The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1907-06-06
The urple Poppy
BY Grace II. Dwelley.


One doesn't expect man to butt
| In where women tread with dainty
feet, nor does one look for sucn IN
| terest to be displayed by a man as
Roger Camp showed that raw NO
yember night when he followed the
Purple Poppy up the avenue. But the
| interest developed when 1t first passed
by. Haunting in incomprehensible
pride from a fur hat, black like the
hair it sought TO cover, but could not,
| for Roger saw the soft wave just
back of one pink ear.
..1t was a black fur hat with
| Purple Poppy on it" he SAID ORA
| matically to his friend later In the
evening. But the friend merely
1anobed and asked how long popples
had been purple and invited MIN 20
take something to brace himself up
with So he accepted the invitation
and tried to forget it all, beginning
with the sound of the quick, nrih
stem behind him, the sudden glimpse
of her face, the glory of the Purple
PoDDy that nodded a signal 10 MIN
He had followed long way, lost
It welcomed it again among queer
bobbing ocean of heads, had strlVen
10 catch up with it, and watched II
iisaapear with a queer, sinking SEN
sat;on. 1t few up the steps OIL the
English tea room. Probably she was
hungry or thirsty, or whatever Won-
An aIa when they frequent tea rooms.
He reached that conclusion WINE
re stood watching the soft glow that
marked the windows where she must
10 Bat it suddenly came to him that
no co,Id not reasonably expect such
lack IS that, and knew that II ne
we're to come face to face with the
PURPLE Poppy and learn just why
hat en:gmatical thing had beckoned
n him down the avenue, it would be
throigh his own endeavors. Then
Desperation got in its work. ana
without letting so Its grip, sent
MIN IN the steps that had stood the
shock OF the Purple Poppy's passage.
Eyes. sab" said the little brass
buttoaed darby at the door. SRe
lust went in; yes, sab" and the grin
enveloped him as Roger slipped a
coin in the willing palm. The light
dazzled him so that he couldn't have
told the Purple Poppy had he seen 1t.
A bright-faced girl caught his eye
and he followed her white cap to an
obscure corner.
Then an unheard of thing hap
pened. The Purple Poppy came and
sat down directly opposite him,
glanced at him seriously and said in
voice of molten sweetness that
rang in his ears afterwards, Il was
SO afraid you wouldn't come. l hur-
ried, but l meant that You should
come just the same"
He gazed into two big brown eyes
and knew they belonged to the
dream, but they did not help him,
only sent him whirling into space
He looked higher up above the white
curve of forehead until he reached
the Purple Poppy-and then he was
quite sure. That was real half
hour ago-it was real now-and the
girl must be real.
81 was not sure you wanted me
of course | couldn't be sure-so |
stopped to think 1t over carefully.
You see the Poppy caught my eye"
He paused for an instant.
"Yes--I know, of course-that's |
what l wore 1t for. | knew If any
be forgotten"
"You won't mind If | don't talk, |
will you?" she asked. Il can't make
believe that I'm really at ease, and |
I'm wondering how they got along"
There seemed nothing for him to
say, so he said nothing.
''Seyen-thirty," she said finally,
glancing at her watch THAT is the
time set" She began to draw on her
gloves, and he wondered as he wait
ed for change what another man
would do in his place, and what the
whole thing meant. But she was
ahead of him at the door and jumped
into a waiting cab. That was why he
sought his friend and took drink.
He had heard of people looking |
out for personals after having an adj
venture, so he took to watching. 1t
came at last and made him gasp.
1.-THE Purple Poppy wants to explain
the wretched mistake she made to
the friend with big on the silver
knob" He lost no time in writing to
the address given, and soon received
his explanation. The Purple Poppy's
sister was clipping with a friend Of
the man the Purple Poppy thought
she was having tea with. 1t was a
sad affair, as her sisters sweetheart
had almost killed their guardian in a
rage, and was wanted In case he
died. They had arranged to lead the
detectives off the track by having the
Purple Poppy put on her sisters
clothes and meet the sweetheart's
friend and seem to arrange a meet
Ing, the cab being intended to lead
the detectives a chase while the real
girl went to her sweetheart and took
the train with him. 1t had worked
all right except for her foolish mis-
take, and now that the guardian was
out of danger, the newly welded
couple were getting settled in a cosey
little apartment where they would
be glad to welcome their deliverer,
as they were pleased to call Roger
Camp, for the real friend had been
unable to keep the appointment made
for him, and goodness only knows
what would have happened IL Roger
Camp had not followed the lead of
the Purple Poppy.
He accepted the invitation and
continued to follow the lead already
ssta blished until it brought him face
to face with the solution of the
whole puzzle of existence.
Door Craofurc All