The Stovepipe Gang borrowed its name from a sub-district of the city called the Stovepipe, which is a narrow and natural extension of the familiar district known as Hells Kitchen. The Stovepipe strip of town runs along Eleventh and Twelfth avenues on the river, and bends a hard and sooty elbow around little, lost homeless DeWitt Clinton park. Consider that a stovepipe is an important factor in any kitchen and the situation is analyzed. The chefs in Hells Kitchen are many, and the Stovepipe gang, wears the cordon blue.
The members of this unchartered but widely known brotherhood appeared to pass their time on street corners arrayed like the lilies of the conservatory and busy with nail files and penknives. Thus displayed as a guarantee of good faith, they carried on an innocuous conversation in a 200-word vocabulary, to the casual observer as innocent and immaterial as that heard in clubs seven blocks to the east.
But off exhibition the Stovepipes were not mere street corner ornaments addicted to posing and manicuring. Their serious occupation was the separating of citizens from their coin and valuables. Preferably this was done by weird and singular tricks without noise or bloodshed; but whenever the citizen honored by their attentions refused to impoverish himself gracefully his objections came to be spread finally upon some police station blotter or hospital register.
The police held the Stovepipe gang in perpetual suspicion and respect. As the nightingales liquid note is heard in the deepest shadows, so along the Stovepipes dark and narrow confines the whistle for reserves punctures the dull ear of night. Whenever there was smoke in the Stovepipe the tasselled men in blue knew there was fire in Hells Kitchen.
Kid Brady promised Molly to be good. Kid was the vainest, the strongest, the wariest and the most successful plotter in the gang. Therefore, the boys were sorry to give him up.
But they witnessed his fall to a virtuous life without protest. For, in the Kitchen it is considered neither unmanly nor improper for a guy to do as his girl advises.
Black her eye for loves sake, if you will; but it is all-to-the-good business to do a thing when she wants you to do it.
Turn off the hydrant, said the Kid, one night when Molly, tearful, besought him to amend his ways. Im going to cut out the gang. You for mine, and the simple life on the side. Ill tell you, Moll Ill get work; and in a year well get married. Ill do it for you. Well get a flat and a flute, and a sewing machine and a rubber plant and live as honest as we can.
Oh, Kid, sighed Molly, wiping the powder off his shoulder with her handkerchief, Id rather hear you say that than to own all of New York. And we can be happy on so little!
The Kid looked down at his speckless cuffs and shining patent leathers with a suspicion of melancholy.
Itll hurt hardest in the rags department, said he. Ive kind of always liked to rig out swell when I could. You know how I hate cheap things, Moll. This suit set me back sixty-five. Anything in the wearing apparel line has got to be just so, or its to the misfit parlors for it, for mine. If I work I wont have so much coin to hand over to the little man with the big shears.
Never mind, Kid. Ill like you just as much in a blue jumper as I would in a red automobile.
Before the Kid had grown large enough to knock out his father he had been compelled to learn the plumbers art. So now back to this honorable and useful profession he returned. But it was as an assistant that he engaged himself; and it is the master plumber and not the assistant, who wears diamonds as large as hailstones and looks contemptuously upon the marble colonnades of Senator Clarks mansion.
Eight months went by as smoothly and surely as though they had elapsed on a theater program. The Kid worked away at his pipes and solder with no symptoms of backsliding. The Stovepipe gang continued its piracy on the high avenues, cracked policemens heads, held up late travelers, invented new methods of peaceful plundering, copied Fifth avenues cut of clothes and neckwear fancies and comported itself according to its lawless bylaws. But the Kid stood firm and faithful to his Molly, even though the polish was gone from his fingernails and it took him 15 minutes to tie his purple silk ascot so that the worn places would not show.
One evening he brought a mysterious bundle with him to Mollys house.
Open that, Moll! he said in his large, quiet way. Its for you.
Mollys eager fingers tore off the wrappings. She shrieked aloud, and in rushed a sprinkling of little McKeevers, and Ma McKeever, dishwashy, but an undeniable relative of the late Mrs. Eve[28].
Again Molly shrieked, and something dark and long and sinuous flew and enveloped her neck like an anaconda.
Russian sables, said the Kid, pridefully, enjoying the sight of Mollys round cheek against the clinging fur. The real thing. They dont grow anything in Russia too good for you, Moll.
Molly plunged her hands into the muff, overturned a row of the family infants and flew to the mirror. Hint for the beauty column. To make bright eyes, rosy checks and a bewitching smile: Recipe one set Russian sables. Apply.
When they were alone Molly became aware of a small cake of the ice of common sense floating down the full tide of her happiness.
Youre a bird, all right, Kid, she admitted gratefully. I never had any furs on before in my life. But aint Russian sables awful expensive? Seems to me Ive heard they were.
Have I ever chucked any bargain-sale stuff at you, Moll? asked the Kid, with calm dignity. Did you ever notice me leaning on the remnant counter or peering in the window of the five-and-ten? Call that scarf $250 and the muff $175 and you wont make any mistake about the price of Russian sables. The swell goods for me. Say, they look fine on you, Moll.
Molly hugged the sables to her bosom in rapture. And then her smile went away little by little, and she looked the Kid straight in the eye sadly and steadily.
He knew what every look of hers meant; and he laughed with a faint flush upon his face.
Cut it out, he said, with affectionate roughness. I told you I was done with that. I bought em and paid for em, all right, with my own money.
Out of the money you worked for, Kid? Out of $75 a month?
Sure. I been saving up.
Lets see saved $425 in eight months, Kid?
Ah, let up, said the Kid, with some heat. I had some money when I went to work. Do you think Ive been holding em up again? I told you Id quit. Theyre paid for on the square. Put em on and come out for a walk.
Molly calmed her doubts. Sables are soothing. Proud as a queen she went forth in the streets at the Kids side. In all that region of low-lying streets Russian sables had never been seen before. The word sped, and doors and windows blossomed with heads eager to see the swell furs Kid Brady had given his girl. All down the street there were Ohs and Ahs and the reported fabulous sum paid for the sables was passed from lip to lip, increasing as it went. At her right elbow sauntered the Kid with the air of princes. Work had not diminished his love of pomp and show and his passion for the costly and genuine. On a corner they saw a group of the Stovepipe Gang loafing, immaculate. They raised their hats to the Kids girl and went on with their calm, unaccented palaver.
Three blocks behind the admired couple strolled Detective Ransom, of the Central office. Ransom was the only detective on the force who could walk abroad with safety in the Stovepipe district. He was fair dealing and unafraid and went there with the hypothesis that the inhabitants were human. Many liked him, and now and then one would tip off to him something that he was looking for.
Whats the excitement down the street? asked Ransom of a pale youth in a red sweater.
Deyre out rubberin at a set of buffalo robes Kid Brady staked his girl to, answered the youth. Some say he paid $900 for de skins. Deyre swell all right enough.
I hear Brady has been working at his old trade for nearly a year, said the detective. He doesnt travel with the gang any more, does he?
Hes workin, all right, said the red sweater, but say, sport, are you trailin anything in the fur line? A job in a plumbin shop don match wid dem skins de Kids girls got on.
Ransom overtook the strolling couple on an empty street near the river bank. He touched the Kids arm from behind.
Let me see you a moment, Brady, he said, quietly. His eye rested for a second on the long fur scarf thrown stylishly back over Mollys left shoulder. The Kid, with his old-time police hating frown on his face, stepped a yard or two aside with the detective.
Did you go to Mrs. Hethcotes on West 7 th street yesterday to fix a leaky water pipe? asked Ransom.
I did, said the Kid. What of it?
The ladys $1,000 set of Russian sables went out of the house about the same time you did. The description fits the ones this lady has on.
To h Harlem with you,[29] cried the Kid, angrily. You know Ive cut out that sort of thing, Ransom. I bought them sables yesterday at
The Kid stopped short.
I know youve been working straight lately, said Ransom. Ill give you every chance. Ill go with you where you say you bought the furs and investigate. The lady can wear em along with us and nobodyll be on. Thats fair, Brady.
Come on, agreed the Kid, hotly. And then he stopped suddenly in his tracks and looked with an odd smile at Mollys distressed and anxious face.
No use, he said, grimly. Theyre the Hethcote sables, all right. Youll have to turn em over, Moll, but they aint too good for you if they cost a million.
Molly, with anguish in her face, hung upon the Kids arm.
Oh, Kiddy, youve broke my heart, she said. I was so proud of you and now theyll do you and wheres our happiness gone?
Go home, said the Kid, wildly. Come on, Ransom take the furs. Lets get away from here. Wait a minute Ive a good mind to no, Ill be d if I can do it run along, Moll Im ready, Ransom.
Around the corner of a lumber-yard came Policeman Kohen on his way to his beat along the river. The detective signed to him for assistance. Kohen joined the group. Ransom explained.
Sure, said Kohen. I hear about those saples dat vas stole. You say you have dem here?