Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 726

"The Covers and Blinds of Gotham" This serialized story by an unnamed author follows events in New York City involving Vandevere Van Decker, a rough, intoxicated man from Oil Gutter, Pennsylvania. When Van Decker acosts and tries to force himself into a carriage occupied by the elegant Miss Irene Elliston, her brother Robert intervenes, striking Van Decker and sending him sprawling. A street boy named Dennis Duff and his companion, a man in brown called "the Brown Sport," witness the ensuing confrontation with a store merchant and police officer. The Brown Sport skillfully distracts the merchant while Dennis escorts the drunken Van Decker away before arrest. Afterward, the Brown Sport—identified as someone named Montague—scolds Van Decker for his foolish behavior toward Miss Elliston, while praising Dennis as his trusted associate. The narrative depicts urban street life, class tensions, and the activities of street characters.