Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-25
POPPET.

Mavfair Had he ever troubled to think
about it at all, he would probably have
experienced some misgivings as TO the
legitimacy of the alliance of which he
was the result. He certainly was aware
of the suspicion which inevitably man.
ifested itself in his presence, whenever
he happened to be thrown outside of the
circle in which his peculiar idiosyncra-
cies were overlooked and his social at
tributes duly appreciated.
She belonged to the upper crust OF So
ciety, and, imbued with all the instincts
and traditions of her class, delighted in
her life of ease and obscurity He also
appeared to be innocent of any exacting
occupation. He was generally to be
seen hanging about at the street corners
or at the doors of taverns, but neverthe-
less he had Acquired, in certain quar-
ters. reputation as man of action and
determination-in word, as ''char
acter."
Her name was Poppet. She was
known by no other, and was familiarly
called so by princes and potentates in
the grandest salons in London. Great
authors, philosophers, artists, musicians
and statesmen endeavored to propitiate
her. Even dowager duchesses, generally
very self contained beings, treated her
with consideration and occasionally used
all sorts of endearments toward her.
Still her pretty, curly head was not
turned. The reason why the reader will
presently discover.
Ua woo 1y,,nur,, nc Tim I I11lyay,c a1,,Ooo
his associates. But he was a fellow of
infinite fancy, and possessed a happy
knack of christening himself every now
and again as he considered the exigen-
cies of the moment appeared to demand
it. Thus, when enjoying the hospitality
of her majesty, at one pension privee
he was one person, and in another he
was different person altogether-nom-
inally, at least. He did not find that
continual rebaptisms mitigated the
severity. exercised in the official circles
in which he frequently found himself
but he did not think it expedient to be-
come too we'll acquainted by name to
the lights of the bench Except in his
one love affair, he had deplorable lack
of ambition.
Poppet lived with Lady Dollydacks in
Park lane, Hyde park. She was not her
ladyship's daughter, as Lord Dollydacks
died without issue; neither was she her
niece. Lady Dollydacks cultivated a
comfortable hatred of all her kith and
kin. She felt it was the proper thing
for woman of her quality to do, and it
saved her from annoying intrusion. Be-
fore her marriage to the late lamented
governor general of Coromandel, Lady
Dollydacks had been the widow of a
wealthy sugar planter, and there her
past history ended. She had NO recol-
lection of what she was previous to her
West Indian matrimonial venture. No,
poor Poppet was merely her ladyship's
little protege and can hardly be said to
have had any expectations beyond the
Immediate comfort Of her surroundings.
Poppet was admitted by men and wo-
men of the most critical, discriminative
type, and of the highest rank, to be SIM
ply perfect in form and beauty. Jim
was described in more than one "offi-
ciar' cyclopedia of biography as repul-
siyely ugly. In a dim sort of fashion
he was conscious of his physical de-
fciencies, but it did not check his pas
sion for her.
Their first meeting, if it can be so
called, happened in this way:
1t was one beautiful summer morning.
He was leaning over the ratings of the
'drive" in Hyde park looking at the
brilliant equipages and their fair occu-
pants as they passed him. There was a
tinge of sullen, inquiring cynicism on
bis irregular but expressive features.
He was rejecting in his own crude way
upon the strangeness of the dispensations
of Providence. He was homeless, IL
reclaimable pariah; these vivid crowds
seemed veritable gods and goddesses.
All at once the discomfort vanished
out of his face, and 1t became irradiated
with an appreciative intelligence. An
open carriage, emblazoned regardless of
expense, and drawn by a couple of beau
tiful black horses, was arrested by the
opposing stream of traffic Immediately
in front of him. Two servants in gor-
geous livery sat upon the box. The foot
mans calves, incased in flesh colored
hose, would have made the soidisant
first gentlemen of Europe, then lately
deceased, green with jealousy could he
have seen them. The man was model
of department, creature after Mr..
Turveydrops own heart. He was mo-
tionless, silent and pompous, and his
face wore that peculiar look of superior
vacuity of which those moving among
the aristocratic circles of society seem
to possess d monopoly.
But Jim did not bestow more than a
glance upon the servants; his eyes at
once became riveted upon her. She sat
in the midst of her embroidered crsh-
ions alone. Lady Dollydacks insisted
upon her taking the air in this way
every morning except Sundays, when
she accompanied her ladyship to church
to listen to the voice of the Rev. Charles
Honeymoon crying in the fashionable
wilderness During her matutinal drive
Poppet performed the only duty ex-
pected Of her. She brought home her
1adyship's daily supply of literature from
the circulating library in the carriage
with her.
Jim's fingers clenched the rail in front
of him, and a look of set determination
came into his pale face. She sat watch
ing the occupants of the other carriage,
ns they passed her, and was wholly OBJ
sivio1,s Of fha a1mirino rlancnc cact l,a ri