Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-26

RS. EULA NELSON, middle aged So
~ n ciety widow of New York and Pitts
~ burgh. and her pretty daughter Flea
nor have repeated in real life. the plot or
The Passion Flower" famous old Broadway
tragedy
Exactly as in the play, daughter Eleanor
fell in love with her handsome new step
father. one Romeo Gasparini But, with mod
ernistc ideas in their heads -, 600
in their banks. the ladies worked out an i'm
proved ending.
Instead OF Mama murdered and the new
Papa headed for the death house. everybody
is more or less happy except Romeo, who got
off easy at that. because he is only in
sanatorium
The trouble began in 1898 when Mrs Eula
Alsop Nelson. ma iestic and mature widow
brought back from Italy youth whose figure
and profile were so handsome that he
called Greek god" And he answered TO
the irresistibly romantic name Of Romeo.
Shakespeare's Juliet never did marry her
Romeo due 10 family opposition but Juliet
Eula rushed hers to Elkton. Maryland, first
and would attend to the opposition later.
EIkton is, or was then, one of those places
where folks could marry in haste and repent
at leisure Eula was way up in the leisure
class but the repenting came in haste.
The bride took Romeo 10 her Winter home
near Palm Beach, Florida, TO live happily ever
after
Mrs Gasparini had not seen The Passion
Flower" and probably wouldn't have cared a
whoop for its warning If she had. On the
beach of the Boca Ration Club, so exclusive
that only the rising tide can get in without
a guest card Romeo's figure in a bathing suit
and his divine" profile brought "gasps for
Gasparini" from the fair sex and even the
"pickle-puss" males admitted that she had
something there.
All Mrs Romeo wanted was that her two
daughters should like their new Papa.
Eirst-cane Eleanor and her ssatheFs swish
2 was granted with such a vengeance as to
make the other daughters opinion unimport-
ant. Eleanor happened just then to be tired
of her own husband, Floyd w jefferson, Jr.
and Florida is second TO none in offering
attractions TO the divorce-minded. Therefore
Mrs jefferson was able to combine duty and
pleasure in accepting her mothers invitation
to come and get acquainted with her step
father.
The irresponsible little god OF love per
petrated one OF his meanest practical jokes
shooting both through the heart, WIN rove
at first sight.
The mothers glowing letters TO her daugh-
ter had given Romeo what seemed like an inn
possiblv grand bud-up but TO Eleanor they
seemed like an understatement as far as
looks were concerned
Then they danced under the moon and next
TO his looks; the young Italians greatest asset
is his dancing.
Even his broken English seemed 10 favor
the man. When he called wisecrack vice
crack" it happened TO fit and when he called
a bon mot a bum moan" everyone howled
and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Yet when Eula took the first chance TO ask
her daughter how she liked her new Daddy,
the girl looked glum. almost frightened. she
grudgingly admitted that he was nice, good
looking and danced well, but there was no
gsh of congratulation.
II looked as if Eleanor disapproved. Mrs.
Gasparini was hurt but it would surely be all
right as soon as stepfather and stepdaughter
got 10 know each other.
Little did she dream that like the daugh-
ter in "'The Passion Flower" Eleanor already
knew that she could never call this man who
was three years younger than herself,
Father"