The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-08-27

isned great ambitions, but that was
before Empire. the neighboring town,
but five miles away, got the court
house. Only one who has lived in n
small ambitious town knows the bit
terness OF the defeated at such small
triumphs and the ill-concealed exulta.
tion of the successful The people of
Democrat, after this blow. sank into
doze that might have deepened into
a Rip Van Wrinkle sleep in the new
pharmacy had not been located in the
center of the town.
The oldest and the youngest and in
termediate inhabitants watched the
construction of the new building from
the moment when the first load of
bricks was dumped watched the evo
luton from a mass of brick. lumber
and mortar of an imposing building
building that looked down supercili-
ously on the post office and the Metro.
politan hotel.
When the stock was in. and a soda
water fountain besides, the citizens
were invited to an opening. And
while the amiable visitors gawked
around at the handsome furnishings, n
phonograph sputtered and buzzed out
Sousas marches, and languishing
voice sang "Old Kentucky Home" as
natural as life, and as an encore "Old
Black joe" which made the audience
cheer feverishly. Then the proprietor
urged Phyllis Hackett. the belle of
Democrat, to sing into the phono-
graph because Lem Bond said she
could sing purifier than Il could" But
Phyllis refused Then every one was
treated to soda water and went away
rejoicing
nor the soda water that every one Of
them hummed about when out of ear
shot. 1t was OF the proprietor, julius
Murray, who. during the entire even
ing, wore his soft gray hat pulled
low over his face. And 1t was not long
before the people on the outlying
farms around Democrat had heard that
ha: on all occasions.
do tell" the incredulous yokel
would cry, and drop in casually,
staring innocently at the proprietor
in the hat, and before parting would
leave n dime or nickel behind him
taking a glass of soda water or tune
on the phonograph as an equivalent
| The news grew and waxed extrava'
giant, as gossip will. and 1t was full
grown rumor that the bell-boy at the
Metropolitan hotel said that the drug
store man slept and ate with his
hat on.
Phyllis Hackett's father was a large
landholder in Democrat end was quite
willing to interest others in this land
The next time he went over to En-
pire to attend court he told every one
about the excellently equipped drue
store-and the man in the hat played
prominent part in the narrative
He so interested n drummer that the
man went over with him in his buggy
and before he shook the dust of Demo
crat from his feet had left some sam
pie goods in the drug store, and Muir
ray was to get a handsome commits
sion on all that he sold
This was a shrewd move on Hack
ett's part. The drummer, in his owl
interest, spread the news wherevel
he stopped, and more drummers came
and more goods were left at the drui
store, and the man in the hat. within
year. had to enlarge his building Il
accommodate his thriving trade.
Phyllis Hackett, following her ia
TIERS injunctions, told her younI
friends In Empire about the soda
water and the phoncgraph, and espe
cially emphasized TO the girls th'
mysterious proprietor who was jus
lawfully handsome" and wore his sof
hat well over his face. So II became
quite the fashion for crowds OF younl
people to come over on moonlit night
10 listen to phonograph selections ant
drink soda water.
The county paper came out with
long article with scare headlInes-n
names given-of a man who. for SOM
mysterious reason, always wore hi
hat. 1t cited other remarkable inc
dents In history, and wound up in
lurid sea of mixed metaphor and fig
ures OF speech, and spoke OF "Th
Black knight" who wore his visor an
iron gloves on all occasions. But tn
article appealed to the public, an
was the best sort OF an advertisement
for the man in the hat. whose bus
ness increased with each day, an
with his growing prosperity the tow
was naturally benefited. And the pee
pie of Empire were obliged to com
to Democrat for their drugs.
Then, thanks to the drummers, tn
railroad that had been threatening L
throw out an arm from Metropolis
ten miles away. and for which Empir
had fought and schemed and praye
ever since 1t secured the courthouse
sent surveyors over to Democrat
Hackett took charge of them and er
tertained royally-droye them aroun
to the drug store-introduced them {
Murray, who treated them to the bes
soda water, and Phyllis completed tn
conquest by presiding at Dime