Evening star., 1914-04-12
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR APRIL H. 1914
THE LADY AND THE BALL
Confined from page S

enormous wealth, according to the gossip
of the town. She had no children, and she |
had not been through the divorce courts |
Wonderful to relate, the old Countess, who
lived in decayed and half ruined palace |
veritable museum of antique furniture, |
wonderful paintings and tapestries, and |
maintained the ghost of former pomp and |
splendor, had actually invited Mary to her
annual ball. This was great triumph for
the moment. Mary and Sivola both be-
longed to the fashionable hunt on the Cam
pagna, and he rode only as Italian noblemen
trained to cavalry service can ride; while |
ton as a horsewoman. They were seen
everywhere together, and Rome was waiting
for the formal announcement of the engage
ment.
The Sivola fortunes were in the ascend |
ant, when an important event occurred in
the American colony The great Mrs
Vanestor of New York and Newport came
on for the early spring in Rome, and was in
residence at the Hotel Excelsior There was
an outpouring of the colony the following
day, and we stumbled over one another in
our anxiety to leave cards. Mrs. Vanestor
seldom received anyone until she was set
tied But this did not apply to Mary Mid
dleton. Everyone knows that Mrs Van
estor has weakness for the old nobility,
and she always entertains their representa-
tives when they visit New York. She de-
lights in being received by them in their
homes in the foreign cities she visits. And
did Mary-well, all know was that met
her that afternoon at the Excelsior, and that
she had Sivola in tow, and that she had
taken her lamb to see the Queen.
Late that evening met Sivola, who was
the very picture of happiness. He was eager
to conhde in me. 1t was such a pretty little
story! Yes, he had been with Mary to call
on Mrs. Eanestor. He was not much i'm
pressed with the solemnity of the occasion
or the grandeur Of the lady; but it had led
to great Developments Many of the callers
had sent flowers, and the Vanestor drawing
room was faint with the heavy odors and
brilliant with blooms.
was one of the first who discovered the
American Beauty rose. She admits no
other in the decorative schemes of her en-
tertainments. 1t is the floral emblem of her
house. 1t has ancestry, beauty, and geneal-
ogy, as well as presence, and it person1tleS
wealth, in that it is very expensive. Mary
said she agreed with her hostess. She loved
it above all others-and did it not always
remind her of her dear Mrs. Vanestor?
There was an absence of American Beauties
in Rome No-there was possibility of
lllell DelLS ploSoICd dl OliS oiiOP IL IliS
Naples ship was in, as they came in cold
storage from New York. They were far
beyond the reach of Mary's limited purse,
and she loved them SO.
When the visit was over and Mary was
on her way back to her hotel, Sivola rushed
to the florist Great good fortune! There
was a consignment Of the precious roses just
in from America. But the price was terrific,
and represented two months of Sivola's in
come The florist would give him short
credit. In the South of Italy were the Sivola
farms, rented out to tenantry. The revenue
from them was small; but Sivola could run
down there for week and squeeze out the
price of the roses from the meager profits of
the olive and the vineyard. He bought the
roses and bulled the market. He owned all
the American Beauties in Rome. He i'm
mediately had the flowers sent to Mary, and
he wrote her, telling her that the blooms
would bid her "adieu" for week, as he was
called away on important business. Mary
had replied in the most gushing manner-of
that have no doubt. He told me she had
written him Immediately, and she had said
that she would always keep the roses in
front of little shrine she had in her boudoir,
and that when they faded she would press
the leaves. She had scolded him fearfully
for his extravaganza.