Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/63

Rh "Thank you. And now move over, for I am going in to have breakfast with you."

They drove on down the white road with the long shadows across it, and into town and the grounds of the Fremont Hôtel. Here three bellboys rushed out at sight of them. One took charge of the team, while the other two carried the hampers into the hotel. Down the street the bland faced clock on the Clock Building showed at seven twenty.

The Colonel and Daphne followed the hampers across the broad high veranda, through the cool high office with the grouped easy chairs and the coco matting floors, down a long narrow hall with windows on both sides of it, and so to a pair of frosted doors flanked by hatracks. The frosted doors said closed most uncompromisingly, but they yielded to the Colonel's touch. They were in the dining room.

It was a long, wide, lofty, airy apartment, with many narrow, high windows looking out into foliage. A score of black-clad waitresses stood upright among the snowy tables awaiting the seven-thirty hour of official opening. By the frosted door was an elderly rather obese negro with gray wool. The latter had a full dress suit, white gloves, a ramrod down his neck and the self-contained dignity of a mud-turtle. When he moved it was as though a fanfare of trumpets had been heard. He was the headwaiter, and a very good one. In that simple age the sole requirements of a headwaiter were presence, dignity, side. The fact that a duke ushers you in with respect implies that you are several pegs above a duke, does it not?

The bellboys deposited the hampers by a centrally placed table and withdrew. The Colonel and Daphne seated themselves and attacked the first course of the breakfast that was promptly brought them. After a few moments the coloured person threw wide the portals—that is the only way to describe it. And shortly appeared the first comers to the morning meal: a prosperous but plain looking citizen and his mouse-like wife.

Instantly the Colonel was afoot. He dived into his hampers and came forth with another of the nosegays and a pair of fine oranges. With these he approached the guests.