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of rent money; concerning whom experience had made

her wise?  With a sense of his ineligibility growing

within her there was mingled a torturing conviction

that his personality was becoming more pleasing to

her day by day。  And why had he left her to dine

alone?



But here he was coming again; now coatless; his

snowy shirt…sleeves rolled high above his Jeffries…

onian elbows; a white yachting cap perched upon his

jetty curls。



〃'Tonio!  'Tonio!〃 shouted many; and 〃The

spaghetti!  The spaghetti!〃 shouted the rest。



Never at 'Tonio's did a waiter dare to serve a dish

of spaghetti until 'Tonio came to test it; to prove the

sauce and add the needful dash of seasoning that

gave it perfection。



From table to table moved 'Tonio; like a prince in

his palace; greeting his guests。  White; jewelled

bands signalled him from every side。



A glass of wine with this one and that; smiles for

all; a jest and repartee for any that might challenge

 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


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