The Flaw in the Sapphire

the city of Philadelphia, a y

d to take himself seriously and make the most of i

f two celebrated inst

ance, in countenance, to the late Benjamin Disraeli, and maintained in speech

h interest by that class which is disposed to estimate the contents of a book by the ch

ion of an oddity to whom you would be pleased to introduce your

, startling, re

curious experience to remark the approach of this singular being

and, unconsciously, you accorded him the opportunity, only to be scandalized the

clothes

on, chagrined

was scarcely a day in which he had not subjected himself to the more or less pronounced hazards of rebuff in

consideration

ject of his regard came to a standstill, he had been known to approach diagonally, and, at the point of incidence, present

ion of fictitious newness, displayed them in front of his establishment, marked with prices which, as he explained to those unwary enough to vent

disabilities did not insist upon due recognition and ugly ravel, and that such shred

lities which made him successful in his calling rendered him obnoxiou

ho constituted the Manhattan police force and provided the count

long as it was plausible to do so, and when he had exha

nthusiasm minus its basis, an unhappy conclusion which was emphasized by his patien

way of securing a biography of the Hebrew premier, whom he provided with such an absurd travesty of likeness, and the "ole clo' merchant" was so impressed by th

ew of these stimulating aspirations, he coul

osion, the young merchant developed a dangerous readiness to embrace the first

ced him to the point where he informed his father of his decision, and the latter immediately su

business could not be diverted from its purpose, with cruel celerity he cu

nterview with his sire, set out for New York City with his few belongings condensed, with campaigning foresight, in a satchel whose size and

s," and guided by his native shrewdness, Dennis finally found accommodatio

ted, in a curious way, th

ctive barroom, through which one was compelled to pass, challenged on every si

accommodate a bed, washstand and one chair-a sordid ensemble, unrelieved by any oth

lively emotion in the moralist, a Bible occupied a sm

tion, and shortly after his arrival retired for the night to

, despite the appeals of the glitter and the labels in the bar, breakfasting with his customary abstemious

ions of Baxter Street, a thoroughfare congested from end to end with innumerable s

tion, a condition which deepened his determination to avoi

rge publishing house, Dennis had no id

ascination for him, he could not explain this predilec

acked shelves, and in pursuance of this indirection was familia

ooks to touch them, and was sufficiently in aw

d by himself, the capacity of the bibliophile to detect and e

ccess he had enjoyed in his abandoned business, Dennis decided to exhaust the ple

orded him in the surprising efforts of his imagination displayed in achievements such

s S

a

5

heap

et it

2

on inde

hrase in his unfailing campaign document, his copy of Beaconsfield: "I have begun many things many times and h

confusing labyrinth of counters, department aisles and shelves, which combine in such a d

d at the wrong portal, and, returning to the street, he discovered that the building c

surroundings, Dennis cast an anxious glance about h

en direction by a

vils! It's dhramin'

ied with the double task of assuming an austere demeanor, and quickeni

look, with an inquiring glance, upon Dennis, who had presented himself to the att

ob," said D

ly, staring at the mosaic of physio

repeated Denni

erance of the last two words, but the foreman conti

way?" he said with

n, sir; I

at this frank acknowledgment; "but wher

singular contradiction he presented, he replied, with a genuin

t off at the m

s. "Shure, that's not bad. By the mug ye wear, I wud advise ye to go to Baxther Street, but by the sound av ye, Oi ric

at he was progressing; "but the only

oreman, "so it's handy

answere

outfit he directed Dennis to display his name and address

s Mul

tag H

ey

.

tention to the character of the work itself, he added: "That's not bad at all, at all. See here," he said abruptly, as he picked up the board which Dennis had decorated and fastened it to the warehouse wall with a

," said Den

risint incoombent has been mixin' too mu

?" asked Dennis wit

ve inthroduced th' subject, excuse a personal qui

"nor out of them. Father attende

this marnin'. Come 'round be th' ind of the wake," and d

to Dennis as he left this locality to ponder over its poss

was s

ult upon the barricades of prejudice and suspicion, which was involved in the anxious solicitude of the man see

st succeeded in securing, in one of the more pretentious stores on Baxter Street, a contrivanc

ies of three shirt bosoms made of p

symptoms of soil or wear, its removal

le to detect the agreeable sham, which, under fav

e industrious barkeeper the acknowledgment of a lively Irish nod, in which there was both fellowsh

calculation natural to the unemployed, did not propose to rest

ntoward mi

liar with this seamy

nly his wholesome Celtic faith and prompt capacity to

nts for employment, and received his first lessons in the courteous duplicity which ostenta

e foray, Dennis noticed that the exposed boso

his applications and failures, and, as such,

tear away the soiled surface, and in doing so discovered not only the clean bosom benea

indow, he read by the light of early dawn