The four great actors, distinguished-looking, positively Beau
Brummelesque, in shining top-hats of the latest fashion, went out of the
Allied Arts Building to make history. They walked ahead abreast, their
eyes fixed straight ahead. Pedestrians instinctively parted to let them
by. Then they asked questions.
Andrew Barrett's agents answered the questions.
"They are the advance-guard. You ought to see what's coming!"
The faint sense of waiting for something worth waiting for, that so far
only the annual police parade has been able to arouse in New York was
discernible on the faces of the spectators. They began to cluster on the
edges of the sidewalks. The chauffeurs began to look anxious. Honestly,
they did!
Andrew Barrett had shown to the other shop-keepers the Valiquet designs
and told them to watch for the great jewelers' astounding coup. He
booked twenty-two orders for the next week.
At two o'clock the artists sallied forth once more. The throngs opened
for them to pass. Those spectators who had put off lunching to see the
epoch-making stunt were rewarded. They saw four perfectly attired
gentlemen in top-hats, carrying dazzling escutcheons worthy of the
premier jewel-shop in the world.
The six, walking professionally, carried the most beautiful boards ever
seen, with these legends:
[Illustration: THIS BOARD DESIGNED BY VALIQUET'S PREMIER JEWELERS OF
AMERICA]
[Illustration: WONDERS OF THE WORLD! THE OLD WORLD HAD SEVEN! THE NEW
WORLD HAS ONLY ONE: VALIQUET'S]
They were followed by the six picked sandwiches, in their
working-clothes, but with wonderful boards.
[Illustration: FOR SILVER AND GOLD, PEARLS, DIAMONDS, RUBIES, EMERALDS,
EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS VALIQUET'S WHO DESIGNED THIS BOARD]
[Illustration: VALIQUET'S OFFICIAL DESIGNERS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
SANDWICH ARTISTS]
The sandwich was the thing!
The sandwich-men were merely artists.
The spectators recalled that ultimately all men and all women must
become sandwiches.
It made New-Yorkers realize that Death was still on the job. This gave
them something to talk about that night at dinner, before dancing.