Chapter III

           Presley’sroomintheranchhouseofLosMuertoswasinthesecondstoryofthebuilding.Itwasacornerroom;oneofitswindowsfacingthesouth,theothertheeast.Itsappointmentswereofthesimplest.Inoneanglewasthesmallwhitepaintedironbed,coveredwithawhitecounterpane.Thewallswerehungwithawhitepaperfiguredwithknotsofpalegreenleaves,verygayandbright.Therewasastrawmattingonthefloor.Whitemuslinhalf-curtainshunginthewindows,uponthesillsofwhichcertainplantsbearingpinkwaxenflowersofwhichPresleydidnotknowthename,grewinoblonggreenboxes.Thewallswereunadorned,savebytwopictures,oneareproductionofthe“ReadingfromHomer,”theotheracharcoaldrawingoftheMissionofSanJuandeGuadalajara,whichPresleyhadmadehimself.Bytheeastwindowstoodtheplainestofdealtables,innocentofanyclothorcovering,suchasmighthavebeenusedinakitchen.ItwasPresley’sworktable,andwasinvariablylitteredwithpapers,half-finishedmanuscripts,draftsofpoems,notebooks,pens,half-smokedcigarettes,andthelike.Nearathand,uponashelf,werehisbooks.Therewerebuttwochairsintheroom—thestraightbackedwoodenchair,thatstoodinfrontofthetable,angular,upright,andinwhichitwasimpossibletotakeone’sease,andthelongcomfortablewickersteamerchair,stretchingitslengthinfrontofthesouthwindow.Presleywasimmenselyfondofthisroom.Itamusedandinterestedhimtomaintainitsairofrigoroussimplicityandfreshness.Heabhorredclutteredbric-a-bracandmeaninglessobjetsd’art.