Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-09-06
....THE....
jKET DRUG STORE
AT BEENO.

graduated. full-hedged pharma-
nd DR.. Poppitz employed him
drug store. THE Racket Drug
Beena, Ark" that was the sign
the door, but on a little tin sign
the side entrance was the legend.
+ Poppitz. Apotheke" The al
Of Harold Updike lent new glory
ne drug store. He wore a pink
and silk garters 10 hold up IS
YES. He parted his hair in the
ale. and kept it dropping. name
:, over his eyes after the manner
The college football hero. He was
envy of all the young men in town.
ause he ruled the soda fountain.
every girl in town called him
-al" and quit buying stamps at the
'stofIice. Meanwhile DR.. Popp:tz
no. by the way, wasn't doctor at
4. was disabled almost entirely by
Federated I diabetes, and Harold
anne Pretty near running things in
he store.
"Wcull you like q cooling beverage,
Miss Sue?" asked Harold one evening,
when pretty Miss Clayton, who had
get into long dresses within the year,
had bought box of note paper and
some stamps. With me. you know.
Ny treat"
And while she was nibbling daint-
lily at H. he eyed her admiringly and
stsElmered: Two years have made
quite a change in you, Susie"
They've changed you. too. Hal
We're all glad TO see you back-the:e
aren't enough boys round. you see,
and-you know Dan Atterbury-"
~" On. that's SO. forgot about Dan.
Where is he?"
He hasn't come back from the
army yet" she said, getting deeper
into the confeciion, but blushing, too,
THAT is. We, have been expecting
him. He said he'd be here for the
Fourth, and I'm hoping"
Aha, Miss Susie" simpered Updike.
$50 he's been writing TO you, eh? He
always was little sweet"
He was schoolmate with us. with
you tco." she said frowning. with quite
a serious attempt at severity. and
| think you ought to be glad to see
him too. Hal. He's been wounded and
sick. and suffered ever so many things
over there in the Philippines. And he
was in China tool"
But Cpdille didn't care whether his
old schoolmate ever came back. for ne
had some plans of his own with re-
gard to Susie, and he knew that even
a pink shirt and football hair are not
special advantages over a blue uni
form 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 a 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
good old doctor was forgotten Har-
old began to cut quite figure in
Beeno circles. The store owed money
TO the Hot Springs wholesaler, and Hal
was acting manager for its creditor.
Meanwhile he was paying the most
ardent court 10 Miss Susie. She
might have bathed in costly perfumes
and Toasted interminably on bonbons
and ice cream soda without infringing
an inch upon Updike's grandiose hos
pitality. He sent her presents of
every kind Of note paper, fancy toilet
articles, soaps. novelties, combs,
brushes and the rest of drug store
fancy goods.
Dan Atterbury's star, on the con-
trary, was on the descent. He had
put aside his weatherstained CAM
pa:gn suit and was loating. A soldier
out of his regimentals and out of a
job is not usually a heroic spectacle.
Some of the good people of Beeno be-
gan TO hint that "soldierin' allus did
make fellers no count and Atterbury
was commencing to be aware of his
question: BILE position in the commun-
ity, when at her gate one night Susie
fixing poppy in his buttonhole. said:
what dit YOU SOliE W W.
I don't know yet, Sue" he hesitat-
ed; I've got over two hundred saved
up, ] told you, and if / sell that loot
] brought home I'd have a pretty good
stake-perhaps eight hundred or a
thousand. We could get married on
less than that, Susie"
NO, we couldn't, Dan. Not unless
you had position, or some business or
something ahead. It doesn't take Icing
to spend a thousand dollars, Dan.'
We'll, what would you do?" he
asked, boylike, I'm willing to do any
thing. Would you go TO the city ard
study law. or medicine. or-or-"
Pharmacy" she laughed, helping
him out, mo Dan, don't study phar-
macy if it's going to make you like
Hal. He's"
Il don't think you ought to Dackbite
him, Sue. You ought to send back
his presents or at least tell him 10
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 like he owned you. don't like
it,"
And Updike wondered that Susie
quit buying trihes at the store ana he
became quite enraged when she asked
him. kindly. to send her no more gifts.
The drug store is for sale. Sue. -
Tla, u-ac cavi-g enc nigbt n fau- ,,,aol,s