Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/283

Rh suffered all the usual symptoms, as detailed in previous pages. People bought and sold lots they had never seen, the very location of which was unknown to them. Such things as abstracts of title became totally unnecessary. Somebody soon discovered that it was equally unnecessary to bother with the pretty white stakes to mark out the lots: very few people went to look at them. It was much simpler just to have a map and mark off the lots sold.

It is not part of the purpose of this story to follow in detail the progress of the boom in Arguello. With two exceptions all the people we know were in it, some of them up to their necks. The two exceptions were Colonel Peyton and Brainerd. As a consequence they were looked upon with pity or derision or contempt as not knowing a good thing when they saw it. They were considered reactionary.

For the first time in its history Main Street was crowded. It seemed that the entire country must have poured its population in; and certainly the influx from outside made a record. The "talking point" with Arguello was her present lack of a railroad. As soon as the railroad was put through, then people would be certain to pour in, for where in the wide world could you find another such sun-kissed, ocean-washed, island-guarded, mountain-girdled paradise? There might be many mansions in another paradise, but the number of town lots was limited in this.

On Main Street one was certain to see everybody one knew. They stood on the edge of the broad walk absorbing sunshine and prosperity; they strolled the length between the Fremont and the wharf, dropping in at all the tract offices to see what was doing; they darted in and out of places, busier in appearance than any one could possibly be, each according to his temperament. The Sociedad moved over in a body, leaving its cattle to Mexican foremen, and gambled briskly. There was the greatest difficulty in getting the necessary work done. Men who had been digging on the sewer extension last week, now carried their checkbooks and leaned nonchalantly against the lamp posts, swapping wisdom as to the country's future. Had it not been for the Chinese, who cared nothing for booms, it