Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/189

Rh of argument being whether it did or did not shut off the view of the mountains. The tree was six inches tall.

Having acquired a staff, consisting of two indoor Chinamen, one garden Chinaman, and a Spanish stable boy, Boyd suggested to his son that it would be a good idea to give a party by way of house warming.

"We've been treated pretty well by all these people," said he, "and the old winter crowd is beginning to come back. Let's give a real blowout."

The plans, as they talked them over, took shape in the direction of real engraved invitations, an orchestra rather than the usual piano-mandolin-guitar combination, a caterer from San Francisco "Hold on!" cried Boyd, looking in dismay at the list of those to be invited, "we're getting swamped! This house will never hold that gang! The doors are too narrow for one thing. Where are you going to put the orchestra?"

But Dora Stanley had an idea. The Stanleys, as next door neighbours had been taken into full consultation; and had responded with enthusiasm, down to the Chinamen. Chinese love parties. Even Martin so far forsook his customary brotherly attitude of cynicism to admit it was a good idea.

"Have the dance in the barn!" she cried. "There's plenty of space in the carriage room. You can put sofas and things in the stalls for them to sit out. You can put refreshments in the harness room. And that leaves the house entirely free for clothes, and card tables, and supper and all the rest."

So the horses continued to board at the Fremont stables, while the barn was decorated. They used hundreds of yards of bunting and dozens of American flags until no sliver of the carriage room remained visible, and the place resembled a crazy-coloured marquee. They stretched canvas on the floor, and then laid other canvas over that in order to keep it clean. They placed locomotive lanterns for lights. They installed cartloads of furniture around the walls and in the stalls and haymow. They arranged scores of palms and other plants in tubs around the tête-à-tête corners. As an afterthought they constructed a covered way between the stable and the house. Boyd would never