The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-06

notice her slight shudder. NOW you
20 tight ahead and buy what you
need. Don't leave to any man-he'H
bungle it all up. It's woman's place
to buy fixin's Ike that, Why. here
till tonight. Don't forget. I've got a
little supper all fixed up. Got to blow
along now-something very important.
By-by."
her. Mr., williams had not registered
as vet. Flo went to her room. later
lunched alone and then went to the
theater. still wondering about Joe. A
few minutes before matinee he APP
Joe, where have you been?"
"Oh, just moseying around-seeing
some old friends, that's ALL" He
seemed detached. taciturn--unusuaI
for Joe. Perhaps, reflected Flo: he
Never mind! She'd show hint
The next morning Flo started out.
From dry goods store to dry goods
store she went trying to find purple.
Purple hats, purple hangings. purple
everything. And place after place she
was met with the indifferent response,
"Just out" II she couldn't get purple
goods, why not white goods, and have
them dyed: Surely there were pur-
pie dyes to be had. She started out
again hopefully on a quest of all the
paint stores, drug stores. dyeing es.ab-
| lishments, etc. And with the same
results. 1t was a tired, detected little
| Flo who Joined her partner at the
matinee.
How are you making out with the
purple idea, Joe?" she asked. keeping
her own counsel about her fruitless
quest.
"Oh, $685." he answered. listlessly.
In fact SO listlessly that Flo was glad
to see big. laughing Tom Gillian after
| ava17fuO nerf0rUnanCa.
| Better think 1t over, Fio," advised
| Gillian as he said goodnight to her
| in the Saxon lobby an hour or 50 later.
The following morning as Flo en-
tered her dressing room her startled
gaze fell upon several purple garments
| flung across her trunk. And tEen on
| the mirror, from which were sus-
pended two-column articles from the
Parktown papers. with glad cry
| of happiness she sped to- Joe's dress
ing room and after knocking. burst in
! on a very purple Joe-purple in raj
ment, but rosy in color.
Z"Joe." she cried. happily. Its a
knockout. Those hangings 7 lassed
out there-they're wonderful"
1.-THE contracts even better" he re-
piled. Forty weeks solid"
but, Joe, looked all over and
couldn't find a thing. Tom must
have"
He did" interrupted Joe, savagely.
find anything. 1 know all about 1t.
And 1 knew you'd tip him off. Never
mind. I'm not blaming lou. but you
should have had more confidY1ce in
me. I knew what'd happen when you
told him. He's willing. to go TO any
extremes to land you. And SO he
tipped off every lieutenant. political
bootlicker and crony in town to stop
all sales in purple. And IL 90 say
it myself, he's sol little fixec. But
| Joe Williams beat him to it. I went
right to it the minute / lan6ed I'm
2 Parktown Monday. Slid off the train
as it passed into the shed and cid all
my buying quick. Sorry 1 couldn't
tell you and save you lome trouble,
but I wanted you to learn fo- your
self. corner in purple-huh. AS a
fixer,f Gillian's a cheese!'
'Ifknow a better one" she whis-
pered. and then the white of he: arms
and the purple of his collar ard the
carmine of their lips blended happily.
| Copyright. 1921. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)