This is to be a story of a battle, at least one murder, and several sudden deaths. For that rason it begins with a pink tea and among the mingled odors of many delicate perfumes and dthe hale, frank smell of caroline testout roses.

There had been a great number of debutanteds”coming out”that season in san francisco by means of afternoon teas. Pink, lavender, and otherwise, this particular ter was intended to celebrate the fact that josic herrick had arrived at that time of her life when she was to wear her hair high and her gowns long, and to have a “day” of her own quite distinct from that of her mother…….