Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-01
THE PURPLE TRAIN.

ilil OIl - iiltiNs
Eiu Li1tbsiH hss ry-y. Wh1; j.; vtf
Va rsEed ss.f.l9a tusrg its Cg2psrTi e
sossist tsz. o. vao-z 1-rlsr-s that a.. Ms
g-c. % nave b-s- ut-rl-5 the gust't .srs
~ o.. hgut- SO vts d-su-5 sNs fhs
Tfsaetsr va utiiirg is j-rfsr- its esr--ls-J
shsf r5ts go bfg-Ett hsf from az AZ
A4nese .tyi-s hs Ia l.-i -sEef 10 rsiur.-
49, ttE.r! t-f 20 forget A-n Oshlfs ia o;
crgsrfr hrtb-rs Nto - d-Ls-fea tsr,
a. ;tt- Id frarE.c 1rr - asr Yrss@li h0-n-.
whittier tls .ld I'd ts1Tir. ts- nti1sL rE--
% i've c9ur .sr f9-for .sl h- n01 rrz-
bs>k. otettlgnGiig t''sr etrf. irc gave 20
c. ar RAP ~ lie s4ndJs-. ut4cr .fs ~
dsflioos a. cszInd ior lns5ey. Thsy ~
tier tod hgw % prevent hls proeissrni % Z
hi2..f q, bst hssbErd shs sl~tg, gaze hi=
tie sutz D. feesirsd sltho ihs 3re1 Ou b.;
H-tg-r fare for resss afi>r.trS Bat ths
lev wh9 srew Niu LI5s:h tss; declared
thsi shs wEs ssuil. l5ii.s sg-A- u Re-
fafe ,tti-s. sLo fep; her seerc; oscsuss
u Vas .4erse 10 hsf and 70; became o tHy
eisgfa-r si.sehs. % II.
AID % five yssrs lad gone by az siii.
Mia 'LiIzbeia't . secret as dit-ussed ty its
gossipi s-3 ti.l the 0n.y poigi iksy eoaie
.srs, upoa ~st tina; here WAS -sr;sirly :
mIn IN the sIse wien one cay II. asvs
esias that ~ o'eloek that evening the
ilse irain would Dsfs thu tie i9sn sn
route for Montana
Every one in tie little town knew VIA;
'h. comm. q she lilac train Es-n;. toT !;
VS. 10 new hing this sending Of car
losd Of blo.soms .oineiifnss into ih. shining
towns Of the north. where the breath from
II. sinsliers d-,i.oyed every vesiigs o. vess-
tation; sometimes 20 the towns that nestled
high up the nounisin sices and thirersd
with their summer fros;s and biting ~iad,
from the ,Iox fields arounS them Oaly
las, year Coppervilis had been brighisl e
by the coming Of the purple train. -
for 20 Sa, called. s'sh0 there were
always other kinds Of flowers and usually
end OF the ;.r held poi;st plants and Gu.
flowers o' e'-ry variety, 1t Vas the hlsr
tina, were loaded on By irUesfuls. =, the
train stopped OF one station and then at
smother
That. pretty custom you have here
in Utah" Hiss 'laizabsih shd sad 10 the
neighbor who. in passing had noticed her
tiAncin. By lise bash, esressing bios
som she had plueked. and had told her about
the coming Of the lilac train. They say
that up IN Butte and anaconda and those
other Montana mining towns there Is not .
tree. shrub or plan; growing out Of doors
I heard Of one ANAL ArsIes that sold easily
for SIS in Bg;te. What nghi II must be
10 those people 20 see a whole carloae OF
b.O,sons coming into their midst
They say they are a. delighted as !.
a carload Of gold nuggets were being dis
tribuisd VIII you unload your bush there
for their benefiit'
Indeed. l shall be only TOO glad TO send
some nice bouquets, love lHses, and az
she stopped to pick up the flower sHe had
dropped her friend passed on. ren&rking:
Wen. I must Be off, abe did not see
the tear in Miss 'Lizsbeih's eye, nor notice
the treinor in her voice.
That nigh, Miss 'LiEabeth ss, alone on
her little front porch. and watched the
moon come slowly up from behind tao greA;
rnsss Of the W4hssteh range. and sail oh into
the blue above. and as she watched she
iho,
Yes. III do IL. II can't do any harm
II it falls into Billy's hands, he'll under
stand what IL means. II 1t doesn't why the
blossoms will cheer someone's heart, and the
other will just excite little curiosity. Five
years ago. day after tomorrow. got off the
train here. and Billy went on up norin. The
lilac train went Just ahead Of his. and
picked up one Of the blossoms that had fallen
when they were loading and handed 1t 10 him
| don't know why | did II. Billy had never
asked me for promise Of any kind, bu,
read something in his eyes, all that year when
/ was boarding q, his mothers. Ard his
treatment Of me. too. was another thing. lie
would come TO meet me and walk home with
me, and would ask. gently II the d.y had
been a hara one. lie was such a great. good
hearted fellow No. / don't know why / did
IL. bG, when ] handed him the blossoms
said. I'm wait for you, Billy, for years, IL
1t 10 necessary and then | turned ald fled
frafs fu =.
starting. so he could not answer, but know
his heart
Then Miss LiIabe,h heaved a sad little
sigh and sa; tapping her lips with le lilac
blossom she had taken from her belt,
II wonder why he never wrote TO mel''
she muBcd on presently. - eXpec. he failed
in his mining and was discouraged. know
BEiy loved me. aud the little woman blushed
as IL she had been talking to Billy himself
Yes he did know he did. and I'il-do It l''
and then she rose and went INTO the house.
Tho neat day Miss T.ilabeth went down
town. looking her best in pretty dArL blue
suit, with neat walking nat to match, and
returned Ia an hour ;iny envelope in her
hand Later in the day she started out with
two large bunehes OF lilacs, and II the Eossips
had met her they would have noticed a certain
guilty look she wore. and would have de
elared that the drunken husband had been
around again.
An impatient crowd Of peopl Q had been
standing in .he rain since early morning, ex-
pecting momentarily to hear the whistle OF
the engine that would bring the lilac car into
the Butte station. The noon whistles sounded
still a waiting mass OF people; l2;l5--l2 80
a whistle and the crowd began TO surge
forward, Into the station the engine painted
and with q shout the ANXIOUS weary walters
welcomed the men who stood on the platforms
with arms full OF blossoms
Throw them this way, pardner.' Give
US few over here" Don't FORGET US
We can't get any closer Such were the
cries that came up from various quarters al
men, women and children reached and
seramebled for the flowers that came pouring
upon them.
Coming with quick step down one Of tn,
streets was . man roughly dressed In q
miners gsrb, and close behind him another
clad In . neat brown business suit.
Now ! wonder II l am too late for the
iIiar trainf' solicouixe cd tha man In tha 10 M