“Maybe,” said Dobbs. “Maybe there are fellows there who don’t belong there. And there are a great many folks who belong there who are not there.”
Allan said nothing more while they were going downstairs again. They walked back to the Bowery and turned to the south. One of the first things that Allan saw struck him so oddly that he adjusted the focus of his camera to fifteen feet, and turning about made a quick shot, Dobbs watching attentively.
The subject of Allan’s picture was a boy of twelve or thirteen perched in a high boot-black’s chair with a grimy little Italian “shiner” polishing his shoes.
“Shine?” called the Italian boy over his shoulder, when he saw that some one had stopped; then went on with his work.
“Young America and young Italy,” laughed the detective, as they walked down the Bowery. When they came to one of the numerous dime museums of the street, Dobbs halted and they read over the glaring announcements that plastered the front of the building.
“You haven’t a big enough plate to take the fat lady,” chuckled Dobbs, “but I don’t see but that you might take a shy at the ossified girl. Ha, ha!” the detective laughed loudly, as he pointed to a huge picture spreading across the front of the building; “there you are!” and Allan read:—
Great Pie Eating Contest
BY
Eleven Lovely Ladies!!
“Couldn’t we get them to let us take that?” asked Dobbs, “when they were half through, you know!”