truly few princes could be so agreeable a host！
And what artist could ask for further appreciation
of his handiwork？ Katy did not know that the
proudest consummation of a New Yorker's ambition
is to shake bands with a spaghetti chef or to receive
a nod from a Broadway head…waiter。
At last the company thinned； leaving' but a few
couples and quartettes lingering over new wine and
old stories。 And then came Mr。 Brunelli to Katy's
secluded table； and drew a chair close to hers。
Katy smiled at him dreamily。 She was eating the
last spoonful of a raspberry roll with Burgundy
sauce。
〃You have seen！〃 said Mr。 Brunelli； laying one
hand upon his collar bone。 〃I am Antonio Brunelli！
Yes； I am the great 'Tonio！ You have not suspect
that！ I loave you； Katy； and you shall marry with
me。 Is it not so？ Call me 'Antonio；' and say that
you will be mine。〃
Katy's head drooped to the shoulder that was now
freed from all suspicion of having received the
knightly accolade。
〃Oh； Andy；〃 she sighed； 〃this is great！ Sure；
I'll marry wid ye。 But why didn't ye tell me ye was
the cook？ I was near turnin' ye down for bein' one
of thim foreign counts！〃
FROM EACH ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY
Vuyning left his club； cursing it softly； without
any particular anger。 From ten in the morning un…
til eleven it had bored him immeasurably。 Kirk with
his fish story； Brooks with his Porto Rico cigars； old
Morrison with his anecdote about the widow； Hep…
burn with his invariable luck at billiards all these
afflictions had been repeated without change of bill or
scenery。 Besides these morning evils Miss Allison
had refused him again on the night before。 But that
was a chronic trouble。 Five times she had laughed at
his offer to make her Mrs。 Vuyning。 He intended
to ask her again the next Wednesday evening。
Vuyning walked along Forty…fourth Street to
Broadway； and then drifted down the great sluice
that washes out the dust of the gold…mines of Gotham。
He wore a morning suit of light gray； low； dull kid
shoes； a plain； finely woven straw hat； and his visible
linen was the most delicate possible shade of belio…
trope。 His necktie was the blue…gray of a Novem…
ber sky； and its knot was plainly the outcome of a
lordly carelessness combined with an accurate con…
ception of the most recent dictum of fashion。
Now； to write of a man's haberdashery is a worse
thing than to write a historical novel 〃around〃
Paul Jones； or to pen a testimonial to a hay…fever
cure。
Therefore； let it be known that the description of
Vuyning's apparel is germane to the movements of
the story； and not to make room for the new fall
stock of goods。
Even Broadway that morning was a discord in
Vuyning's ears； and in his eyes it paralleled for a
few dreamy； dreary minutes a certain howling；
scorching； seething； malodorous slice of street that he
remembered in Morocco。 He saw the struggling
mass of dogs； beggars； fakirs； slave…drivers and
veiled women in carts without horses； the sun blazing
brightly among the bazaars； the piles of rubbish
from ruined temples in the street … and then a lady；
passing； jabbed the ferrule of a parasol in his side
and brought him back to Broadway。
Five minutes of his stroll brought him to a certain
corner； where a number of silent； pale…faced men are
accustomed to stand； immovably； for hours； busy
with the file blades of their penknives； with their hat
brims on a level with their eyelids。 Wall Street
speculators； driving home in their carriages； love to
point out these men to their visiting friends and tell
them of this rather famous lounging…place of the
〃crooks。〃 On Wall Street the speculators never
use the file blades of their knives。
Vuyning was delighted when one of this company
stepped forth and addressed him as he was passing。
He was hungry for something out of the ordinary；
and to be accosted by this smooth…faced； keen…eyed；
low…voiced； athletic member of the under world； with
his grim； yet pleasant smile； had all the taste of an
adventure to the convention…weary Vuyning。
〃Excuse me； friend；〃 said be。 〃Could I have a
few minutes' talk with you on the level？〃
〃Certainly；〃 said Vuyning； with a smile。 〃But；
suppose we step aside to a quieter place。 There is a
divan a cafe over here that will do。 Schrumm
will give us a private corner。〃
Schrumm established them under a growing palm；
with two seidls between them。 Vuyning made a
pleasant reference to meteorological conditions； thus
forming a binge upon which might be swung the
door leading from the thought repository of the
other。
〃In the first place；〃 said his companion； with the
air of one who presents his credentials； 〃I want you
to understand that I am a crook。 Out West I am
known as Rowdy the Dude。 Pickpocket； supper man；
second…story man； yeggman； boxman； all…round bur…
glar； cardsharp and slickest con man west of the
Twenty…third Street ferry landing that's my his…
tory。 That's to show I'm on the square with you。
My name's Emerson。〃
〃Confound old Kirk with his fish stories〃 said
Vuyning to himself； with silent glee as he went
through his pockets for a card。 〃It's pronounced
'Vining；'〃 he said； as he tossed it over to the other。
〃And I'll be as frank with you。 I'm just a kind of
a loafer； I guess； living on my daddy's money。 At
the club they call me 'Left…at…the…Post。' I never
did a day's work in my life； and I haven't the heart
to run over a chicken when I'm motoring。 It's a
pretty shabby record； altogether。〃
〃There's one thing you can do；〃 said Emerson；
admiringly； 〃you can carry duds。 I've watched you
several times pass on Broadway。 You look the best
dressed man I've seen。 And I'll bet you a gold mine
I've got 50 worth more gent's furnishings on my
frame than you have。 That's what I wanted to see
you about。 I can't do the trick。 Take a look at
me。 What's wrong？〃
〃Stand up；〃 said Vuyning。
Emerson arose； and slowly revolved。
〃You've been 'outfitted；'〃 declared the clubman。
〃Some Broadway window…dresser has misused you。〃
〃That's an expensive suit； though； Emerson。〃
〃A hundred dollars；〃 said Emerson。
〃Twenty too much；〃 said Vuyning。 〃Six months
old in cut； one inch too long； and half an inch to…
much lapel。 Your hat is plainly dated one year ago；
although there's only a sixteenth of an inch lacking
in the brim to tell the story。 That English poke in
your collar is too short by the distance between Troy
and London。 A plain gold link cuff…button would
take all the shine out of those pearl ones with dia…
mond settings。 Those tan shoes would be exactly
the articles to work into the heart of a Brooklyn
school…ma'am on a two weeks' visit to Lake Ronkon…
koma。 I think I caught a glimpse of a blue silk
sock embroidered with russet lilies of the valley when
you improperly drew up your trousers as you
sat down。 There are always plain ones to be had
in the stores。 Have I hurt your feelings； Emer…
son？〃
〃Double the ante！〃 cried the criticised one； greed…
ily。 〃Give me more of it。 There's a way to tote
the haberdashery； and I want to get wise to it。 Say；
you're the right kind of a swell。 Anything else to the
queer about me？〃
〃Your tie；〃 said Vuyning； 〃is tied with absolute
precision and correctness。〃
〃Thanks；〃 gratefully 〃I spent over half an
hour at it before I 〃
〃Thereby；〃 interrupted Vuyning； 〃completing
your resemblance to a dummy in a Broadway store
window。〃
〃Yours truly；〃 said Emerson； sitting down again。
〃It's bully of you to put me wise。 I knew there
was something wrong； but I couldn't just put my
finger on it。 I guess it comes by nature to know how
to wear clothes。〃
〃Oh； I suppose；〃 said Vuyning； with a laugh；
〃that my ancestors picked up the knack while they
were peddling clothes from house to house a couple
of hundred years ago。 I'm told they did that。〃
〃And mine；〃 said Emerson； cheerfully； 〃were
making their visits at night； I guess； and didn't have
a chance to catch on to the correct styles。〃
〃I tell you what；〃 said Vuyning； whose ennui had
taken wings； 〃I'll take you to my tailor。 He'll
eliminate the mark of the beast from your exterior。
That is； if you care to go any further in the way of
expense。〃
〃Play 'em to the ceiling；〃 said Emerson； with a
boyish smile of joy。 〃I've got a roll as big around
as a barrel of black…eyed peas and as loose as the
wrapper of a two…for…fiver。 I don't mind telling you
that I was not touring among the Antipodes when
the burglar…proof safe of the Farmers' National Bank
of Butterville； Ia。； flew open some moonless nights
ago to the tune of 16；000。〃
〃Aren't you afraid；〃 asked Vuyning； 〃that I'll
call a cop and hand you over？〃
〃You tell me；〃 said Emerson； coolly； 〃why I
didn't keep them。〃
He laid Vuyning's pocketbook and watch the
Vuyning 100…year…old family watch on the table。
〃Man；〃 said Vuyning； revelling； 〃did you ever
hear the tale Kirk tells about the six…pound trout
and the old fisherman？〃
〃Seems not；〃 said Emerson； politely。 〃I'd
like to。〃
〃But you won't；〃 said Vuyning。 〃I've heard it
scores of times。 That's why I won't tell you。 I was
just thinking how much better this is than a club。
Now； shall we go to my tailor？〃
〃Boys； and elderly gents；〃 said Vuyning； five days
later at his club； standing up against the window
where his coterie was gathered； and keeping out the
breeze； 〃a friend of mine from the West will dine
at our table this evening。〃
〃Will he ask if we have heard the latest from
Denver？〃 said a member； squirming in his chair。
〃Will he mention the new twenty…three…story Ma…
sonic Temple； in Quincy； Ill。？〃 inquired another；
dropping hi