The Artful Trade

The Ring W. Maguire  copyright@2019 "NEW YORK — Just before midnight, a man standing on a sidewalk in Times Square decided that the spot was right. He turned to his girlfriend, fell to a knee and nervously retrieved a diamond ring from his pocket. The girl said yes, the New York Police Department reported, but the man fumbled the ring. It bounced once then rolled eight feet before disappearing down a subway grate." The Ring There is a stretch of Broadway just north of 42 St. in Times Square where the traffic slows. The hacks surrender twisting the wheel and curse under their breath about the clot of tourists and the pain in their spines from too many potholes and too many stiffs. And tangled with its own crowds the speeding city limps for a few blocks. The tourists look up into the lights and the New Yorkers look down at the cracks.  The pick pockets and the three card monte dealers know the difference and, like sheep dogs, herd the tourists to th...