" The young man in a blue flannel shirt, who did the
paddling, smiled at Van Bibber's riding-breeches, which were so very
loose at one end and so very tight at the other, and at his gloves and
crop. But Van Bibber pretended not to care. The three little girls
placed the awful lunch basket on the front seat and sat on the middle
one, and Van Bibber cowered in the back. They were hushed in silent
ecstasy when it started, and gave little gasps of pleasure when it
careened slightly in turning. It was shady under the awning, and the
motion was pleasant enough, but Van Bibber was so afraid some one
would see him that he failed to enjoy it.
But as soon as they passed into the narrow straits and were shut in by
the bushes and were out of sight of the people, he relaxed, and began
to play the host. He pointed out the fishes among the rocks at the
edges of the pool, and the sparrows and robins bathing and ruffling
their feathers in the shallow water, and agreed with them about the
possibility of bears, and even tigers, in the wild part of the island,
although the glimpse of the gray helmet of a Park policeman made such
a supposition doubtful.
And it really seemed as though they were enjoying it more than he ever
enjoyed a trip up the Sound on a yacht or across the ocean on a
record-breaking steamship.
Pages:
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189