West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-11-18
THE LOVE PH|LTER
OF 1KEY SCHOENSTE|N
Wedding Bells Rang, Though the
Potion Went Astray.
BY o. HENRY.

lcopyrisht. 1906. By Mcclure. Phillips &
The Blue Light drug store is down
town. between the Bowery and First
avenue. where the distance between
the two streets is the shortest. The
Blue Light does not consider that
pharmacy is a thing OF bric-a-brac.
scent and fee cream soda. II you ask
it for pain killer 1t will not give you
n bonbon.
The Blue Light scorns the labor saw
ing arts OF modern pharmacy. 1t mac
crates Its opium and percolates its own
laudanum and paregoric. To this day
pills are made behind it's tall pre-
scription desk-pllls rolled out on its
own pill tile. divided with a spatula.
rolled with the finger and thumb. dust.
ed with caicined magnesia and dellv-
cred in little round pasteboard pill
boxes. The store is on corner about
which coveys OF ragged-plumed. hllari-
Gus children play and become candi-
dates for the cough drops and sooth-
Ing sirups that wait for them inside.
key Schoenstein was the night clerk
or the Blue Light and the friend OF his
i. customers. Thus II is on the east side.
where the heart OF pharmacy is not
glace. There, as It should be. the drug
gist Is a counselor. n confessor. an ad.
wiser, an able and willing missionary
and mentor whose learning is respect
ed. whose occult wisdom is venerated
and whose medicine is often poured.
untasted. into the gutter. Therefore
keys corniform, bespectacled nose
and narrow. knowledge bowed fig
ure was well known In the vicinity Of
the Blue Light. and his advice and no
tee were much desired.
key roomed and breaxfasted at Mrs.
Riddles. two squares away. Mrs. Rid
die had a daughter named Rosy. The
circumlocution has been In vain-you
must have guessed it-Ikey adored
Rosy. She tinctured all his thoughts.
She was the compound extract OF all
that was chemically pure and oficinal.
The dispensatory contained nothing
equal to her. But key was timid, and
HIS hopes remained insoluble I'm the
menstruum OF his backwardness and
fears. Behind his counter he was n
superior being, calmly conscious OF
special knowledge and worth. Outside
he was a weakened, purblInd. mo-
torman cursed rambler. with Ill fitting
clothes stained with chemicals and
smelling OF socotrine aloes and yaleri-
nnate OF ammonia.
The fy fn Ikey's ointmant fthrica
welcome, pat tropeD was Chunk Nc
Gowan.
Mr.. MCGOWAN was also striving to
catch the bright smiles tossed about
by Rosy. But he was no outfielder, as
Ikey was. He picked them OF the bat.
At the same time he was keys friend
and customer and often dropped In at
the Blue Light drug store to have a
bruise painted with iodine or get a
cut rubber plastered after n pleasant
evening spent nlong the Bowery.
One afternoon MCGOWAN drIfted In
In his silent. easy way and sat, comely.
smooth faced. hard. indomitable. good
natured, upon n stool.
"Ikey," said. he when his friend had
fetched his mortar and sat opposite.
grinding gum benzoin to a powder.
get busy with your ear. It's drugs
for me IL you've got the line I need"
Ikey scanned the countenance OF Mr.
MCGOWAN for the usual evidences OF
conflict, but found none.
''Take your coat on" he ordered. "I
guess ALREADY that you have been