“Old man Riddle don’t like me a little bit，” went on theuneasy suitor， bent upon marshalling his arguments. “For aweek he hasn’t let Rosy step outside the door with me. Ifit wasn’t for losin’ a boarder they’d have bounced me longago. I’m makin’ 20 a week and she’ll never regret flyin’
the coop with Chunk McGowan.”
“You will excuse me， Chunk，” said Ikey. “I must make aprescription that is to be called for soon.”
“Say，” said McGowan， looking up suddenly， “say， Ikey，ain’t there a drug of some kind—some kind of powdersthat’ll make a girl like you better if you give ’em to her？”
Ikey’s lip beneath his nose curled with the scorn ofsuperior enlightenment； but before he could answer，McGowan continued：
“Tim Lacy told me he got some once from a croakeruptown and fed ’em to his girl in soda water. From thevery first dose he was ace-high and everybody else lookedlike thirty cents to her. They was married in less than twoweeks.”
Strong and simple was Chunk McGowan. A better readerof men than Ikey was could have seen that his tough framewas strung upon fine wires. Like a good general who wasabout to invade the enemy’s territory he was seeking toguard every point against possible failure.
“I thought，” went on Chunk hopefully， “that if I had oneof them powders to give Rosy when I see her at supper tonightit might brace her up and keep her from renegingon the proposition to skip. I guess she don’t need a muleteam to drag her away， but women are better at coachingthan they are at running bases. If the stuff’ll work just fora couple of hours it’ll do the trick.”
“When is this foolishness of running away to be happening？”
asked Ikey.
“Nine o’clock，” said Mr. McGowan. “Supper’s at seven.
At eight Rosy goes to bed with a headache. At nine oldParvenzano lets me through to his back yard， wherethere’s a board off Riddle’s fence， next door. I go underher window and help her down the fire-escape. We’ve gotto make it early on the preacher’s account. It’s all deadeasy if Rosy don’t balk when the flag drops. Can you fixme one of them powders， Ikey？”
Ikey Schoenstein rubbed his nose slowly.
“Chunk，” said he， “it is of drugs of that nature thatpharmaceutists must have much carefulness. To you aloneof my acquaintance would I intrust a powder like that.
But for you I shall make it， and you shall see how it makesRosy to think of you.”
Ikey went behind the prescription desk. There hecrushed to a powder two soluble tablets， each containinga quarter of a grain of morphia. To them he added alittle sugar of milk to increase the bulk， and folded themixture neatly in a white paper. Taken by an adult thispowder would insure several hours of heavy slumberwithout danger to the sleeper. This he handed to ChunkMcGowan， telling him to administer it in a liquid ifpossible， and received the hearty thanks of the backyardLochinvar.
The subtlety of Ikey’s action becomes apparent uponrecital of his subsequent move. He sent a messenger forMr. Riddle and disclosed the plans of Mr. McGowan foreloping with Rosy. Mr. Riddle was a stout man， brickdustyof complexion and sudden in action.
“Much obliged，” he said， briefly， to Ikey. “The lazy Irishloafer！ My own room’s just above Rosy’s. I’ll just go upthere myself after supper and load the shot-gun and wait.
If he comes in my back yard he’ll go away in a ambulanceinstead of a bridal chaise.”
With Rosy held in the clutches of Morpheus for a manyhoursdeep slumber， and the bloodthirsty parent waiting，armed and forewarned， Ikey felt that his rival was close，indeed， upon discomfiture.
All night in the Blue Light Drug Store he waited at hisduties for chance news of the tragedy， but none came.
At eight o’clock in the morning the day clerk arrivedand Ikey started hurriedly for Mrs. Riddle’s to learn theoutcome. And， lo！ as he stepped out of the store who butChunk McGowan sprang from a passing street car andgrasped his hand—Chunk McGowan with a victor’s smileand flushed with joy.
“Pulled it off，” said Chunk with Elysium in his grin.
“Rosy hit the fire-escape on time to a second， and we wasunder the wire at the Reverend’s at 9.3O ？. She’s up atthe flat—she cooked eggs this mornin’ in a blue kimono—Lord！ how lucky I am！ You must pace up some day， Ikey，and feed with us. I’ve got a job down near the bridge， andthat’s where I’m heading for now.”
“The—the—powder？” stammered Ikey.
“Oh， that stuff you gave me！” said Chunk， broadeninghis grin； “well， it was this way. I sat down at the suppertable last night at Riddle’s， and I looked at Rosy， and Isays to myself， ‘Chunk， if you get the girl get her on thesquare—don’t try any hocus-pocus with a thoroughbredlike her.’ And I keeps the paper you give me in my pocket.
And then my lamps fall on another party present， who，I says to myself， is failin’ in a proper affection toward hiscomin’ son-in-law， so I watches my chance and dumps thatpowder in old man Riddle’s coffee—see？”