Soapy had confidence in himself from the lowest button of his vest upward. He was shaven， and his coat was decent and his neat black， ready-tied four-in-hand had been presented to him by a lady missionary on Thanksgiving Day. If he could reach a table in the restaurant unsuspected success would be his. The portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted mallard duck， thought Soapy， would be about the thing—with a bottle ofChablis， and then Camembert， a demi—tasse and a cigar. One dollar for the cigar would be enough. The total would not be so high as to call forth any supreme manifestation of revenge from the café management； and yet the meat would leave him filled and happy for the journey to his winter refuge.
But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door the head waiter’s eye fell upon his frayed trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the sidewalk and averted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard.
Soapy turned off Broadway. It seemed that his route to the coveted Island was not to be an epicurean one. Some other way of entering limbo must be thought of.
At a corner of Sixth Avenue electric lights and cunningly displayed wares behind plate-glass made a shop window conspicuous. Soapy took a cobblestone and dashed it through the glass. People came running around the corner， a policeman in the lead. Soapy stood still， with his hands in his pockets， and smiled at the sight of brass buttons.
“Where’s the man that done that？” inquired the officer， excitedly. “Don’t you figure out that I might have had something to do with it？”
said Soapy， not without sarcasm， but friendly， as one greets good fortune.
The policeman’s mind refused to accept Soapy even as a clue. Men who smash windows do not remain to parley with the law’s minions. They take to their heels. The policeman saw a man halfway down the block running to catch a car. With drawn club he joined in the pursuit. Soapy， with disgust in his heart， loafed along， twice unsuccessful.
On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant of no great pretensions. It catered to large appetites and modest purses. Its crockery and atmosphere were thick； its soup and napery thin. Into this place Soapy took his accusive shoes and telltale trousers without challenge. At a table he sat and consumed beefsteak， flapjacks， doughnuts and pie. And then to the waiter he betrayed the fact that the minutest coin and himself were strangers.
“Now， get busy and call a cop，” said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”
“No cop for youse，” said the waiter， with a voice like butter cakes and an eye like the cherry in a Manhattan cocktail. “Hey， Con！”
Neatly upon his left ear on the callous pavement two waiters pitched Soapy. He arose， joint by joint， as a carpenter’s rule opens， and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed but a rosy dream. The Island seemed very far away. A policeman who stood before a drug store two doors away laughed and walked down the street.
Five blocks Soapy travelled before his courage permitted him to woo capture again. This time the opportunity presented what he fatuously termed to himself a “cinch.” A young woman of a modest and pleasing guise was standing before a show window gazing with sprightly interest at its display of shaving mugs and inkstands， and two yards from the window a large policeman of severe demeanour leaned against a water plug.
It was Soapy’s design to assume the r？le of the despicable and execrated “masher.” The refined and elegant appearance of his victim and the contiguity of the conscientious cop encouraged him to believe that he would soon feel the pleasant official clutch upon his arm that would insure his winter quarters on the right little， tight little isle.
Soapy straightened the lady missionary’s ready-made tie， dragged his shrinking cuffs into the open， set his hat at a killing cant and sidled toward the young woman. He made eyes at her， was taken with sudden coughs and “hems，” smiled， smirked and went brazenly through the impudent and contemptible litany of the “masher.” With half an eye Soapy saw that the policeman was watching him fixedly. The young woman moved away a few steps， and again bestowed her absorbed attention upon the shaving mugs. Soapy followed， boldly stepping to her side， raised his hat and said：
“Ah there， Bedelia！ Don’t you want to come and play in my yard？”
The policeman was still looking. The persecuted young woman had but to beckon a finger and Soapy would be practically en route for his insular haven. Already he imagined he could feel the cozy warmth of the station-house. The young woman faced him and， stretching out a hand， caught Soapy’s coat sleeve.
“Sure， Mike，” she said， joyfully，“if you’ll blow me to a pail of suds. I’d have spoke to you sooner， but the cop was watching.”
With the young woman playing the clinging ivy to his oak Soapy walked past the policeman overcome with gloom. He seemed doomed to liberty.
At the next corner he shook off his companion and ran. He halted in the district where by night are found the lightest streets， hearts， vows and librettos. Women in furs and men in greatcoats moved gaily in the wintry air. A sudden fear seized Soapy that some dreadful enchantment had rendered him immune to arrest. The thought brought a little of panic upon it， and when he came upon another policeman lounging grandly in front of a transplendent theatre he caught at the immediate straw of “disorderly conduct.”
On the sidewalk Soapy began to yell drunken gibberish at the top of his harsh voice. He danced， howled， raved and otherwise disturbed the welkin.
The policeman twirled his club， turned his back to Soapy and remarked to a citizen.
“’Tis one of them Yale lads celebratin’ the goose egg they give to the Hartford College. Noisy； but no harm. We’ve instructions to lave them be.”
