Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-05
Halsey's Hat.


"HE little town of Flossingham
had never quite recovered from
the blow it received when Dick
i son, its neighbor by but seven
miles, was declared the county
seat and given new courthouse.
Only those who have lived in an
ambitious little town know the bitter
ness of the defeated in such small
triumphs and the poorly concealed ex-
f9lltation of the successful. Flossing-
ham, after this blow, sank into doze
which might have deepened into Rip
Van Wrinkle sleep If it had not been
for the new drug store.
It had long been the consensus OF
Flossingham opinion that the town
could not support two stores OF any
one kind. So when very good lock-
ing young fellow with up and coming
manner came to town, rented the
largest room in the new Butler Build
ing and announced that he would open
a pharmacy there in the near future,
the general feeling was one of pity
rather than anything else.
There was one man, however, who
felt nothing but resentment. Asa PEI
ferle had owned and run the only drug
store the town ever had known. Asa
was getting along in years and wasn't
well. His store had been advertised as
for sale in several county papers for
some time and it was not with any,
thing resembling equanimity that Asa
received the news of his rivals ap-
proach. He longed to realize some
money on his place so that he could
go to a good Sanitarium for nice
long rest. To be sure Millicent, his
niece, and only living relative, was to
be thought of, but Millicent had as
sured him again and again that she
would gladly go to work somewhere
else whenever she was freed from, the
cares of him and his home.
THE only thing l can do" Asa told
his niece bitterly, lis to give that young
smart-alec husky run for his money
and I'm going to begin instanter.''
Millicent was forthwith appointed a
committee of one to keep a line on
whatever was being done at the new
pharmacy and report. The first thing
she saw installed was a splendid soda
fountain with all the latest improve
ments. There followed a magnificent
line of toilet articles such as would
bring to the lips of the eternal femi-
nine only superlatives. The bottles on
tine shelves shone resplendently and the
drugs were supposed to come from the
most up-to-the-moment laboratories in
the country. The furnishings were ex-
quisite. The color scheme would at
tract any artist and the orderliness
and cleanliness appealed to the most
fastidiouS.
H. Halsey gave an opening for which
the latest thing in radios was installed.
He sent to the city for dozens and
dozens of hot-house roses, which he
gave away as souvenirs and distributed
leaflets among the visitors telling of
handsome prize he was going to
award to the person who presented thu
most suitable name for the new store,
the judges to be selected from among
the townspeople.
The place was packed. People surged
in and out all through the day and
evening, commenting amiably upon the
magnificent outlay, listening to the
radio, drinking free ginger ale and root
beer and wearing roses of every hue
and variety, but it was not the radio,
the equipment, the free drink or the
souvenirs about which the people
buzzed when out of earshot. 1t was
about Halsey, the handsome proprietor.
During the entire day and evening he
had worn soft gray fedora hat pulled
low over his face. He had served
sodas and free drinks, adjusted the
radio and passed out souvenirs without
removing 1t even once.
Asa Pefferle was not so well. The
news of the grandeur of the new phar-
macy and the crowds which continued
to patronize it even after opening day
seemed to make his decline more rapid.
What difference did it make to him
that curiosity was the leading motive
which took people into the store? In
: vain had he scrubbed and cleaned and
rearranged his own place. In vain