Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-02
THE SOVEREIGN POWER
Continued f,pm page II

meaning of the word. l intend to have
float that will make hers look as cheap as
market queens"
With Ann pledged, she had hope of en-
listing Rodoslav; but she lacked courage to
ask him herself and Ann would not under
take to intercedc. She likewise failed to Sc
cure her husband, who not only declined to
wear a fancy costume for anybody, but
stated his intention of cutting the whole
fool show. He did not go to the churlish ex-
IRENE of withdrawing his financial aid, how
ever, and, as always, his wife had lavish
funds to crafty her whims. She had also
another advantage over her rival. Though
it was uncertain whether he would be pres
ent at all, Rodoslav threw himself into her
plans with such zest that the final outcome
was as much his as Mrs Truscott's.
IL do hope you'll be in Cadenabbia after
the pains you've taken" she said to him the
evening before the fete.
81 shall try to arrive before the battle
ends, he replied.
THE morning dawned wet, and even at
noon, with the corso almost at hand, it
was pouring as if Nature bore the affair
grudge. Then, with the air of a gigantic
piece of scene shifting, the leaden dome
parted in halves, rolled swiftly away, and let
in flood of summer sun upon everything.
Cadenabbia instantly sparkled into life and
color Flags shook out their wet folds, the
streets grew populous. little craft darted
out from Menaggio, Varenna, Bellaggio, and
all the lower Como and converged upon the
waterfront. When the music heralding the
pageant began, lake, sky, and air were all
faultless.
From the catamaran to the canoe, every
species of small boat that piled the lake had
hopr1 irr1nracca6 into tho AOuar 1a6a,, cbai,,
which now drew its brilliant length along the
cheering shore. One craft was a mass of
oleanders; second bore late blooming
roses; a third was a miniature island of
scarlet dahlias, with for its central figure a
girl of striking brunette loneliness, cos
TUNED to match her domain. Every period
of Italian history had been drawn upon by
the lake dwelers for inspiration. Etruscan
was followed by Roman, Roman gave place
to Goth. A garland wreathed galley of
Pliny's time was succeeded by float ar
ranged like formal garden of the Renais-
sance, with dwarf palms and cypress, tiny
fountain and sundial, and midget statues
closing its box bordered paths.
At the very end came the rivals; but in
stead of clashing, the British matron and
Mrs. TruscOtt by a happy chance completed
each others picture. The American thanks
to Rodoslav's ingenuity and her husbands
purse, had equipped and gorgeously peOpled
a state gondola of the period of Venices SUI
preme magnifcence. The Englishwoman
had elected to symbolic autumnal Italy,
with not too scandalous Bacchus attended
by equally decorous, yet not unpicturesque,
nymphs, in setting of vines heavy with
purple grapes. Each float, without discord,
swelled the others hymn to the joy of life;
each woman was blissfully content. The one
saw the brilliant Venetians as her heralds,
the other deemed Bacchus her appropriate
pendant.
Doubling upon itself before the long reach
of the Bella Vista, the pageant grouped for
the battle of the flowers.
A ND now it was, with the fete at its eli
4 max, that Rodoslav made his spectacu-
lar return. No one saw his approach. The
pretty scene had drawn every eye. Unob-
served till he was part of the picture, he
shot past in an autoboat, releasing at stroke
great flock of pigeons with many hued rib
bons streaming from their tails. The
crowded shore volleyed applause. The
Corso del Fiori had received its final touch
of picturesqueness.
But this was not the whole of Rodoslav's
IL