after a good breakfast, he headed
for the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevards. There he
would make his stand.

The boulevard swarmed with women shoppers. Cars and trucks roared by.
The spectacular signs and free lure show runways were closed down, for
ballyhoo of a different character had taken their place for the daytime.

Boswellister stopped for a moment to watch a demonstrator work before a
huge, block-long, glittering drugstore.

The demonstrator went into his pitch:

"--money back. Now watch! Into a wet glass I pour a small amount of
medically tested Calsobisidine. See how the Calsobisidine clings to the
sides of the wet glass."

The pitchman smiled with flawless teeth and the women smiled back at
him. His shoes were waxed and buffed; his hair fell in a black curl
across his high forehead; his gardenia dripped dew like the ones in the
box by his elbow. Each bottle of Calsobisidine came complete with an
intimate smile from the pitchman, a fresh gardenia pinned on the breast
by his clever fingers and a trial sample bottle. Just for six
ninety-five, plus tax.

"In the exact same manner, Calsobisidine clings to the lining of your
stomach and intestines, giving positive relief from burning pain and
acid indigestion."

This puzzled Boswellister, and he remarked in a voice that seemed
overloud, "But who has glass insides?"

The women giggled and turned away.

The pitchman's scowl was a menace; his voice bitter: "Go on, scram. You
queered my tip."

Boswellister slipped away while the pitchman started to collect a new
crowd. He popped into the entrance of the drugstore, and as always stood
momentarily amazed by the bewildering variety of merchandise. Gardening
implements, paper goods, dishes and glassware, whiskey, Calsobisidine, a
huge display of baby dolls that performed every human function but
reproduction....

Then he gasped and walked towards the inside demonstration. There,
presided over by a fake medical man, dressed in operating room regalia,
including mask, rubber gloves and stethoscope; there, right in the
middle of the block-long drugstore, a demonstration of the newest
educational doll was taking place. The doll, stretched out on a
miniature hospital delivery table, was being delivered of a replica
new-born infant.

Again and again the "doctor" performed the delivery, alternately
inserting the doll-baby into the doll-mamma and removing it.

Boswellister flushed and walked qu