New-York tribune., 1909-06-13
WHEN DAFFODILS Do BLOW
By Baroness Won Hutton
Dr1N-ing BY Emil POllak

@ENERAL DE oTRUNE had not been III Rome
Il for thirty-tive years. and that blue and golden
- May morning, as he paused by the Fountain OF
1reIS sudden realization ot the years rushed over
him with such force that he drew a quick breath
Ttrty tytive years he said aloud under cover OF the
rushing OF the water. and here | old NAM
But he neither looked felt old man, for lite
had been good to him. health had stayed with HIM.
and the youth guarding quality OF oyousnesS his
At one corner OF the fountain a small boy with
eyes ike wells OF Ink stood with f1at basket hanging
from hIS brown neCk.-a basket full of datfOdS as
yellow as the sun as young the spring itself
General de StruFe, having called himself an old
fla- turned with enthusiastically youthful shake
= his broad shoulders and as he turned saw the
dsffpdils
-Cre Nom"
A-1 As if the sight Of the flowers had called hat
{. his CHEEKY thoughts his face changed He looked
Is sIzty-three years ne beckoned to the boy and
& ,,cstt handful OF the sunny delightful things
., ,-roiIlst OF cou-9e Il would happen TO me 90 he
1Iusei making his way past the fountain The last
tune aud datfOdls and loneliness and this time
liter these wears loneliness and d3troillS and sun
n. N.-oletta' And then. because he was a sincere
minded person whose little whims ot sentlmentaIty
amused himself he smiled. for II quite certain
IT h had not thought ot Nlcolett4 tor many ears
& ~ II was true that IL the interim since he
had thought OF her he had thought OF many
ether women And yet-Rome. May dattodlls-
Taat could he do but remember his first love story
Pleasantly melancholy he walked down the sunny
street recalling the old days the old friends until
tne inesS Ot his imagination brought back the oa
G-e1as the dead time that other May when there
gere 8-foiIlS Rome Tor HIM
s. : was with a start that he found himself pres
e-tly IN front OF an old palace with a lOggGa IN the
second story and d battered and dlscoored coat ot
arms over the great arched doorway
It too. had not changed and II the courty ard III
tie SUI could the large stone tank Of water
which -ontInuay softly overfowed its brln, and
trIckled down Its mossy sides The old fountain still
haskine IN It's square OF sunlight and lettering near
tall old maiordo1uo IN shabby livery nothing had
changed here
For = moment General lie 5truve tet that he must
g II and ask old Ganfranoo Il the Signora Princ-
res5a was receiving ana then as he about TO 60
his way the maiordomo turned and saw him. and
cane forw ard. eNpectant
REFDRE he realized what ne Vas iolng. General
- de Struve produced q visiting card and gave It to
the man who not GiaTtranco and vet seemed 50
ike him
La Slgnora Duchess ne murrnured. and the
r.. aIordorno returned ceremoniously
La Signora Duchess - a her country villa, sig
Yes the little PrincIpessa Nicoiettina was
I'd woman an old dow-ager Duchess and She was II
De Strlve gave the man q .raue La olgnora
Duchessa Is at San Pandotno he asked. renen-
f,.-ing with slight effort the name 0f the man his
Old love had married
The naioriomo spread out hi, hands in respect
full surprise No signor the oiguora DuchesSa IS At
C4stel Fiordilisa where she always goes
De Struve thanked him and went Oh
II Fiorilsa-at the Old pink villa IN the cam
-,sera where he had made love . her where theE
p-ere 70 have been married where they had quar-
releiI Thirty-five years sald General lie StruEe
WIT sigh drawing Dt the iattpfls through ms
bcttOuh be
THREE days later. oll,e7tre. General ie otru'e
yaret came into his master sitting room At the
Grand Hotel with an ar ot be"lIderei Tnpeeldt-
which meant that something had happened
Monsieur le General there Is Al the door an auto
r bile and you ave 70 60 Al once