Jerry Junior

In Short

Set along the sun-drenched Italian lakes, Jerry Junior is a lighthearted romantic comedy following Jermyn Hilliard Jr., a wealthy young American who falls for the elusive Constance Wilder. To get past her social guard, Jerry poses as a local donkey-driver named Tony, leading Constance and her chaperones on mountain excursions. Constance soon sees through his masquerade, sparking a secret duel of feigned ignorance, playful torment, and local mishaps. Celebrated for its swift, sparkling dialogue and bright Mediterranean setting, the novel remains a charming relic of early twentieth-century American travel fiction.

The Story

The story opens at the Hotel du Lac in the sleepy Italian village of Valedolmo, where young American traveler Jermyn Hilliard Jr. ("Jerry") finds his summer trip dragging. His boredom vanishes when he catches sight of Constance Wilder, a headstrong American girl staying with her father and aunt at the nearby Villa Rosa. Intrigued by her beauty and independence, Jerry attempts to make her acquaintance, but Constance remains distant.

Refusing to leave Valedolmo on the morning boat, Jerry seizes an unexpected opportunity. By bribing local helpers, he arranges to step into the shoes of a local mountain guide and donkey-driver named Tony. Disguised in rough clothes, bright sashes, and fake earrings, Jerry takes charge of the donkeys for the Wilder family's mountain excursions. He assumes a comical broken-English dialect, claiming to be a Hungarian named Tony who speaks Magyar.

Constance quickly catches on to the charade. Rather than exposing him, she decides to play along, determined to punish his audacity by pushing him to his physical limits. She demands early morning departures, assigns him exhausting tasks, and flirts openly with local Italian suitors—most notably the handsome Lieutenant Carlo di Ferara—right in front of him. Jerry endures the indignities of a servant's status, including sitting on kitchen steps for macaroni dinners, while silently fuming over her suitors.

Complications multiply when Jerry's sister, Nannie Hilliard, arrives in Valedolmo with their aunt. Nannie is searching for her missing brother, unaware that he is masquerading as a local peasant in the same village. Meanwhile, Constance's father, Mr. Wilder, quietly discovers "Tony's" true identity early on during an uphill trek, but chooses to keep the secret so he can enjoy the absurd romantic farce unfolding around him.

The climax arrives when local Italian authorities mistake Jerry for a military deserter and throw him into the village jail. Constance visits his cell to tease him about his predicament, bringing him lemon jelly and offering to bake him a file inside a pasty. After the confusion is cleared up and Jerry is released, the two wander into the Villa Rosa garden, where they finally drop their disguises and admit their mutual affection. The novel closes on a comedic note as Jerry and Constance flee over the garden wall to avoid explaining the whole mess to Lieutenant di Ferara.

How It Unfolds

A change of plans Jerry Hilliard prepares to leave Valedolmo on the morning boat, but cancels his departure the moment he catches another glimpse of Constance Wilder. He checks back into the Hotel du Lac under the alias "Abraham Lincoln" to conceal his presence.

The transformation into Tony Determined to get close to Constance, Jerry hires local donkey-drivers to let him take over their job. Dressed in peasant attire with colorful sashes, he introduces himself to the Wilder family as a Magyar guide named Tony.

Excursions and exposures Constance uncovers Jerry's deception almost immediately through hotel records and local gossip. Instead of confronting him, she accepts his service for steep mountain trips up Monte Maggiore, delighting in driving her disguised admirer to utter exhaustion.

Competing for favor As Lieutenant di Ferara and other Italian officers court Constance, Jerry is forced to play the passive servant, holding donkeys while his rivals hand her down from the saddle. He retaliates by offering blunt, impertinent advice about her romantic choices.

Confrontation in the cell Jerry's farce collapses into local chaos when military police arrest him under suspicion of being an Italian army deserter. Constance visits him in his comfortable cell, ruthlessly teasing him before helping to clear up the misunderstanding.

Unmasked in the garden Reunited at Villa Rosa, Constance and Jerry abandon their banter and acknowledge their love. Upon learning that Mr. Wilder knew the truth all along, the newly engaged couple scales the garden wall to escape the awkwardness of greeting Constance's discarded Italian suitor.

The People

• Jermyn "Jerry" Hilliard Jr.: An affluent, impulsive young American whose summer leisure turns into an elaborate courtship performance. Driven by his fascination with Constance, he willingly trade flannels for a guide's rags, enduring physical strain and public humiliation just to stay near her.
• Constance Wilder: A spirited, sharp-witted American traveler who refuses to be easily won. Upon discovering Jerry's trickery, she uses her wits and position as his employer to turn the tables on him, testing his devotion through a gauntlet of trials.
• Mr. Wilder: Constance's father, a quiet, news-obsessed gentleman who finds Italian life pleasantly slow. Though seemingly detached, he sees through Jerry's disguise early on and quietly savors the youthful drama from the sidelines.
• Gustavo: The long-suffering head waiter at the Hotel du Lac. Motivated by the promise of generous tips, he helps Jerry pull off his ruse, scrambling frantically to keep the lie intact before the town's visitors.
• Lieutenant Carlo di Ferara: A polished, decorative Italian officer whose earnest courtship of Constance serves as the primary engine for Jerry's jealousy.

In Its Own Voice

"He find that he is fonder of Valedolmo than he had supposed. There is something satisfying about the peace and tranquility of the place--one doesn't realize it till the moment of parting comes."

Jerry's makeshift excuse to Gustavo when cancelling his departure boat reveals the impulsive turn that sets his disguise in motion.

"A donkey-driver, I find, plays the same accommodating rôle as the family watch-dog. You pat him when you choose; you kick him when you choose; and he is supposed to swallow both attentions with equal grace."

Jerry vents his frustration to Constance after a long day of playing the servant while she entertains Italian officers.

"He isn't really a donkey-man nor a Magyar nor an orphan nor an organ-grinder nor--any of the things he has said he was. He is just a plain American man and an awful liar!"

Constance introduces Jerry to her father in the villa garden, summarizing his long string of fabrications with affectionate satire.

What It's Really About

Beneath its sunny, escapist surface, Jerry Junior explores the performative nature of romance and the absurdities of upper-class American tourism in Edwardian Europe. Webster examines how leisure-class travelers, removed from their familiar social structures, invent artificial obstacles to make their lives and loves more exciting. The dynamic between Jerry and Constance is a battle of control: Jerry attempts to insert himself into her world through deception, while Constance reclaims power by controlling the terms of the game. The novel also pokes light fun at the stereotypical American view of Europe as a picturesque playground, contrasting the romantic romanticization of local culture with the mundane reality of tips, hotel registries, and village logistics.

Why Read It Today

Jerry Junior offers a warm, fast-paced slice of early twentieth-century romantic comedy that will appeal to fans of light travel fiction and classic farce. Webster's prose moves briskly, driven almost entirely by sharp, banter-heavy dialogue and high-energy situational comedy. The backdrop of Lake Garda—with its lemon groves, cypress-lined paths, and sunlit waters—gives the narrative an inviting summer atmosphere.

While modern readers may find the story's premises light and its handling of local Italian working-class figures predictably staged through an Edwardian lens, the core contest between Jerry and Constance remains surprisingly modern in its wit. It avoids heavy melodrama, choosing instead to celebrate youthful audacity, clever retorts, and the joy of a shared joke. It stands as a lightweight, joyful read that perfectly captures the sun-drenched freedom of European travel at the turn of the century.