ept for the eternal spring and the wealth
of California foliage, Bellevue was much like any number of towns
outside of Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, or Boston. And the social
life of the place, except for the minor modifications due to climate and
environment, was so exactly typical of what everybody knows that it
needs no description.

Thanks to Irene's good will as well as to Adelle's fortune the Davises
became immediately acquainted with the "colony" of Bellevue, and were
easily accepted as members of that supposedly exclusive society. Archie
rapidly made a place for himself at the club. Having no regular
occupation he could devote himself to polo with the exclusiveness of a
single passion. For diversion he motored up to the city frequently,
where he became a member of several clubs, and for business there was
always the ranch to worry about. In this way he kept up a current of
movement in his daily life, which for persons like the Davises takes the
place of real activity.

Adelle was indolent about social life as about much else. She did not
like to take pains over anything and found entertaining a bore. She was
a poor diner-out, and when the coming of her child gave her an excuse
she was quite content to leave the social aspect of their life to
Archie, who was generally thought to be much more agreeable than his
wife. After they finally decided to buy the Bellevue place, Adelle
occupied herself with ambitious schemes for the improvement of the
property. She decided that the old house was uncomfortable and badly
placed, too near the road, and selected a site upon the steep hillside,
which commanded a large view of the valley and the great Bay across the
verdurous growth of the town. Then she engaged a young architect, who
was a member of the Bellevue Country Club and had "done" several houses
in the neighborhood, and at once she was involved in a bewildering maze
of plans for house and grounds. This kept her busy during her
convalescence and gratified the rudimentary creative instinct in her,
which had led her before to making jewelry. In planning a large country
estate there was also a pleasant sense of rivalry with her old friend
Irene, who was forced to content herself for the present with her
father's out-of-date mansion. It took much money, of course, and the
young architect spared his clients no possible expense, but Adelle felt
that the springs of Clark's Field were inexhaustible.

It was, perhaps, the