fair! Very fair, indeed!" he seemed to be saying encouragingly to
the dazzling green things.

The well-trained clerks looked at him, took a respectfully eager step
toward him as if to place themselves unreservedly at his orders, and
then abruptly immobilized themselves in their tracks--their tribute to
expert knowledge!

He did not look up, but, as if he were aware that the world was looking
on, ready to obey, he rested his finger-tip on the showcase immediately
above an eighteen-carat cabochon emerald surrounded by very white
diamonds set in platinum. By instinct he had picked out the best.

A clerk opened the case, took out the emerald, and respectfully laid it
before the connoisseur. H. R. fumbled in his waistcoat pockets, then in
his coat, allowed himself to look annoyed at having forgotten his pocket
magnifying-glass, picked up the jewel, looked at it closely for flaws,
then at arm's-length for general effect.

He laid it on the velvet mat, raised his eyes and met the clerk's.

The clerk smiled uncertainly. H. R. unsmilingly raised his
eyebrows--very slightly.

"Sixty-eight thousand five hundred, Mr.--eh--"

H. R. hesitated. Then he shook his head resolutely. Having mastered the
temptation, he nodded to the clerk, and said, kindly, "Thank you."

"Not at all, sir," gratefully said the clerk.

H. R. walked on, a marked man, high in the estimation of the clerks
because he had _not_ bought a sixty-eight-thousand-dollar emerald.

Don't you wonder how they do it? What is it? Intuition? Genius?

A floor-walker who had taken in H. R.'s introduction of himself to
Valiquet's bowed deferentially to H. R. and blamed his memory for not
remembering the name. He was certain he knew the gentleman well.

H. R. nodded and asked: "I wish to have a bronze statuette designed and
cast for me. Which department, please?"

"Up-stairs, Mr.--er-- Second floor, sir. Mr. Gwathmey is in charge,
and--"

"Oh, Gwathmey!" H. R. was obviously much relieved.

"Yes, sir. He's still with us, sir. Elevator on the left."

"Thank you," said H. R., and the man smiled gratefully.

You don't have to buy to be treated politely in New York. The mere
suspicion of the power of purchase is enough. It is thus that the
principle "Politeness pays" has been established among stock-brokers and
jewelers.

H. R. was directed to the head of the department, to whom he said, with
a sort of boyish eagerness, "Mr. Gwathmey, I'm very much interested in
t