Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1910-02-12
THE EVENING STORY
THE PURPLE PLUME
OF LONG AGO.
BY EDITH GRAY.


Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
ary Press.
Any one watching Edwin Jordan as
he pushed his way along the crowded
immediately class him as a successful
business man and with no less hesita-
ton. as happy one. His clear, smooth
shayen chin reflected perfect physical
health, and his broad shouldered, yet
slender frame, as he moved with 1.-the
confidence among the hustling throng,
hinted nothing OF twenty years of
ceaseless business drudgery. Surely,
he deserved the envious glances of the
two Office boys, splendid in the uni.
form of the firm, Jordan & Stokes.
who turned with glance of recogni-
ton as he, unconsciously brushed
against them. Yet the dark eyes be-
meath the straight lined brows were
restless, troubled, unsatisfied.
Edwin Jordan was not happy. He
told himself that as he furtively com
pared himself with his hurrying com
panions. Perhaps much of the happi-
ness that he saw in the faces about
him was superficial. Granted. but still
there was a great deal OF the genuine
besides. For instance, in the face OF
| that well gowned woman in the slow
pacing victoria who was listening SO
intently to the gay chatter of the slen-
der mite of little girl at her side
there was happiness. Such happiness
Jordan had not found.
For he had never married. Il have
~ Fo,. hn mood
to his friends, when they numerically
chaffed him for crusty old bachelor
He had spoken truly; the years of his
youth had been spent in climbing, step
| by step. the ladder of fortune. At last
when he had reached the top, and had
| leisure to contemplate the utter worth
lessness of his hard earned wealth, he
discovered with bitter regret, that 70
nance had now no time for him.
Jordan turned with relief from the
gay afternoon promenaders of the
| fashionable thoroughfare into a quietel
! bystreet He modulated his pace here
and altogether stopped now and then
to gaze, though only half interestedly
into the little shops along the way
| He paused before certain window
arranged with a wealth of old china
bric-a-brac and antique jewelry. His
eyes grew soft as he looked. He found
| himself thinking of his mother, and as
| he paused at the next window with 8
strange start, of Lucy.
Lucy? He had lost track of Lucy
| long ago. Why should he think of hel
now? Jordan was calculating, specu
! lative even. For the moment he was
1 to1, h ,ic. nUorNI q Y
self by the strange. almost forgotten
memories that crowded over him. He
wondered as his head searched out
] the reason for the strange, unwarrant
ed beating of his heart Then in {
flash, he found the clew.
The sign of the building next the lit
tie antique store read Mime. Brion
French cleaner" Madames goods
| cleaned and ready for returning custo
mers. were arranged neatly in the win
! dow Among the array of linens, sill
waists. children's bonnets and EN-
broideries, was lone fluffy feather
4 a purple plume, extraordinarily ricl
in shade and texture. Long ago Lucy
had had a haiti was all SC clear nov
"a large, plain hat turned up on ON
i side and gloriously wreathed with the
one lone feather.
He recalled as he walked back tt
i his lodgings in the gathering dusk
with strange renewed tenderness, th'
] frangrance Of the violets that she uset
to wear in her belt.
After his discovery of the plume
Jordan often wandered down the littl'
sheltered street, and his friends a
the club noticed with surprise that ht
sometimes wore tiny boutonniere .
yiolets in the lapel of his coat. More
over, his eyes became calmer more
restful. and he no longer interrupte'
i discussions of the frivolous doines 0
1 the outer world with, But that's nc
4 business. Young Everett. one of hi
friends, caught him off guard one even
ing as he stood by the heavy greer
curtains of the reading room lookin'
out over the grimy rooftops and be
yond the dingy little park to where il
the west across the river, a colder
CLEAN in the sky limited of sunset. H
clapped him on the shoulder bolster
ousIy. and Jordan, usually so stolit
and full of poise, jumped as if shot
Everett laughed and said, Some WON
an. I'll be bound" But Jordan oni,
smiled 81 haven't spoken to woman
except in business way, for twent.
years" he said.
One day-it was bitter day in lat
autumn-the plume disappeared. Some
how, with 1t going Jordan began t.
fall back into his old ways. What
fool he had .been anyway. Lucy wa
probably dead-or married Ion!
since. At any rate, what business hat
a gray-haired bachelor to be thinkin!
| on the yaguest provocation, tn
slightest excuse, of an old sweetheart
His dreams had come to light, just a
some foolish little violets do in tn
autumn, gay and happy for a minute
and then dead as the brown leaves be
side them in the blight of the unfail
ling frost.
/ Well, he would go back to business
oil that "a oood For NON