The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-09
RACKET DRUG sroRe an ZINC.

THE Racket Drug Store. Beeno, Ark. .
that was the sign over the door. but on
a little tin sign near the side entrance
vas the legend Herr Poppitz. Apoth-
exc. The advent of Harold Updike lent
new glory TO the drug store He wore a
rink shirt and silk carriers to hold up
lis sleeves. He parted his hair In the
middle. and kept it dropping. manelike,
over his eyes after the manner of the
college football hero. He was the envy
Of all the young men in town. because he
ruled the soda fountain. and every girl
IN town called him Hal and quit buying
stamps at the postoffiee. Meanwhile DR..
POppitz. who. by the way, wasn't a doc
ter at all. was disabled almost entirely
by accelerated diabetes. and Harold came
pretty near running things in the store.
Would you like cooling beverage,
Miss Sue?T asked Harold one evening.
when pretty Miss Clayton who had got
into long dresses within the year had
bought a box of note paper ard some
stamps With me, you know Ny
treat"
And while she was nibblins daintily at
II he eyed her admiringly and stammered
Two years have made quite change IL
you, Susie.
They've changed you too. Hal. We're
all glad TO see you back-there aren {
enough boys round. you see, and-you
know Dan Atlerbury-"
'Oh. that's so. l forgot about Dan.
Where is he?"
He hasn't come back from the army
yet she said, getting deeper into the
CONNECTION, but blushing too. "I-that is,
we. have been expecting him. He said
he'd be here for the Fourth, and Ini
kcping-
Aha. Miss Susie" simpered Updike.
so he's been writing TO you. Ell? He al
ways was a little sweet
He was schooImate with Us. with you
too" she said frowning, with quite seri-
Gus attempt at severity and l think you
ought TO be glad TO see him too, Hal.
He's been wounded and sick, and suf-
fered ever so many things over there in
the Philippines And he was in China,
tooi''
But Updike didn't care whether his old
schoolmate ever came back. for he hal
some plans OF his own with regard 4
Susie. and he knew that even pink shirt
and football hair are not special advant-
ages over a blue uniform and a bolo
wound
But Dan came back, just the same and
the girls made quite a hero of him-for a
few days. He had some presents too.
principally for Susie, but he proved his
generosity with gifts of a Filipino mat
and a Chinese ring to Updike. He
brought great carton of Manila cigars
for old Dr. Poppitz, and they lay open
on the little table by his bed the night
the good old apothecary died.
After the funeral was over and the
lonely old doctor was almost forgotten
Harold began TO cut quite figure in
Beeno circles. The store owed money! to
the Hot Strings wholesaler, and Hal was
acting maTiAger for fits creditor. Mean
while he was paying the most ardent
court to Miss Susie. She might have
bathed IN costly perfumes and Toasted
interminably on bonbons and ice cream
soda without infringing an inch upon
Updikes grandiose hospitality. He sent
her presents Of every kind of note pa
per. fancy toilet articles. soaps, novelties,
combs, brushes and the rest of drug store
fancy goods.
Dan Atterbury's star, on the contrary,
was on the descent. He had put aside his
weather-stained campaign suit and was
loafing. A soldier ont of his regimentals
and out of q job is not usually heroic
spectacle. Some of the good people of
Beeno began to hint that "sodierin' alus
did make fellers no count" and Alter
bury was commencing to be aware of his
questionable position in the community.
when at her gate one night Susie, fixing
poppy in his buttonhole, said:
Danny, what are you going TO do?'
II don't know yet, Sue" he heHtated; ;
I've got over two hundred saved up, /
told you. and if | sell that loot l brought
home I'd have a pretty good stake-per-
haps eight hundred or a thousand. We
could get married on less than that,
Susie"
NO. we. couldn't. Dan. Not unless you
had a position. or some business OF some
thing ahead. 1t doesn't take long TO spend
a thousand dollars Dan"
We'll, what would you do?" he asked
boy-like. I'm willing to do anything.
Would YOU go TO the city and study law
or medicine, or-or-
Pharmacy" she laughed. helping him
out. no. Dan, don't study pharmacy If
it's going TO make YOU like Hal. Hes"
Il don't think You ought to backbite
him. Sue. You ought TO send back his
presents or at least tell him TO stop
"Oh. / don't know. He gives them TO
all the girls the same as TO me
Il know, Sue But he's beginning TO talk
ike he owned you. l don't like It..
And Updike wondered that Susie quit
buying trifIcs at his store and he became
quite enraged when she asked him, kindly
to send her no more girfts.
The drug store is for sale. Sue" Dan
vas saying one night few weeks later
Il heard the man from Hot Springs tell
ing Hal to look out for a purchaser.
Seems it hasn't been making money. or
they don't want 10 be bothered with il.
Too bad. isn't it. Hal viii lose his job
Why don't you buy it. Danny?'
II was a bold idea and they looked at
each other silently in the moonlight But
he went to Hot Springs next day with
ali his money and a little that she had
been saving since she could remember,
and-hc bought the Racket drug store
But when he came back TO Susie with
his bill of sale ard the list Of notes that
he had agreed to pay. he was worried
"Whatn l do with Hal. Sue?'
Let him run il for you. You can go
To Chicago and study pharmacy on he
profit I'm sure ne won't mind working
for you. Dan"
II was quite a blow TO Mr. Updiqe. but
he swallowed his chagrin and the matter
was fixed. Dan went 70 the city and in
year. when he came back with his di-
ploma, Hal greeted him with a stern
smile and said:
The jig is up, Dan. They're going to
sell US out"
And so it was Susie wept and Dan
erieved. bat neither Of them knew what
place. Where did he get the money? His
father VINO kept the dairy was poor.
Susie supposed it was all right but why
had ne been 50 quiet 50 sneaking about
IL
I'm going TO ask him for a job. said
Dan sulenIy. Il gave him one and he
ought 10 do as well by me.
And Harold soul swelieG with pride
when he saw Dan behind the counter
pounding away with A pestle. OF siob-
bering among the sirups. Hts eyes
gloated over the new sign Harold Up-
dixie Pharmacist. which cleaned shove
the entrance. He bought 2 stopper" and
got sporty Sometimes he even cursed
his clerk. he borrowed money from Tom
belly. who kept the saloon. and the bus
mess went or FOR a white II seemed
that The place was a small mint hi1t al