerry
inquiringly, and when she spoke her voice was almost too sweet.

"Please don't rob us of our poor little halos, Mr. Canby," she said.
"Do you mean that there have been other women, girls--in here before?"

I can't imagine why Jerry hadn't told her that. She seemed to know
about everything else. "Yes, one."

"Jerry!" reproachfully. "And you said I was the first girl you'd ever
really known!"

He smiled, though he was quite pink around the ears.

"You are really. Er--she didn't count."

"I shall die of chagrin. Her name, Mr. Canby," she appealed.

I hesitated. But Jerry, still red, blurted out:

"Una Smith. But Roger says that couldn't have been her name."

"But why shouldn't it be her name? She had nothing to be ashamed
about, had she?"

"Of course not. She just slipped in through a broken grille. She was a
stranger around here--I just happened to meet her and--er--we had a
talk."

The boy seemed to be quite ill at ease. What did he already owe this
girl Marcia that such an innocent confession made him uncomfortable?

"Una--Una--Smith," the girl was repeating. "This is really beginning
to be fearfully interesting. Una," she turned quickly, her eyes
widening. In the bright sunlight they seemed very light in color, a
dark gray shot with little flecks of yellow. "Of course," she
exclaimed. And then, "When was this--er--intrusion, Jerry? Last July?"

"I think so."

It was Jerry's turn to be surprised.

"She was brown-haired, smallish, with blue eyes? Quite pretty?"

Jerry nodded.

"Wore leather gaiters and carried a butterfly net?"

"You know her, Marcia?" he broke in.

"Of course. Jerry, I'm really surprised--also a trifle
disillusioned--"

They moved off down the path toward the lake, Jerry talking earnestly.
I watched them for a moment in silence, wondering what crisis I had
precipitated in Jerry's affairs.

Beside me I heard the deep voice of Miss Gore.

"You see? He's already madly infatuated with her."

"Yes, yes," I replied, still watching them. "And she?"

Miss Gore shrugged her thin shoulders.

"I don't know. She w