in the mardi gras season of 1927 , stella gave a masked ball which caused talk in new orleans for six months people from all ranks of society attended , the first street house was splendidly lighted , contraband champagne was served by the case a jazz band played on the side porch ( this porch was not screened in until later for deirdre mayfair when she became an invalid ) dozens of guests went swimming in the nude , and by morning a full-scale orgy was in progress , or so the bedazzled neighbors were heard to say cousins who had been excluded were furious indeed , irwin dandrich says they appealed to carlotta mayfair for explanations , but everyone knew the explana tion stella did n't want a bunch of dreary cousins hanging about .