Short Fiction · Chapter
Vanity and Some Sables explained
Kid Brady leaves the Stovepipe Gang to work as a plumber for his girlfriend Molly McKeever.
What happens
Kid Brady leaves the Stovepipe Gang to work as a plumber for his girlfriend Molly McKeever. After eight months, he buys her an expensive set of Russian sables, which leads to a confrontation with Detective Ransom, who suspects the furs are stolen. A policeman reveals the furs are cheap imitations, and the misunderstanding is resolved, highlighting Kid's vanity and Molly's unconditional love.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The sables appear to be expensive Russian furs but are actually cheap imitations, reflecting the theme of deceptive appearances.
Social Class and Wealth
Kid's vanity drives him to buy luxury goods beyond his means, highlighting class aspirations and the value placed on material wealth.
Love and Romance
Molly's love for Kid transcends material possessions, as she accepts him despite the deception about the furs.
Characters to notice
- Kid Brady
Former Stovepipe Gang member who quits crime for Molly, works as a plumber, and buys her sables out of vanity.
- Molly McKeever
Kid's girlfriend, whose love and influence inspire him to go straight; she is initially proud of the sables but later values Kid over material goods.
- Ransom
Detective who suspects the sables are stolen and confronts Kid, but later releases him when the theft report is corrected.
- Policeman Kohen
Officer who identifies the sables as cheap imitations and clears up the misunderstanding.
Key passages
“Dey're out rubberin' at a set of buffalo robes Kid Brady staked his girl to”
They're all gawking at the buffalo fur coat Kid Brady gave his girlfriend.
A bystander's comment reflects the neighborhood's fascination with Kid's gift.
“I'd rather have got six months and not have told it. Me, the swell guy that wouldn't look at anything cheap! I'm a plain bluffer.”
I'd prefer a six-month jail sentence over admitting the truth. I, who prides himself on only buying expensive things, am just a fraud.
Kid's humiliation when the cheapness of the furs is exposed reveals his vanity.