Soapy and the Cops story ( Part One )

Lying on a bench in Madison Square  Park, Soapy squirmed uneasily. When wild  geese begin to fly south to find warm weather and when women without fur coats grow kind to their husbands and when Soapy squirms uneasily on his bench in the park; you know that winter is approaching.

A dead leaf  fell on Soapy  leg.That was winter's :  earn online here http://www.publipt.com/pages/index.php?refid=cholil  

first greeting . Winter is kind to those who sleep on benches in Madison. Square Park; it gives them a warning before it comes. The north wind reminds the inhabitants of the park that it's time to get ready for the coming  cold season,Soapy realized that he would soon have to make preparations for the winter, and there for he squirmed uneasily on his bench. Soapy's ambitions  for a winter shelter were not the highest.he had no thought of Mediterranean boat trips, of lovely southern skies, or of painting the Bay of Naples by Moonlight. Three months in the Island prison was all he desired. Three month of sure board and bed and plesant company, safe from the blue coated policemen, seemed especially desirable to Soapy. For years the friendly prison on Black-well's  Island  had been his winter home. Just as his more fortunate fellow New Yorkers had bought their tickets to sunny Florida and the French Riviera each winter, so Soapy had made humble arragements for his annual trip to the Island.

And now the time had come.On the previous night. three Sunday newspapers spread beneath his coat, around his legs and over his lap had failed to keep out the cold as he slept on his bench. So the Island seemed particularly attractive at this time. 

Having dicided to go the Island, Soapy began to think about accomplishing his desire. There were easy ways of doing this.The pleasantest way was to dine in luxury at some expensive restaurant. and then after declaring that he could not pay the bill, a policeman would come and take his away.The kind judge of the police court would sentence him to there or more months at the Island prison.

Soapy left his beach and strolled out of the square and across  the street to the corner of Broadway and stopped a brightly lighted restaurant where fashionably dressed people gather every night for fine food and fine wine. 

Soapy had complete confidence in himself. he was shaved, his coat was decent, and his neat black necktie had just been presented to him by a charity worker on Thanksgiving Day. If he could reach a table in the restaurant unsuspected, he would be successful. The portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter's mind A roast duck, Soapy thought would be about the right thing with a bottle of wine, and then some fine cheese, a cup of back would be enough. The total would not be so high as to enrage the restourant manager, and yet the meal would leave him filed and happy for the journey to his winter home. 

But as Soapy stepped inside the restaurant door, the head waiter's eyes fell on his ragged trousers and worn out shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him around and pushed him in silence and haste to the sidewalk and his pleasant thoughts of roast duck faded away.

Soapy turned off Broadway. It seemed that his route to the longed for Island was not to be via filling his stomach. Some others way of getting there must be thought of, At the corner of Sixth Avenue, the street Light was shinning directly on a shop window in which some beautiful articles were artistically arranged. Soapy picked up a stone and thew it trough the glass. People came running around the corner to the scene of the crash, with a policemen in the lead, Soapy stood still with his hands in his pockets, he smiled at the sight of the policeman's brass buttons. 

Where's the man that broke that glass? the officer inquired in an excited tone of voice.

Don't you imagine that I had something to do with it ? Soapy said in a friendly way. The policeman's mind refused to accept Soapy as the guilty person. Men who break windows do not remain to talk with the officer of the law.They run away.The policeman saw a man halfway down the block running to catch a street car. Holding his club tightly, the policeman ran after him.The disappointed Soapy walked slowly away, now unsuccessful a second time.
On the opposite side of the street there was a very ordinary restaurant.It attracted people with large appetites and small purse.Its dishes were thick, but its soup and tablecloths were thin. Soapy went into this place with his worn out shoes and his ragged trousers without being noticed.  He sat at a table and ate roast beef, apple pie, and cheese, Then to the waoter he betrayed the fact that he had no money, " Now get busy and call a cop," said Soapy , " We don't want cops in here," exlaimed the waiter." he Joe Come here!
The two waiters, lifted Soapy by the arms and pitched him out on the sidewalk. he arose slowly and brushed the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed impossible.The Island   was still very far away.A Policiman standing nearby laughed and walked on down the street .