How we cite our quotes: (paragraph)
Quote #1
But as Soapy set foot inside the restaurant door the head waiter's eye fell upon his frayed trousers and decadent shoes. Strong and ready hands turned him about and conveyed him in silence and haste to the sidewalk and averted the ignoble fate of the menaced mallard.
The waiters in the story work together with the policemen to keep order in New York City. This waiter can tell by Soapy's outfit exactly what he's up to and isn't going to let him get away with it.
Quote #2
The policeman's mind refused to accept Soapy even as a clue. Men who smash windows do not remain to parley with the law's minions. They take to their heels. (14)
Soapy didn't think this one through that well, did he? It's funny, but also has a serious side. It shows that Soapy doesn't really respect the property and safety of others. He isn't malicious toward anybody, and there are worse things than breaking windows. But still, he's not contributing to making life better in his neighborhood; rather, he's making it worse. We might also take this as a sign that Soapy really disapproves of all the wealth and splendor around him and wants to destroy it.
Quote #3
Neatly upon his left ear on the callous pavement two waiters pitched Soapy. He arose, joint by joint, as a carpenter's rule opens, and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed but a rosy dream. The Island seemed very far away. A policeman who stood before a drug store two doors away laughed and walked down the street. (18)
See, waiters and cops working together. We are getting the idea that Soapy isn't the first guy to try to eat a free meal in order to get locked up for the winter. These waiters and these policemen are probably against the idea of giving Soapy free room and board for the winter, and don't want to reward his bad behavior. We also get a sense here of how down Soapy really is. Getting kicked around might be part of his daily routine. Again, this is told in a funny way, but it's not so funny when we really start to think about it. Soapy's life is about disrupting order, and this results in his own life being very disordered.